After two years of a political deadlock, there has been a breakthrough with the Democratic Unionist Party agreeing to restore a Northern Ireland parliament.
In a crunch meeting tonight, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson confirmed the party will restore devolution in Northern Ireland if the government passes new legislation.
The DUP has been using a veto power to blockade Stormont’s devolved institutions since February 2022 in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements that have created trade barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The party has been involved in protracted talks with the Government aimed at securing concessions on the arrangements that would address its concerns around trade and sovereignty.
In a press conference tonight, Sir Jeffrey said: ‘In February 2022, the DUP withdrew the then-First Minister as a consequence of the imposition of the Northern Ireland protocol which did not have the support of elected representatives of unionism in Northern Ireland.’
‘We warned that the failure to deal with the protocol, its imposition without consent and its disruptive impact on the delicate political balance was leading to an unsustainable position.
‘Having taken a strong and principled stance – we were able to bring the UK government and the EU commission to negotiations.
‘We have worked with the UK government in recent negotiations to ensure that moving forward, Northern Ireland has the best possible chance to tackle its short term challenges and built longer term prosperity within the union.
‘Our goal has been to secure the conditions that allow for the return of devolved government on a sustainable basis and where it can make a real and meaningful improvement in the lives of all the people in this part of the UK.’
He said that the legislation – agreed upon by Westminster – will remove checks on goods moving within the UK and remaining in Northern Ireland.
It will end ‘Northern Ireland automatically following future EU laws,’ he added.
He continued: ‘There will be legislation protecting the Acts of Union, which guarantees unfettered access for Northern Ireland business to the rest of the UK.’
He said: ‘The party has concluded that subject to the binding commitments between the DUP and the UK government being fully and faithfully delivered as agreed, including the tabling and passing of new legislative measures in Parliament, the package of measures in totality does provide a basis for our party to nominate members to the NI executive.’
Regardless of which party forms the next UK government, these measures will stay in place beyond the upcoming General Election, he said.
It comes 10 days after thousands of public sector workers took to the streets across Northern Ireland in the biggest strike action in the region’s recent history.
A mass rally in Belfast heard calls for Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris to release pay awards for workers and also for the DUP to end its boycott of Stormont.
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Emily Jane Davies
