Letter: DUP seems to be laying the groundwork for a return toStormont after local elections

Emma Little-Pengelly’s comments at Queen’s yesterday about there being a ‘pathway’ for the DUP to go back into the Stormont executive should leave no one in any doubt about what her party are preparing to do once they get the local elections out of the way.

Let’s be clear. The Windsor Whitewash does nothing to address the core issues raised by the Northern Ireland Protocol. Northern Ireland remains subject to foreign laws we do not make and cannot change. The sea border which partitions the United Kingdom remains. The reality of the judgement of the courts that being a minister in a Stormont executive means one will have to operate the protocol remains.

In short, the only ‘pathway’ currently leading back to Stormont leads back to being protocol implementers. Such a ‘pathway’ should be rejected by all unionists who want to see our position of equal citizenship restored. It seems, however, that the DUP are laying the groundwork for a restoration of Stormont under a Sinn Fein first minister once the elections are out of the way.

Some 66,000 TUV votes made them think twice about that last year. The upcoming local government poll gives ordinary unionists an opportunity to check those who would sell the pass on this vital issue.

Stewart McEvoy, TUV Lisburn South candidate