TUV Carrick Castle Councillor David Clarke said:
“The CIA Land boundaries post (see here) should cause all Unionists to sit up and take note of the perilous situation we are in. It recognises that the border “is the Irish Sea between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain”.
“It is quite extraordinary that Northern Ireland is the only place in the world where the CIA think it necessary to qualify where the land boundary is in this fashion.
“I say extraordinary but of course we already know from the Judicial Review brought against the Protocol that in trading terms Northern Ireland belongs more to the EU than it does to the UK. Similarly, we are aware that a core pillar of our constitutional status – Article Six of the Acts of Union – remains in suspension because of the Sea Border.
“Day and daily we see evidence of the outworkings of the pernicious Protocol which is driving an ever greater wedge between Northern Ireland and the rest of our nation.
“It is remarkable that some Unionists have rolled over meekly to become Protocol implements in a Sinn Fein lead executive.
“Surely there isn’t even anyone in the DUP now who would seek to maintain their leadership’s fiction that the Sea Border is gone? It’s time for Sir Jeffery to own up to his betrayal and come clean on the dishonest spin he has deployed in the desperate attempt to sell his deal”.