Stormont may collapse within weeks over NI Protocol, warns DUP
The DUP leader has signalled his party will collapse the Stormont Executive within weeks if changes to Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol are not delivered.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was speaking in the Belfast area on Thursday morning as European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic visited the region.
Ahead of any move to pull ministers out of the powersharing administration - Sir Jeffery said his party was first seeking to challenge the legality of checks on GB to NI trade.
The protocol was agreed by the UK and EU as a way to maintain a free-flowing land border on the island of Ireland.
It achieves that by moving many of the checks and processes required on goods to the Irish Sea.
Under the arrangements, Northern Ireland remains in the EU single market for goods and continues to apply EU customs rules.
Unionists in Northern Ireland have been vehemently opposed to its terms which see additional checks on goods arriving to the region from the rest of the UK.
Sir Jeffery said "If in the final analysis those who are democratically elected by the people of Northern Ireland lack the power to prevent such checks, and the protocol issues remain, then I have to be clear the position in office of DUP Ministers would become untenable,'' he said.
"Let me be clear: if the choice is ultimately between remaining in office or implementing the protocol in its present form, then the only option for any unionist minister would be to cease to hold such office.''
Sir Jeffrey added: "Within weeks it will be clear if there is the basis for the Assembly and Executive to continue in this current mandate, and I want that to happen, but equally we will also need to consider if there is need for an Assembly election to refresh our mandate.''
Sir Jeffrey said tinkering around the edges of the protocol would not work and called for "significant and substantial changes''.
He said the changes must meet the DUP's stated seven tests around protecting the constitutional integrity of UK and ensuring free flow of trade between GB and NI.
"I say, not as a threat but as a matter of political reality, that our political institutions will not survive a failure to resolve the problems that the protocol has created,'' he said.
"Neither will they survive an indefinite 'stand still' period - urgent action is needed.
"As someone who believes in devolution and who seeks to return to the Assembly, this is not something I want to see.
"While I welcome the announcement of further extensions to the grace periods, long-term solutions are required and political stability secured.''