TUV Braid councillor Christopher Jameson said:
“No one in Northern Ireland is fooled by the latest stunt pulled by the NIO. This is transparently an attempt to browbeat Unionists into accepting the Windsor Whitewash. Having failed to spin it, the Secretary of State has now resorted to bullying.
“TUV is clear that neither bullying nor bribery will work when it comes to forcing Unionists to accept the partition of the United Kingdom.
“No Unionist can be complicit in the destruction of the Union by returning to Stormont while we remain governed by foreign laws which we do not make and cannot change overseen by a foreign court.
“Unionists must remain resolute. Acceptance of an Irish Sea Border will only result in greater financial pain for the people of Northern Ireland in the long run as it will hasten the day when we lose the benefits of being part of the United Kingdom such as an NHS free at the point of need and the personal tax free allowance.”