PRESS RELEASE : Gordon Lyons – progress is only made through consensus [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 30 October 2022.

DUP Director of Elections and East Antrim MLA Gordon Lyons has said Sinn Fein is more focused on convincing us the IRA had ‘no alternative’ than they are on recognising the damage the Protocol will do to Northern Ireland.

Gordon Lyons said,

“Michelle O’Neill couldn’t care less about the view of unionists. She is playing dog whistle politics, but the facts speak for themselves. Sir Jeffrey made a speech on 1 July 2021 and another one on 9 September 2021 setting out how the Protocol was incompatible with devolution and the actions we were going to take. We then withdrew our First Minister several months before the Assembly election even took place. Our actions have nothing to do with the election result.

We all know Sinn Fein don’t want Northern Ireland to work but for those of us who do want Northern Ireland to prosper the Government should focus its energy on ensuring the Protocol is dealt with and Northern Ireland’s place in the U.K. internal market is restored.

Progress is only made in Northern Ireland with the support of unionists and nationalists. Not a single unionist MLA supports the Protocol. Sinn Fein doesn’t care about the view of unionists and still want the Protocol “rigorously implemented”. Indeed, Michelle O’Neill seems to care more about justifying the IRA than the fact our main hauliers say the Protocol would empty our shelves within 48hrs.

Sinn Fein should start listening to unionists because until the Protocol is replaced there will not be a sound and solid basis to see a return of devolved government.”