Dromore rally demands end to the NI Protocol

Lower Iveagh District Orange Lodge Number 1, the rally featured guest speakers including Lagan Valley MP and DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, TUV leader Jim Allister, and UUP deputy leader Robbie Butler, alongside Baroness Kate Hoey and former Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib. Baroness Hoey and Mr Habib are among the lead applicants in a judicial review of the Protocol which is currently before the courts.

Commenting after addressing an anti-Protocol rally at Dromore Orange Hall on Thursday evening, DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP said: “The Irish Sea border represents the single greatest threat to Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom in a generation. The presence of trade barriers within our own country has the grave potential to succeed where decades of terrorism failed, by driving an irrevocable wedge between Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK.

“The EU say one of the primary purposes of the protocol is to protect the political institutions created by the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. Yet, the protocol is in fact destabilising those institutions, with both the North South Ministerial Council and the Executive no longer fully functioning. If the EU really care about political stability in Northern Ireland, then they should act immediately to resolve the problems created by the protocol.

“The relentless pursuit of these arrangements without the consent of unionists or the support of any Unionist elected representative is a serious threat to future stability in Northern Ireland. Recent gains in Northern Ireland have been achieved on the basis of consensus and respect for both traditions.

“Such respect seems to have vanished into thin air with the implementation of the Protocol. It is ironic that the Secretary of State now condemns the lack of an Executive to make decisions when he has proven himself happy to override devolution on key issues.

“All I ask for is respect and fairness. Those are perfectly reasonable requests. Unionism has stood together against the Irish Sea border. We need to ensure this translates to the ballot box, to transfers between unionist candidates in order to maximise unionist representation in the next Assembly.

“I want to build a better Northern Ireland; to tackle waiting lists and the cost of living while giving our young people more and better opportunities in life.

“However, instead of being able to focus on those key issues the Protocol is draining our economy of £2.5 million every day. That’s only part of its full devastation, with the number of grace periods reaching double figures and £500 million government support due to come to an end.

“This situation cannot go on. Unionism has been patient and has been reasonable. It is entirely reasonable to ask that cross-community protections should be used by unionists as well as nationalists. The days of Unionists being seen and not heard are over.”

Speaking at the rally, TUV leader Jim Allister said: “There is no escaping or fudging of the constitutional consequences of the Protocol. It not only directly challenges Northern Ireland’s position within the UK, but is incompatible with it.

“By its very fettering of internal UK trade it, as the High Court has found, is in direct contradiction of Article 6 of the Acts of Union. Thereby, it has made constitutional change and that without consent. The resulting subjection to foreign laws and jurisdiction gives practical and objectionable effect to its reality. It is an instrument of subjugation and intended to be so.

“Thus, no unionist worthy of the name can ever accept or implement it.

“Its economic mischief is dire, but its constitutional mischief is terminal to the Union. It’s clear purpose is to build Irish unity through the stepping stone of an all-island economy, whereby Northern Ireland’s alignment to and affiliation with GB is broken and the Irish unification anticipated in the Belfast Agreement is achieved.

“That is why I have always said Unionists either kill the Protocol or it will kill the Union.

“This Protocol is irredeemable. Any tinkering which leaves us in any way in a foreign single market for goods, under a foreign customs code and VAT regime, all subject to foreign laws and a foreign court, can never be made acceptable or rendered constitutionally viable.”

District Master John Wilkinson said he was “overwhelmed” by the turn out and response to the rally.

“It is quite clear to me that the campaign against the Irish Sea border in which we as an institution have been to the fore from day one is supported by the people of Northern Ireland,” he said. “No one could have been in any doubt following last night that the demand of our people is nothing less than the full restoration of our position as equal citizens within the United Kingdom.

“Quite apart from the constitutional ramifications which are profound with Article Six of the Acts of Union being scrapped, the meeting learned of the impact of the Protocol on business and the ludicrous red tape which ordinary people have to go through simply to get every day items from other parts of the UK. This is intolerable and needs to stop.

“Going forward, there was a clear message from this meeting that opposition to the Protocol cannot waver. It was equally clear that our people demand that Unionists put their differences aside and ensure that as many pro-Union, anti-protocol MLAs are returned in the elections.

“Unionists must transfer down the line to ensure that as many pro-Union, anti-Protocol Assembly members are returned as possible.

“Lower Iveagh District would like to place on record our thanks for the panel who were most informative on the issues – Baroness Hoey, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Jim Allister, Robbie Butler and particularly Ben Habib for coming all the way from London. Mr Habib’s strong support for the Union of our country is greatly appreciated.”

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