DUP MP Ian Paisley Jr has called on the Government to make progress with the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
He said: “The reason why we have a problem in Northern Ireland, it’s not to do with the devolved structures, it’s not to do with the parties in Northern Ireland, per se, it’s actually to do with the fact that we have a protocol that is destroying business, destroying the opportunities for business across these islands, destroying internal trade within the United Kingdom.
“And that protocol was brought about by the product of violence. Leo Varadkar ran around Europe, threatening Europeans that if they didn’t put a protocol in place and a border between Northern Ireland and the UK in place, then the IRA would return to violence. Today, we have the outcome of that.
“If you threaten these sorts of things, and you put in place unworkable, uncontrollable, unacceptable structures, like the protocol, then politics grinds to a halt.”
Speaking to Tom Harwood on GB News, he said: “Politics in Northern Ireland depends on one thing, consensus, because we have a divided community that’s had 40 years of troubles to get peace and stability, you have the agreement and consensus.
“Unionists do not agree with the protocol, because it’s destroying trade, and undermining the union and are subject to foreign powers from Europe, and they are unaccountable. Those things have got to be swept to the side, that rubble has got to be pushed away and we’ve got to have a new understanding and a new arrangement that allows Northern Ireland to function properly, under an understandable and unacceptable way.
“So having an election, the parties will muster up to that election, we’ll fight that election, nothing will actually change. Until they sorted the protocol, there will be no change to the standoff.
“And really, it’s a choice for the government. Do they want the protocol? Or do they want power sharing? You can’t have both. And so it’s really about talking less and saying more, let’s have some action, Secretary of State, on the protocol.”
He added: “The Government does have the will to change this, of that there is no doubt, I do believe that the Government wants to change the protocol. They recognise that it’s not acceptable…
“There hasn’t been one hour of negotiations with the European Union on this matter. There’s been, yes, talks, periphery discussions, and I think very positive discussions, but until the European Union extends the mandate.
“In other words, until they say we are prepared to negotiate, and here’s the issues we will negotiate on, all of the things that we’re hearing, about positive mood music from Europe, is just that – positive mood music but no change we’ve got to see change.
“As I’ve said, let’s talk less and say more, let’s actually have some productivity.”
