The leader of the DUP has accused some colleagues of briefing against the party.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson expressed frustration after claiming the actions of some within DUP ranks were damaging the party’s electoral prospects and the cause of the Union.
Mr Donaldson suggested those briefing against their own party were motivated by a desire to gain media coverage or advance their own personal agenda.
The claims, outlined in an emailed message to party members, come as the DUP continues to deliberate on whether to end its ongoing blockade of devolution in Northern Ireland.
The DUP has been blocking powersharing for more than a year in protest over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The party says the recent deal struck by the EU and UK to reform the protocol – the Windsor Framework – does not go far enough to address its concerns and has made clear that it will not countenance a return to devolution until the British government provides further assurances, by way of legislation, over Northern Ireland’s place within the UK internal market.
In the weekend message to party members, first reported by the Belfast Telegraph, Mr Donaldson referred to a desire from unionist voters for the main unionist parties in Northern Ireland to work together.
He said in recent years there had been a more “meaningful effort” by rival unionists to work together.
But he expressed concern about unionists who “manufacture” attacks on his party. He said some of those came from within the party’s own ranks.
“For as long as I have been in politics, grassroots unionists have been seeking their elected representatives to work together,” Mr Donaldson wrote.
“Wherever I travel in Northern Ireland people say to me “there are too many unionist parties” or “we are fed up with unionist infighting”.
“In recent years, there has been a more meaningful effort to set aside labels and work cohesively for the betterment of Northern Ireland. In my time as party leader, I have sought to avoid engaging in public bickering with fellow unionists and have instead concentrated on defending and promoting the Union of the United Kingdom.
“Whilst I will disagree at times with other unionists about tactics, we are on the same page on most major issues about the Union.
“It is a point of great frustration when I read a fellow unionist manufacturing an attack on this party or other unionists. I use the term ‘manufacture’ as the attack will lack substance and be driven more by an effort to gain media coverage or advance their personal agenda than any desire to advance Northern Ireland.
“Sadly, this applies to some within our own ranks who brief against their own party and damage our electoral prospects and the cause of the Union. It won’t deflect me or our party from the task in hand which is to restore our place in the United Kingdom and prevent our opponents from winning the next election.
“In some cases, years of daily gutting each other on the airwaves has had an eroding effect on the pro-union voter. Indeed, it drives many pro-union voters to stand back from getting involved in elected politics or voting in elections. This has cost unionism dear and helped pave the way for the success of our opponents.”
Mr Donaldson said since becoming party leader he had made it a goal to reach out to other unionist parties.
“Ultimately the goal of working together must be to maximise the vote of every pro-union voter on polling day,” he added.
“It is frustrating that unionism could have had more seats in the last Assembly election if the transfer rate between unionist parties had been better. Division costs unionism seats and influence.
“Whatever our differences, I would rather have three or four more pro-union MLAs in Stormont than MLAs who either want to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom or who don’t care about the Union.
“Whilst some people will quite rightly be taking a well-earned summer holiday, I will be at my desk working to get a solution on the Northern Ireland Protocol and to ensure that when the next Westminster election arrives, we are not working against each other but working with each other.”
