DUP won't be 'brow beaten' into return to N Ireland power-sharing

DUP fume at ‘lecturing’ by the ‘great and the good’ and accuse minister of acting like a ‘clueless Irish American’ as party refuses to be ‘brow beaten’ into return to Northern Ireland power-sharing after major interventions by Tony Blair and the Clintons

• DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson says ‘lecturing’ won’t change ‘political reality’ 

The DUP today vowed not to be ‘brow beaten’ into a return to power-sharing in Northern Ireland following major interventions by Sir Tony Blair and the Clintons.

Party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson insisted ‘lecturing’ by ‘the great and the good’ won’t change ‘political reality’ as the DUP continue to boycott Stormont institutions.

Queen’s University Belfast is hosting a three-day conference this week to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Sir Tony and Bertie Ahern, the ex-Labour prime minister and former taoiseach who both signed the historic 1998 peace deal, and Bill Clinton, the ex-US president, have all spoken at the conference.

His wife, Hillary Clinton – a former US secretary of state, is also in Belfast for the event, while Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris spoke to the conference this morning.

But Mr Heaton-Harris saw his address compared to ‘a speech by a clueless Irish American congressman’ as the DUP hit out at the increased pressure being placed on them to end Northern Ireland’s current political crisis.

Sir Tony Blair and Bill and Hillary Clinton have all appeared at a Queen’s University Belfast conference this week to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement

Sir Tony and Mr Clinton were also joined on stage by former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, with all three men having played a key role in the signing of the historic 1998 peace deal

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris saw his address to the conference compared to ‘a speech by a clueless Irish American congressman’

Devolved government in Northern Ireland collapsed in February last year as the DUP escalated their protest against post-Brexit trade arrangements.

They have since resisted efforts to try and get them to resume power-sharing.

This is despite Rishi Sunak overhauling the Northern Ireland Protocol with his recent Windsor Framework agreement, with the DUP failing to support the Prime Minister’s new deal with the EU.

Following the interventions in recent days by senior political figures to coincide with the Good Friday Agreement anniversary, Sir Jeffrey said: ‘The great and the good can lecture us all they want for a cheap round of applause but it won’t change the political reality.

‘The political institutions only work when there is cross-community consensus. 

‘Berating unionists won’t solve the problem. They didn’t do it to Sinn Fein and we will not be treated differently or brow beaten into submission.

‘The Government need to work with us to address concerns and get the outstanding issues resolved.

‘We stand ready to get the job done and see Stormont restored. But it has to have a solid foundation.’

Yesterday, Sir Tony issued a plea to the DUP to return to power-sharing by telling the Belfast conference that Northern Ireland’s current political leaders ‘know in your heart of hearts, what the right thing to do is’.

‘You should just get on and do it,’ he added.

Mrs Clinton urged politicians in Northern Ireland to move forwards with ‘the same spirit of unstoppable grit and resolve’ that resulted in the Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago.

She added that ‘peace, prosperity and progress – that so many have worked tirelessly to achieve – remains incomplete’.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson insisted ‘lecturing’ by ‘the great and the good’ won’t change ‘political reality’ as the DUP continue to boycott Stormont institutions

In an interview with Sky News, Mrs Clinton has also suggested the DUP returning to power-sharing is ‘very much in their interest’.

In a speech this morning, Mr Heaton-Harris added to the pressure on the DUP to end their boycott of Stormont by hailing how ‘real leadership is about knowing when to say yes and having the courage to do so’.

‘Devolved powersharing institutions created a status quo that those of us who value Northern Ireland’s place in the Union can robustly and successfully promote and celebrate,’ the Northern Ireland Secretary said.

‘So let no-one tell you that powersharing is at any way at odds with unionism.

‘Instead it is the surest way by which Northern Ireland’s place in the Union can be secured.’

But DUP MP Gavin Robinson accused Mr Heaton-Harris of being ‘patronising towards unionist concerns’.

‘The Government must realise that getting the foundations right, supported by unionists as well as nationalists, rather than personal attacks and blackmail will restore Stormont,’ he added.

‘The Secretary of State’s rhetoric for the Queen’s University Belfast audience was more akin to a speech by a clueless Irish American congressman rather than a UK Government Cabinet minister.

‘This is about taking our time to get it right. We need stable and sustainable devolved government.’

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