Speaking in Stormont’s Great Hall immediately after Sinn Fein announced that they were going back into government on the basis of the deal published last night Jim Allister said:
“I’m not surprised that Sinn Fein has a sense of jubilation that though they tore down these institutions such as they are they can re-enter them on their own terms. Of course the greatest achievement is the attainment of the Irish language legislation with its enforcer though the office of a commissioner and you heard from the lips of Sinn Fein that they see this as the first step as it was in Wales and that they intent on building upon what they have achieved.
“It’s also no surprise that they accept these terms because they are the same as the deal they negotiated in February 2018. The surprise and disappointment is that the party which rightly rejected those terms in February 2018, namely the DUP, has now in a craven climb down accepted those very terms. Producing in substance to large measure the very Irish language legislation that was then postulated.
“In the meantime greater political damage has been done to Unionism. The process since has brought us to the point where last night demonstrated that sanctity of Strand One has been shredded and now we have the Dublin Government as an equal partner in Strand One issues. The document produced was the document of the Secretary of State and of the interloper Coveney. The fact that all of that happened without a whimper from Unionist participants in the talks is a commentary in itself as to how Sinn Fein has succeeded in their political goals – to the very point where the internal arrangements of this part of the United Kingdom are as much a matter for the Dublin Government as they are for the sovereign Government in London. That is shameful matter. All those responsible need to reflect upon it very seriously.
“It is quite clear that in all of this, not for the first time, it was Unionism giving and Sinn Fein taking.
“What did Sinn Fein give in these negotiations? Nothing.
“What did the DUP gain? Nothing on abortion. Nothing on movement towards a voluntary coalition. Nothing towards the people of Northern Ireland having the democratic right to vote a party out of government. Instead it was climb down on the primary Sinn Fein demand. That is not a good premise on which to restore these institutions and will but encourage a recalcitrant Sinn Fein to demand more as you already heard today. To the very point that they take grave objection to the Union Flag daring to be flown three extra days a year. If that’s the sole attainment of the DUP – and in that they accept designated days – then it’s a very poor illustration in itself of their ability as negotiators.”