More Stormont revival talks within days says Sir Jeffrey Donaldson as he rebuffs SDLP leader's claim that he has 'no idea what the motive' of the DUP boycott is

Discussions involving the various main political parties and the UK government broke up shortly before Christmas, with no resolution reached on getting the DUP to end its nearly two-year boycott of Stormont.

Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris had said that negotiations with the party surrounding post-Brexit trade had “effectively” concluded, and that a new £3.3bn financial package for a returning executive was his “final offer”.

SDLP chief Colum Eastwood told Radio Ulster on Thursday that the DUP “need to be straight with the public” about the reason the Assembly is still moribund.

“I think that the deal was basically done before Christmas and for whatever reason the DUP bottled it,” he said.

"But they can’t continue in that way, because I think they’ll be punished by the electorate if they do…

“When you’re the leader of a political party, you have to lead sometimes, this is Jeffrey’s opportunity to show that he’s serious about this because, frankly, a lot of people out there think there’s an ulterior motive.

“I have no idea what the motive behind all of this is.”

Sir Jeffrey told the News Letter in response: “It should be absolutely clear to Colum Eastwood and to everyone else in Northern Ireland why we took the steps we did back in February 2022 – because of the Northern Ireland Protocol, and the harm that it was doing to our place in the UK.

"Since then we have engaged in negotiations with the UK government, and whilst we have made significant progress, there remain a number of areas where we want to secure agreement, and we’re continuing to engage with the government to close the gaps.”

He repeated the party position that the DUP is holding out for an outcome that “restores Northern Ireland’s place within the UK and its internal market”.

"There is no ulterior motive to the DUP’s stance beyond that which we have declared many times in public,” he added.

As to when the next talks with the government will be, he said: “Within the next few days.”

But when it comes to what is on the agenda, he said: “I’m not going to give a running commentary on those talks.”

The UUP continued to maintain its pressure on its DUP rivals to get devolved government up-and-running again today, with its MLA Alan Chambers saying that the lack of one is forcing “punishing consequences” onto the general public.

He called for a return to Stormont to head off potential industrial action by the Royal College of Nursing over concerns that their members’ pay will not keep pace with their counterparts in Great Britain.

“However, until there is a return of an Assembly and an Executive this is out of our hands,” he said.

"This situation can only be changed if the DUP decide on an immediate return to Stormont...

“The finger of blame can only be pointed at the DUP for a situation that is causing every person in Northern Ireland to feel the effects of the punishing consequences of the current absence of responsible devolved government.

“If a return to Stormont is not imminent then the Secretary of State must legislate to honour pay parity for health workers as a matter of urgency.”