The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) executive was being briefed by party leader Jeffrey Donaldson on Monday night on a potential deal with the UK government that could lead to Stormont’s restoration.
More than 120 executive members met at Larchfield Estate near Lisburn, Co Down, following a day of intense speculation that the ground was being prepared to end the party’s two-year boycott of the powersharing institutions over post-Brexit trading arrangements.
A small group of protesters holding banners emblazoned with “Stop DUP sell-out” gathered outside the venue and told arriving members to “do the right thing” and continue their boycott until the so-called “Irish Sea Border” is scrapped.
Details of the location were not disclosed until Monday afternoon. Information about the planned meeting had last Friday been leaked on social media.
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Prior to his arrival, Mr Donaldson met his team of MPs and peers at DUP headquarters in east Belfast to discuss the outcome of protracted negotiations with the UK government over the post-Brexit Windsor Framework agreement.
East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson and North Antrim MP Ian Paisley were among those to attend the two-hour briefing but made no comment to waiting media.
Loyalist blogger Jamie Bryson live tweeted what he claimed was a “blow by blow account” of Monday night’s meeting.
Mr Bryson gave a running commentary of the meeting, and in one of his posts said that it descended into “mayhem” after Mr Donaldson told more than 120 members gathered that he was aware of the leaks.
“Meeting now halted. Anger that meeting is being live tweeted,” he claimed.
He added: “DUP meeting descends into mayhem. JD [Mr Donaldson] saying texts being sent to Jamie Bryson who is giving a blow by blow account to the meeting”.
In another post, Mr Bryson claimed the meeting had been told that police were trying to “block phone signals” in the venue. In a statement, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said it “has no involvement in this”.
The development comes just days after Mr Bryson – one of the most vocal opponents of Stormont being restored until the so-called “Irish Sea Border” is scrapped – leaked details of an internal DUP email invite to Monday evening’s executive meeting.
As a result, the DUP executive members were only informed on Monday afternoon about its location in what was supposed to be a “secure venue”.
Meanwhile, DUP leader Mr Donaldson held a separate meeting with his Assembly team earlier in the day.
However, there was no briefing with his 12 party officers, a powerful decision-making group that has the power to sign off on a deal before it is brought before the executive.
Mr Donaldson was on Monday night expected to signal his support for a possible deal that would restore devolution and use the opportunity to get final concessions from London in coming days.
In advance of the meeting, one insider told The Irish Times: “I do think the party is at the endgame of this; we’re at the point now of the party going back in within a short period of time or looking for a new leader.”
A report in the Daily Telegraph last week suggested that British prime minister Rishi Sunak has sought to placate the DUP with an undertaking to introduce a requirement that all new laws are screened to ensure they will not create extra trade barriers in the Irish Sea.
Earlier, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said he wanted to give the DUP “space” ahead of its meeting. Speaking at a Brexit-related press conference at Iveagh House, he reiterated the Irish Government’s position that it would like to see a restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly but added “less is more today” in terms of commenting as the DUP was meeting.
He said it is a matter for the DUP “to take whatever decisions it feels fit”.
However, Mr Martin said his own view was the restoration of the Executive and the Assembly “is in the best interests of Northern Ireland”.
“What has been agreed over time now puts Northern Ireland in a very strong position to grow economically”
The Tánaiste was speaking ahead of a meeting of the Brexit Stakeholder Forum in the Republic where he reiterated the Irish Government’s message to all Irish exporters to get ready for the new UK import controls starting on January 31st.
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