Letter: DUP boycott of the Good Friday Agreement institutions needs to end swiftly

At present unionists are boycotting the devolved institutions because of a trade agreement with the EU to effectively keep us in the single market and Customs Union.

Firstly, trade is not a devolved matter and is not under the control of the Executive. Secondly, the DUP is trying to exert pressure on this matter (basically to overturn the agreement reached by the UK and the EU) from a position of weakness rather than strength.

DUP MLAs represent 28% of the total of 90 MLAs, the rest of whom want to form an Executive, including the UUP.

Critics of the Windsor Agreement constantly berate the Government for amending the Act of Union 1801. However, this Act has been amended constantly by, for example, the Government of Ireland Act and the Good Friday Agreement legislation.

The UK does not have a written constitution and any Act may be amended or repealed by Parliament at any time. Just because these critics do not agree with the Government does not place it in breach of Parliament's fundamental sovereignty.

As a unionist I despair at the present course of action taken by the DUP. They are refusing to govern the country and thus giving some credence to the oft repeated nationalist mantra that NI is a failed statelet or ungovernable.

Surely we can come to some agreement giving the DUP some cover on trade guarantees with the rest of the UK, in both directions, and get back to solving the myriad of problems we are facing, both budgetary and administrative, as soon as possible.

If not then I fear that action will be taken to exclude the DUP and an Executive formed without them - an eventuality that would disenfranchise 184,000 voters and lead to even greater turmoil.

Frank McClintock, Lisburn