Jim Allister accuses DUP of 'audacity' on its general election stance

The TUV boss says his party “gave the DUP a clear run in the 2019 General Election to deliver a proper Brexit. They failed and brought us the Protocol. And even with no TUV to blame they lost unionism three seats”.

Speaking at an anti-Protocol event in Sandy Row Orange Hall on Thursday evening, the North Antrim MLA said: “Instead of the DUP taking the opportunity to reassess its Protocol-implementing position, upon the departure of Jeffrey Donaldson, under its Continuity Jeffrey leadership the DUP has doubled down to defend the tainted Donaldson Deal.

“It is telling that Gavin Robinson proclaimed the DUP’s priority as sustaining Stormont with its Sinn Fein and EU rule, rather than having a priority of restoring our place within the UK and ridding us of the obscenity of the Irish Sea border.

“Indeed, he has declared his party’s satisfaction with the permanency of a red lane partitioning border through which all raw materials from GB for all NI manufacturing are subject to EU tariffs, checks and paperwork”.

Mr Allister said: “Having so brazenly somersaulted from opposing to implementing the Protocol, the DUP leadership has the audacity to tell unionists, who dare to continue to stand on the ground the DUP abandoned, that they must not dare oppose them at the polls. Sorry, politicians must earn the trust of their electorate and when they squander it there are consequences”.