Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-
“Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s departure in these very inauspicious and concerning circumstances, after he has done the damage of surrendering his party to the Protocol, has very wide ramifications for unionism.
“Like any individual he must be afforded the protection of innocent until proven guilty. It must not be forgotten there is a family at the heart of this matter.
“When the leader of unionism finds himself in this position, the damage is not limited to his party but impacts unionism as a whole. Unionism was already divided by the Donaldson Deal. This needs to be a cathartic moment for unionism. Unionism must steady itself and cut adrift the Donaldson folly of accepting an Irish Sea border and rule by EU law.”