A significant paper has been published co-authored by Baroness Kate Hoey, Ben Habib, Jim Allister KC MLA and Jamie Bryson titled ‘No Deal is better than a Bad Deal’.
Commenting they said, “As those who shared so many platforms with Sir Jeffrey Donaldson repudiating the Protocol in all its parts, we would be immensely disappointed if the DUP climbs down in favour of implementing the very Union-dismantling Protocol we all opposed.
“To accept the anti-unionist Protocol would be to endorse the recasting of the Union whereby Art 6 is ditched and NI is to be partly governed, condominium style, by foreign laws – identical to those prevailing in the Republic of Ireland as part of the template to create the stepping stone of an economic all-Ireland.
“The perversion and constitutional obscenity of a partitioning border in the Irish Sea would be given permanency through its acceptance by the DUP, if they return to Stormont now.
“We encourage unionism to stand firm and refuse to be either bought or bullied.
“In this rapidly evolving situation, and we will continue to work together, and with others across the entire unionist and loyalist community, to seek positive solutions which delivers on the objective of removing the Irish Sea border, and to continue the campaign demonstrating our unalterable opposition to the Protocol, and any implementation of it.
“If, as should be the case, there remains no Stormont institutions until the Acts of Union are restored in full and the Protocol is removed, then we will further be continuing to work to ensure the governance arrangements for NI is constitutionally compatible and does not include any involvement from the Irish Republic.”
Read the paper here.