Jeffrey Donaldson said he had not seen “specific proposals” for reforming the Northern Ireland Protocol amid reports the UK Government is considering putting forward legislation to unilaterally make border check changes.
The DUP leader was asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme whether reported changes to the protocol could encourage his party to enter a power-sharing agreement with Sinn Féin after the Assembly elections.
“This is all speculation at the moment,” he said.
“We haven’t seen any specific proposals from the Government as to how they intend to deal with this, but our position is well known: we oppose the protocol and have done from the outset.”
Mr Donaldson said ministers had failed to honour their commitment in the 2020 New Decade, New Approach power-sharing agreement to safeguard Northern Ireland’s future within the United Kingdom’s internal market.
“That will require legislation, that hasn’t happened. Last July, we had those commitments reiterated in the UK Government’s command paper — again, that hasn’t been followed through,” he added. — PA
