British prime minister Boris Johnson threw the North under the bus in terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has insisted.
Mr Donaldson challenged Mr Johnson to “put right what he did wrong”, adding that he has the choice whether his legacy will be Brexit or the break-up of the Union.
The DUP leader has come under fire for his stance on the protocol, effectively collapsing Stormont through the resignation of First Minister Paul Givan.
He insists the post-Brexit trade arrangements, which see checks on goods arriving into the North from Britain, is causing huge damage to trade as well as relations.
Mr Donaldson has urged the UK government to act to protect the North’s position within the UK.
Speaking at Queen’s University Belfast as part of an Assembly election leaders lecture series, Mr Donaldson was asked whether he believes the Conservative Party had thrown the DUP under the bus.
Responding, Mr Donaldson said the confidence and supply deal his party had with the Conservatives enabled the UK government to deliver Brexit.
He said they made clear to former British prime minister Theresa May and later Boris Johnson that any outcome must respect the North’s place within the UK.
“But sadly under pressure to get Brexit done, the prime minister I’m afraid, reneged on his commitment, the commitment he gave my party not to have a border in the Irish Sea, a commitment he gave to respect Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom and when he signed up to the protocol, he signed up to a border in the Irish Sea,” he said.
“So it’s not a question of throwing the DUP under the bus, the prime minister threw Northern Ireland under the bus, and the harm that this protocol is doing to Northern Ireland, I think the prime minister now recognises but we need him to do something about it.
“His government published a command paper last July, now seven-eight months later, they still haven’t done what they said they would do in that command paper, so I think what the government need to do is to get on with either reaching agreement with the EU which respects Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom, removes the Irish Sea border and puts in place practical arrangements that respects the UK’s integrity or the UK government acts unilaterally.
“The prime minister has the opportunity to put right what he did wrong and he will be judged in history by whether he does or does not do that.
“Here’s the challenge for Boris Johnson, will his legacy be Brexit or will his legacy be the break-up of the Union?”
