Loyalist Communities Council letter: DUP, UUP and TUV reject violence after warning letter from loyalists

The letter was sent by Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) chairman David Campell to unionist political leaders on Thursday.

Mr Campbell told the News Letter: "The letter reflects growing impatience over the Protocol, the need for unionist cooperation at an election if called, and the calls from others for Joint Sovereignty."

The LCC includes leaders of loyalist terror groups the UVF, UDA and Red Hand Commando.

It states that there should be "absolutely no confusion as to what is required in order to preserve the peace and political stability that we have all come to enjoy post 1998."

Any solution to the Protocol requires the following, it claimed:

(i) The full restoration of Article VI of the Acts of Union.

(ii) The principle of consent put on a reformed statutory footing

(iii) Clear statutory protection for the union in any regulations to replacin the Protocol.

"In the absence of these clear tests being satisfied, there is no basis for power sharing in Northern Ireland".

The letter also highlighted "significant concerns that our unionist leaders are seemingly welcoming Irish Government Ministers to Northern Ireland and engaging with them on Strand One (internal NI) issues".

It urged that Irish Ministers "should not be visiting Northern Ireland whilst the Protocol remains, unless and until there is a significant change of attitude and recognition of the legitimate interests of the unionist and loyalist community".

And it continued that "the recent suggestions from Sinn Fein and Alliance as to joint-authority has raised tensions yet further" and added that there are "no circumstances in which joint-authority would be tolerated, and any effort to impose it would inevitably have dire consequences for the progress made from 1994 onwards".

Finally, the letter urged "strong unionist co-operation throughout any snap lection".

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Crime Department, Mark McEwan responded that the PSNI are "aware of a letter which has been sent to a number of party leaders" and said police "will continue to monitor the situation".

A DUP spokesman responded that "violence and/or the threat of it is never acceptable and the DUP always advocates the democratic route as opposed to arguing that there was 'no alternative' to violence, as some have recently said.”

UUP leader Doug Beattie responded that the days of men and women "being sent to jail cells or early graves in this country should be over" adding that the UUP "totally rejects any notion of moving back to pre-ceasefire days"

TUV South Antrim spokesman Mel Lucas added: “"Threats of violence have no place in a democratic society. Unionists should hold themselves to higher standard than Republicans when it comes to this issue."

Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly, meanwhile, responded that "Threats issued to Irish government ministers by loyalist paramilitary gangs under the cover of the Loyalist Communities Council are outrageous".

Kenny Donaldson, Director of Services at terror victims group the South East Fermanagh Foundation, said it "does not support any organisation or entity representing terrorism having influence upon democratic structures".