TUV has warned that there can be no place at the table for the Irish Government in discussions about the internal affairs of Northern Ireland. Nor can Unionists, who boycotted inter-party talks as part of the ‘graduated response’ of protest against the denial of human rights at Ardoyne, meekly re-engage while nothing has changed for the Orangemen of North Belfast. “Such would be a graduated retreat”, said the TUV leader.
“Unionism which talks tough only to back down, again, will never be taken seriously by government.
“It seems the Secretary of State is only interested in a sticking plaster approach. Stormont is broken because its structures are anti-democratic and fatally flawed. I see nothing in Ms Villiers speech which points towards recognition of the need for root and branch change.
“I also note she is trying to ignore and shut out the representatives of over 100,000 unionists who recently voted not for any of the five executive parties she wishes to engage, but for TUV and UKIP. This is further folly on her behalf.
“The DUP will be continuing to demonstrate how far it has lost its way if it embraces a London/Dublin talks process on issues upon which it promised the Orangemen of Belfast a robust and unwavering stand, while all the time structures which are unfit for purpose are propped up.”