PRESS RELEASE : Jeffrey Donaldson – Protocol is key to restoring Stormont [November 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 9 November 2022.

Sir Jeffrey said,

“The Secretary of State has announced he is amending legislation which emanates from the New Decade New Approach agreement yet one of the NDNA commitments from the Government which is not being implemented is the restoration of Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom internal market.

If the Secretary of State wants to restore Stormont, then he must ensure the Government replaces the Protocol with arrangements that unionists can support.”

Mr Donaldson continued,

“Whilst people speak about their desire to protect the Belfast Agreement, they fail to recognise the core element of the Agreement was consensus, yet every unionist MLA and MP opposes the Protocol.

Progress is only made in Northern Ireland when there is a foundation based on the consent of unionists and nationalists. Indeed, some of those seeking to now abandon consent were silent for 1044 days when Sinn Fein blocked devolution over the Irish language.”