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Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald has said calls to abolish the Northern Ireland protocol are “not grounded in reality” as she urged the DUP to commit to “real powersharing” with her party at Stormont.
In a keynote address in the Balmoral Hotel in west Belfast to fellow Sinn Féin members, Ms McDonald claimed that a DUP “failure to accept rights and equality” was a contributory factor in the “political storm” that has hit unionism in recent days.
“The outworking of Brexit and the decision of the DUP to support it, the inevitable disaster of the post-election pact with the English Tories and the loss of the unionist majority in Stormont have created a political landscape which many within the leadership of the DUP seem incapable of reconciling themselves to,” she said.
Ms McDonald said she took “no comfort” from the internal difficulties the DUP has endured in the last week, a reference to recently installed DUP leader Edwin Poots stepping down from the post amid internal party anger over his decision to nominate a new First Minister despite a commitment by the UK government to ensure Irish language legislation is implemented in the North.
“We don’t seek to humiliate or profit from the dysfunction within the DUP,” she told party faithful at the Belfast hotel.
Ms McDonald said the contents of the New Decade, New Approach deal that restored devolution in 2020 were non-negotiable. The passing of the Irish language legislation is among the commitments in the deal.
“Its [the deal’s] implementation is not a point of negotiation. It is an obligation on us all,” she said.
“The failure of the DUP to meet this basic political benchmark and to obstruct basic rights is not the basis upon which effective partnership government can be built.
“I believe that this approach by the DUP is way out of sync with wider society, including many within the unionist community.
“There are many people within the broader unionist people who value the LGBTQ community, who value and embrace diversity and who see no threat from Irish language rights.”
Ms McDonald also told party members present: “Yesterday I spoke with the new DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson and we will meet next week.
“The question facing him is whether he is up for real partnership, real powersharing, for political institutions that deliver? If the answer to those questions is yes then he will find a willing partner in the Sinn Féin team under [Deputy First Minister] Michelle O’Neill.
“A partner who wants to get on with the task of delivering better public services, tackling the hospital waiting lists, building decent homes and managing the economy out of Covid.
“A partner who will continue to give voice to those who have none, and who will work across party lines in both the Assembly and the Executive in achieving rights for women, Irish language speakers, newcomer communities and every section of the people who live here.”
NI protocol
Ms McDonald also said any suggestion of abolishing the Northern Ireland protocol is “not grounded in reality”. She said the DUP’s stance on the post-Brexit trading arrangements in the North created by the protocol was “not in step with broad public opinion, including many within wider unionism”.
“Brexit and Brexiteers sought to isolate the North from the rest of Europe against the democratic wishes of a majority of the people,” she said.
“The DUP will be making another political error if they seek to endanger the political stability of the institutions over the consequences of the outworking of their Brexit policy.”
Ms McDonald added: “Talk of abolishing the Irish protocol are not grounded in reality. Good faith engagement and use of the Joint Committee is the only mechanism to address challenges and difficulties.
“Solutions can be found . . . but let me be clear: we need the protocol because Brexit is bad news for Ireland and for the North in particular.”
She reiterated her view that a referendum on Irish unity would come before the end of the decade. “I firmly believe that within this decade the people will have the opportunity to freely choose new constitutional and political arrangements on this island, as underpinned by the provisions of the Good Friday [Belfast] Agreement,” she said.
“Everyone who has a stake in this transformation from across this island must be involved in designing what shape that takes. Far from diluting unionist tradition or British identity and culture in any future arrangements, these rights like others must be guaranteed.
“Last weekend Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar made a very welcome political intervention saying that the time to start planning for Irish unity is now. I hope that he and the Government of which he is a part is as good as his word and will start this process now.” – PA