09/05/2022
DUP: No Executive Until The Protocol Is Removed
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said that the DUP is committed to devolved government but the Executive will not be formed until the Protocol is removed.
The party leader has led a delegation to meet the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, alongside DUP MLAs Edwin Poots and Gordon Lyons as well as MPs Gavin Robinson and Gregory Campbell.
Sir Jeffrey said: "Our institutions are not based on majority rule, they are based on consensus and powersharing. Progress is only made in Northern Ireland with the support of unionists and nationalists. Unionism has rejected the NI Protocol. No unionist MLA supports it.
"With no unionist support, the NI Executive cannot be formed until the Irish Sea border is removed.
"The Government has talked tough, but the people who voted on Thursday are not interested in words, they want to see the Government act and defend this part of the United Kingdom and defend the democratic institutions in Stormont.
"No more can anyone stand at the Dispatch Box and argue that the Northern Ireland Protocol is protecting peace and stability in Northern Ireland. The people have spoken.
"Every unionist candidate standing in the election stood in opposition to the protocol and attracted some 360,000 votes. 40% of all votes cast were explicitly for parties who opposed the Protocol. Given that the political institutions in Northern Ireland operate on the basis of cross-community consensus, the lack of any unionist support for the protocol means that it is unworkable as it does not command sufficient consensus."
The party leader has led a delegation to meet the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, alongside DUP MLAs Edwin Poots and Gordon Lyons as well as MPs Gavin Robinson and Gregory Campbell.
Sir Jeffrey said: "Our institutions are not based on majority rule, they are based on consensus and powersharing. Progress is only made in Northern Ireland with the support of unionists and nationalists. Unionism has rejected the NI Protocol. No unionist MLA supports it.
"With no unionist support, the NI Executive cannot be formed until the Irish Sea border is removed.
"The Government has talked tough, but the people who voted on Thursday are not interested in words, they want to see the Government act and defend this part of the United Kingdom and defend the democratic institutions in Stormont.
"No more can anyone stand at the Dispatch Box and argue that the Northern Ireland Protocol is protecting peace and stability in Northern Ireland. The people have spoken.
"Every unionist candidate standing in the election stood in opposition to the protocol and attracted some 360,000 votes. 40% of all votes cast were explicitly for parties who opposed the Protocol. Given that the political institutions in Northern Ireland operate on the basis of cross-community consensus, the lack of any unionist support for the protocol means that it is unworkable as it does not command sufficient consensus."
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25 February 2022
Resolving Protocol Essential For Peace And Stability
The Protocol continues to divide opinion in Northern Ireland, but the majority agree that solving it is essential for peace and stability, according to a report from Queen's University Belfast (QUB).
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The Protocol continues to divide opinion in Northern Ireland, but the majority agree that solving it is essential for peace and stability, according to a report from Queen's University Belfast (QUB).
26 July 2021
Economy Minister Urged To Take Advantage Of Special Economic Circumstances
The Economy Minister must act to take advantage of the special economic circumstances the protocol affords businesses in the north.
Economy Minister Urged To Take Advantage Of Special Economic Circumstances
The Economy Minister must act to take advantage of the special economic circumstances the protocol affords businesses in the north.
26 April 2022
Action Against NI Protocol Elevated To Supreme Court
The DUP has welcomed the news that a joint unionist action against the NI Protocol is being elevated to the UK Supreme Court. Upper Bann candidate Diane Dodds said: "The Protocol is not supported by a single unionist party in Northern Ireland. We have a Five-Point Plan which includes removing it. But we can only do that if we win the election.
Action Against NI Protocol Elevated To Supreme Court
The DUP has welcomed the news that a joint unionist action against the NI Protocol is being elevated to the UK Supreme Court. Upper Bann candidate Diane Dodds said: "The Protocol is not supported by a single unionist party in Northern Ireland. We have a Five-Point Plan which includes removing it. But we can only do that if we win the election.
11 February 2022
Irish Sea Border 'Greatest Threat In A Generation'
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said that the Irish Sea border is "the single greatest threat to Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom in a generation".
Irish Sea Border 'Greatest Threat In A Generation'
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said that the Irish Sea border is "the single greatest threat to Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom in a generation".
05 October 2021
Unionists United In Opposing Protocol - Donaldson
"Not a single elected unionist in Northern Ireland supports the Protocol", DUP Leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, has told a joint unionist fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference.
Unionists United In Opposing Protocol - Donaldson
"Not a single elected unionist in Northern Ireland supports the Protocol", DUP Leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, has told a joint unionist fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A sunny but frosty start for many. However cloud increases by midday with a few showers reaching the north coast, these mostly light but spreading inland this afternoon. Chilly. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A rather cloudy evening with scattered showers. Becoming drier through the night with some good clear spells developing and a patchy frost away from coasts. Minimum temperature 0 °C.
