Donaldson threatens snap election and says DUP to withdraw from cross-border political institutions

Jeffrey Donaldson who has said he is seeking urgent clarification from the UK Government about people from Northern Ireland who remain in Afghanistan (Peter Morrison/PA)

The leader of the DUP has announced his party’s immediate withdrawal from north/south political structures established under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

The move is part of an intensification of the party’s campaign against Brexit’s Northern Ireland Protocol.

Mr Donaldson also says it will pull out of Stormont's power-sharing government, triggering a snap election "within weeks", if the Northern Ireland Protocol remains.

While Jeffrey Donaldson said the DUP was withdrawing from north/south political bodies he said his party would seek to ensure continued cross-border co-operation on health issues.

“And let me be clear, as part of the proper functioning of all aspects of the political institutions I want the north/south institutions to work,” he said.

“Post Brexit, north/south and east/west relationships are, if anything, more important than ever.

“But they cannot operate in isolation or while Strand Three (of the Good Friday Agreement), the east/west relationship, has been undermined.

“There can be no dispute that the fabric of Strand Three has been fundamentally undermined by the protocol.

“In such circumstances unionists cannot be expected to operate Strand Two as though nothing had changed.”

Mr Donaldson issued the warning on the future of Stormont in a keynote address in Belfast on the same day as European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic began a two-day visit to Northern Ireland.

New facilities at Belfast port to carry out Brexit checks on goods arriving from GB (PA)

Responding to the speech, Simon Coveney said: “We take unionist concerns in relation to the protocol seriously and we have consistently sought to listen and engage with those concerns, just as we have with the perspectives of everyone across Northern Ireland.

“The Taoiseach and Tanaiste met with Jeffrey Donaldson to discuss these issues in detail in the last two weeks.

“However, no positive agenda is served by blocking practical north/south cooperation or by the breakdown of the other institutions of the Good Friday Agreement.

“The North South Ministerial Council has an important agenda this autumn, including on improving health services, managing environmental challenges, cooperating in education and investing in infrastructure.

“As we emerge from the Covid pandemic, we should be focused on working together to support communities and businesses across the island.”

Ahead of any move to pull ministers out of the coalition administration, a step that would bring down the powersharing institutions, Mr Donaldson said his party was first seeking to challenge the legality of checks on GB to NI trade introduced under the protocol and establish whether their implementation requires the approval of the Stormont Executive.

“In the final analysis those who are democratically elected by the people of Northern Ireland lack the power to prevent such checks, if that is the case, if our ministers cannot in the end prevent these checks taking place and if the protocol issues remain then I have to be clear, the position in office of DUP ministers would become untenable,” he said.

“If the choice is ultimately between remaining in office or implementing the protocol in its present form then the only option, the only option for any unionist minister would be to cease to hold such office.”

He added: “Within weeks it will become clear if there is a basis for the Assembly and Executive to continue in this current mandate, and I want that to happen.

“But, equally, we will also need to consider whether there is a need for an Assembly election to refresh our mandate if action is not taken to address and resolve the issues related to the protocol and its impact, its damaging impact on Northern Ireland each and every day.”

The protocol was agreed by the UK and EU as a way to maintain a free-flowing land border on the island of Ireland.

It achieves that by moving many of the checks and processes required on goods to the Irish Sea.

Under the arrangements, Northern Ireland remains in the EU single market for goods and continues to apply EU customs rules.

Unionists in Northern Ireland have been vehemently opposed to its terms which see additional checks on goods arriving to the region from the rest of the UK.

They claim the arrangements have undermined Northern Ireland’s place within the UK.

While Mr Donaldson said the DUP was withdrawing from north/south political bodies he said his party would seek to ensure continued cross-border co-operation on health issues.

“And let me be clear, as part of the proper functioning of all aspects of the political institutions I want the north/south institutions to work,” he said.

“Post Brexit, north/south and east/west relationships are, if anything, more important than ever.

“But they cannot operate in isolation or while strand three (of the Good Friday Agreement), the east/west relationship, has been undermined.

“There can be no dispute that the fabric of strand three has been fundamentally undermined by the protocol.

“In such circumstances unionists cannot be expected to operate strand two as though nothing had changed.”

The DUP leader said ministers would also seek to use their votes at the Stormont Executive to block the implementation of any additional checks at Northern Ireland ports when ongoing grace periods end.

He said the DUP would also oppose the passage of regulations at Stormont required to reflect any changes to EU law applying in Northern Ireland.

Mr Donaldson warned that the Government’s planned move to legislate for Irish language provisions at Westminster would further undermine devolution.

The UK Government agreed to the Sinn Fein demand in the summer after the republican party threatened not to re-enter the powersharing administration after failing to secure a firm timetable from the DUP on implementing what was a key plank of the 2020 New Decade New Approach deal that restored devolution.

“The proper place for such legislation is the Northern Ireland Assembly where it can receive the proper scrutiny and a balanced approach,” said Sir Jeffrey.

“Such a usurpation of the Assembly’s powers, without the consent of the Assembly, would be difficult at any time.

“But undermining the operation of strand one (of the Good Friday Agreement) as well as strand three at the same time would further undermine confidence in devolution and the operation of the Assembly from an already low base.

“The situation is further exacerbated when the New Decade, New Approach Deal is implemented on a one-sided basis and in the absence of the Government delivering on the NDNA commitment to ensure that Northern Ireland remains an integral part of the UK internal market.

“For unionists such a situation is both intolerable and unsustainable.”