Protocol will remain and people will suffer if First Minister Givan resigns, warns UUP's Beattie
UUP Leader Doug Beattie says the Northern Ireland Protocol will remain and people will suffer if First Minister Paul Givan resigns.
The DUP MLA is expected to resign from the post on Thursday afternoon.
The move would mean Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill will automatically lose her position as deputy First Minister.
Paul Givan, Northern Ireland's youngest first minister could be shortest serving Why Paul Givan is resigning as Northern Ireland First Minister and what it means for government Mr Beattie blasted another "manufactured crisis" and warned that the move would lead to instability in Northern Ireland.
"If there is changes to the protocol in the coming weeks and months it will be because of the hard work that is done behind the scenes to get those through negotiations," he said.
"It will not be done by a minister resigning from their post, we will have no first minister come tomorrow morning and if that's the case the Protocol will still be here, in a week's time the protocol will still be here, in a month's time the Protocol will still be there.
"But we'll not have a first minister and therefore the people will suffer because decisions will not be made by people not doing their jobs."
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and deputy leader Nichola Mallon said they have written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson over the latest threat to devolved government at Stormont, which they described as a "gross betrayal of people in Northern Ireland".
Mr Eastwood added: "Whatever community you're from, whatever your background or beliefs, no-one benefits from this cynical, and totally predictable, electioneering stunt.
"Whatever community you're from, whatever your background or beliefs, no-one benefits from this cynical, and totally predictable, electioneering stunt.
"Resigning from government when people are struggling to provide for their families, heat their homes and deal with the cost of living tells you all you need to know about the DUP - for them the party will always come first and ordinary people come last.
"People deserve better than a choice between bad government or no government.
"That has been the cycle of the last 15 years and it has delivered nothing but failure. It is time to break that cycle and offer people a different choice."
Alliance Party Leader Naomi Long accused the DUP of "playing cynical party politics with people's lives and livelihoods".
She added: “The people of Northern Ireland gave a resounding message during the last political impasse – they want devolution, with locally-accountable politicians taking decisions in the public interest.
"They want to see politicians focused on delivering for them.
“The DUP have still not learned that lesson and it’s ordinary people who will pay the price for this cynical electioneering."