IN his first interview as leader of the DUP, Jeffrey Donaldson called on Boris Johnson to recognise that Northern Ireland's position in the UK has been damaged by the Brexit protocol.
Donaldson said that the protocol has damaged Northern Ireland's relationship with both Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland and called on the Prime Minister to help "resolve these issues".
He said there will be “opportunities going forward” from the protocol, which grants Northern Ireland access to UK and EU markets, but they cannot be accessed yet because of “unnecessary barriers” created by the Irish Sea border.
He told Sky News earlier today: “At the heart of the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement are our three sets of relationships, and there’s a very delicate balance within that agreement as to how those relationships are managed.
“One of the key relationships is that between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
“The agreement is very clear. The principle of consent protects the rights of the people of Northern Ireland to determine their constitutional status.
“When you harm one of those relationships, you harm all of them by extension.
“That’s exactly what we’ve seen happening because our relationship with Great Britain has been harmed by this protocol.
“So too our relationship with the Republic of Ireland has been harmed, and indeed it has undermined and destabilised relationships within Northern Ireland itself.
“We’ve seen that even on our streets. So it is imperative for all of us that we resolve these issues.”
READ MORE: UK and EU agree truce in sausage war dispute over Northern Ireland
The protocol is deeply unpopular with unionists and loyalists as it creates a trade border between Northern Ireland and Great Britain and means EU rules governing trade in goods still apply in the region.
Asked why protesting loyalists should trust Mr Johnson to deliver on the issue, after he negotiated and signed up to the protocol, Donaldson said the Prime Minister should be given a “second chance”.
He said: “We’ve heard him recognise that there are difficulties in terms of the relationship between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but not just in trading terms.
“The Prime Minister also needs to recognise that this impacts on our constitutional position.
“I’m prepared always to give people a second chance. I’m prepared to give the Prime Minister an opportunity now to put right what was done wrong to Northern Ireland under the protocol.”
Ireland’s foreign minister Simon Coveney (below) has criticised the British Government for failing to acknowledge concessions given on the protocol this week.
On Wednesday the EU announced a number of solutions to ease the implementation of the protocol.
Following a request from the British Government, it extended the grace period on chilled meats entering Northern Ireland from the UK, averting the so-called “sausage war” trade dispute, at least temporarily.
The EU also changed its rules to allow medicines to continue to flow from the UK into Northern Ireland and waived the obligation to show the motor insurance green card for drivers from the UK.
Despite this, UK Cabinet ministers turned up their rhetoric in a bid to push Brussels into further concessions by warning of possible disruption to peace in the region.
In a joint article in the Irish Times on Saturday, Brexit minister Lord Frost (below left) and Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis (below right) said the extension of the grace period on chilled meats was “welcome” but added that it “addresses only a small part of the underlying problem”.
READ MORE: EU warns Boris Johnson there's no 'blank cheque' after Protocol extension agreed
They warned the deal risks “damage” to the Good Friday Agreement, which in 1998 helped to secure peace after decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, unless a “new balance” is found in terms of customs checks.
Addressing that letter, Coveney said “it’s a very strange way to make friends and build a partnership” in a week when the EU had offered concessions.
He told RTE’s This Week: “This is a week when the EU has moved, has shown generosity, has responded to requests from the British Government and from leaders in Northern Ireland.
“And at the same time, the British Government shows no generosity at all, in terms of even acknowledging that there were advances this week that could build trust and relationships.”
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