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The press release issued by the Ulster Unionists on 28 October 2022.

Responding to a letter from the Loyalist Communities Council, UUP Leader Doug Beattie MC MLA said:

“I read the words in the letter with a sense that a section of unionism is condemned to keep repeating the mistakes of the past. Quite simply it is the words of unionism in retreat, not the confident presentation of our argument which will win out on the Protocol. It is the school of thought which sees unionism return to the table in a weaker position each time.

“The Ulster Unionist Party has been unequivocal in our opposition to the Protocol since it first emerged in Boris Johnson’s proposals to the EU on 2 October 2019. While the DUP were forced to play catch up after realising the folly of these proposals having initially welcomed them as a “serious and sensible way forward”, the Ulster Unionist Party was sounding the alarm that they amounted to “playing Russian roulette with the future of the United Kingdom”. Now those who created this mess by pursuing Brexit without a plan are trying to make others the fall guys for their mistakes.

“We will make no apology for spending the last three years making our case wherever it needed to be heard. We will continue to engage with the United Kingdom Government, the Irish Government, the European Union and the US State Department to make sure they are in no doubt about why the Northern Ireland Protocol is unacceptable to unionists and is a bad deal for Northern Ireland. The evidence of this being the right approach is there for all to see in proposals made by us being adopted by the UK Government in their Command Paper, in the European Union coming back to the negotiating table and in the change in position from Sinn Fein, SDLP and Alliance who once called for “rigorous implementation” of the Protocol now forced to acknowledge its faults.

“The Ulster Unionist Party totally rejects any notion of moving back to pre-ceasefire days and will resist anyone who seeks to take us back there. The days of men and women being sent to fill jail cells or early graves in this country should be over. Peace and political process are the only way to advance our argument, be in no doubt of that.

“Finally, if the LCC would like to acknowledge who or what is to blame for Sinn Fein holding the post of First Minister then they should look no further than the DUP’s negotiating prowess at St Andrew’s. That unionism should be the majority designation in the Assembly, but not fill the office of First Minister is a failure they have to explain.”

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionist Party on 28 October 2022.

The Chair of the Ulster Unionist Party, Councillor Jill Macauley, has paid tribute to the local Veterans community following a very successful event organised by Veterans Awards NI.

Jill Macauley said:

“This week I was honoured to attend the inaugural awards presentation of the Veterans Awards NI.

“The event celebrated and recognised the achievements of our service community and was attended by the newly appointed Minister for Veterans Affairs, the Rt Hon Johnny Mercer MP and the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner, Danny Kinahan.

“I would like to congratulate all those who were nominated for Awards, particularly Party colleagues Londonderry Councillor Ryan McCready who won the Reservist of the Year award, Banbridge Councillor Glenn Barr who won a silver award in the same category, and our Crotlieve representative Ricky McGaffin who won Volunteer of the Year.

“Many other Ulster Unionist friends and colleagues from across the Province were also in attendance including East Belfast MLA Andy Allen.

“Everyone who attended was both impressed and humbled at the work being done to celebrate and support our Veterans and the breadth of work being undertaken across Northern Ireland by those who have served in our armed forces.”

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionists on 27 October 2022.

Responding to comments made by former DUP leader, Peter Robinson, Steve Aiken OBE MLA, said:

“I noted Peter Robinson`s comments about the Ulster Unionist Party.

“It`s time to set the record straight about how unionism got into the position it is in today. Unlike the DUP, the Ulster Unionist Party has always opposed the Protocol. When Boris Johnson first published his proposals for an amended protocol on 2 October 2019 which stated that ‘the proposal set out in this note would see regulatory checks applying between Great Britain and Northern Ireland’ and ‘Agri foods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain would do so via a Border Inspection Post or Designated Point of entry as required by EU law’, the then DUP leader Arlene Foster welcomed them as ‘a serious and sensible way forward.’

In contrast, on the 2 October 2019, the then UUP leader, Robin Swann MLA, stated that ‘this new protocol should be deeply concerning for all those who have the long term economic and constitutional welfare of Northern Ireland and its people at heart.’

“I warned the DUP on 3 October 2019 that they were ‘playing Russian roulette with the future of the United Kingdom.’ Yet the DUP ploughed on regardless.

“In an interview with BBC`s Spotlight programme on 2 March 2020, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP said, ‘in the end customs checks doesn’t mean that you change the constitutional status of a part of the United Kingdom, that’s not going to happen.’

“Then in an interview with BBC Good Morning Ulster on 27 May 2020, when Edwin Poots was asked by Chris Buckler, ‘Do you think that has the potential of damaging trade or do you think that there are opportunities with what is to come? With this ability to trade with the EU as well?’, Edwin Poots` response was to say, ‘we need to maximise the advantages and to minimize the disadvantages.’

“The DUP`s fingerprints were all over the Protocol whilst our record in opposition to it has been consistent since the day it was published. I welcome the fact that they had a road to Damascus conversion and have come over to our way of thinking. The Ulster Unionist Party said the Protocol was a bad deal from the very start and we brought forward alternatives and solutions to the break the impasse, some of which were included in the UK Government`s Command Paper from July 2021 and form the basis of the potential landing zone for negotiations.

“Whilst we have common ground with the DUP`s latest position on the Protocol, in opposition to it, where we differ is tactics. We have brought forward alternatives, we have engaged with the UK Government, EU, Irish Government and US State Department, and believe that negotiations are the best way forward. The DUP have brought down Stormont. I don`t think that it is in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland in the face of a cost-of-living crisis nor for the long-term benefit of Unionism.

“It is ironic that Peter Robinson is now stepping forward to give advice to the DUP. It was under his leadership that the Belfast Agreement was changed at St Andrews, amending the way in which the First and deputy First Ministers are elected in the Assembly. If those changes hadn`t been made, a DUP MLA would today be First Minister designate, not Michelle O`Neill. And that is down to the DUP. Peter Robinson is in no position to lecture the Ulster Unionist Party given the huge strategic errors made whilst he was leader of the DUP which have harmed unionism in the long run.”