DUP says 'berating unionists' is no solution as pressure mounts for Stormont return

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has described events at Queen's University to mark the Good Friday Agreement's 25th anniversary as a "bubble".

Big names in politics including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen, former US President Bill Clinton and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar used their speeches at QUB to encourage the DUP to re-enter power-sharing.

Speaking at Belfast City Airport after arriving back from London, Sir Jeffrey was asked if his party is feeling any pressure to restore Stormont's institutions.

"Well, I've just come back from Parliament and I've had some very useful meetings there," he said.

"I think the mood in London is rather different from the Queen's University bubble that we've seen for the last few days.

"There is a realism in London that frankly, there isn't at the event at Queen's, a realism that we need to sort this out, that whilst we'll have lots of people who will tell us what the problem is, I haven't heard anyone come forward with a solution."

The DUP has not accepted a new deal to replace the NI Protocol, the Windsor Framework.

However on Wednesday in South Belfast, PM Rishi Sunak insisted the Windsor Framework is "a breakthrough moment".

"It solves practical problems and, crucially, strengthens Northern Ireland’s place in our Union and our UK internal market," he said.

"It gives the Assembly significant new powers – ready for when it sits again.

"And I am confident we can build broad support for it across all communities, so I share people’s frustration that the institutions are not back up and running."

Mr Sunak will have a "brief" meeting with party leaders at a dinner event he is hosting at Hillsborough Castle on Wednesday evening.

UTV asked Sir Jeffrey what he intends to get across during that encounter.

"I will reiterate to him that we are willing to work with the Government to find the solutions that we need," Sir Jeffrey replied.

"We recognise that there is further legislation coming forward to Parliament.

"We want that legislation to be used to protect Northern Ireland's ability to trade within the United Kingdom and its internal market. That's restoring our place in the union.

"That is fundamentally important for the future of Northern Ireland, for stability here."

European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen took to the pulpit at QUB today.

In her speech, Ms Von Der Leyen said that the Windsor Framework is a "new opportunity for old friends", and that the "gateway to a bright future" is there.

Sir Jeffrey was asked is he will walk through that metaphoric gateway.

"It's a pity that the gateway has bars and locks on it and checks and all kinds of things that we need to see removed," he said.

"If Northern Ireland is going to have unfettered access to our own internal market, that's simply all we're asking of our own government to respect the integrity of its own internal market, to stand up for the union to be the Prime Minister for all of the United Kingdom.

"I am hopeful that what we will hear from the Prime Minister is something more positive and forward-looking, something that is more inclusive than what we heard yesterday from the Secretary of State," he added, referring to comments from Chris Heaton-Harris on Tuesday.

The NI Secretary had said power-sharing is "the surest way" to secure Northern Ireland's place in the Union, as he said real leadership is about having the courage to say "yes".

Sir Jeffrey continued: "I think it's entirely counterproductive if Chris Heaton-Harris thinks that berating unionists on a public platform of this nature is going to find the solution that we need to get Stormont restored."

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he knows the DUP will not respond to "browbeating" from him, but that he hopes "that the next few months will result in power-sharing resuming here, because it is needed."

He also promised the audience at QUB that he will keep trying to better Anglo-Irish relations.

"Here in Belfast today I rededicate the Irish Government to continue to work with all the parties in Northern Ireland and with our partners in London to drive the process forward to the benefit of all the people of these islands.

"Both Governments have an ongoing obligation to honour and implement the Agreement and that is why I am so pleased to share a stage with Prime Minister Sunak for the first time in Belfast," he said.

A gala dinner hosted by the PM at Hillsborough castle draws to a close a busy fortnight of engagements relating to the anniversary of the historic 1998 peace deal.

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