Rumblings within DUP continue as Emma Little-Pengelly defends return to Stormont

In a joint article for Saturday’s News Letter, DUP veterans Sammy Wilson, Lord Dodds and Lord Morrow said that they do not share the view of those in the party who believe that the trade barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK has been dealt with.

They also said that the party’s seven tests for a return to power-sharing have not been met.

Speaking on BBC’s Sunday Politics, the DUP deputy First Minister said the decision to return to power-sharing was made on the basis of a “good and fair deal” negotiated by party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

The Lagan Valley MLA said: “People will come to their own conclusions and their own views.

“But it is as simple as this; the DUP party executive, a significant body, has made a decision and that decision was based on the very, very detailed presentation of all of these matters that took place over a significant number of hours.

“That decision has been made, and that was made on the basis that Sir Jeffrey achieved a significant number of things in relation to this proposal and this deal, and that included protecting and ensuring unfettered, internal UK trade.”

During the power-sharing impasse, the DUP had cited “seven tests” to measure any proposals designed to address its concerns on the post-Brexit trading arrangements that it claimed had undermined Northern Ireland’s position in the UK.

While Sir Jeffrey said the deal secured represented “progress” across all seven tests, support within the party has not been unanimous.

Ms Little-Pengelly said that the deal secured by her party leader was “good and fair”, but the work hadn’t ended.

“No negotiation is ever perfect and there is more yet to do. But what he [Sir Jeffrey] has achieved is significant; it is significantly more than most people thought that he could have achieved,” she said.

“And absolutely critical to that is that he has achieved the unfettered free flow of trade internal to this United Kingdom, and he’s removed the barriers to that — and that was an absolutely key issue.”

Pressed on whether she believed the seven tests had been met, the DFM said she could point to “significant and positive change” achieved on each test.

Speaking on Saturday night at a dinner in Brownlow House in Lurgan, TUV leader Jim Allister also doubled down on his criticism of the DUP’s deal.

Backing the opinion of Lords Morrow and Dodds and East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson, the North Antrim MLA said the deal secured by the DUP had not restored Northern Ireland’s place in the UK single market.

He added that “control over the laws” that govern Northern Ireland had also not been restored.

“In some 300 areas EU jurisdiction has been applied through hundreds of foreign laws and that all remains fully in force,” said Mr Allister. “The ‘Stormont Brake’ does not apply to this. Northern Ireland producers and consumers are subject to foreign laws even where they do not trade with the EU at all.”