Sinn Féin victory in elections to the Stormont Assembly will send the signal that business as usual” with Northern Ireland Protocol, said Sir Geoffrey Donaldson.
The leader of the DUP spoke at the rally in Bangor, County Down, where he said that both the UK government and the EU now recognized that protocol must be changed.
Speaking ahead of at the meeting, Sir Geoffrey said: “Unionism stands united in opposition protocol. This must remain our focus.
Read more: Sources in London say NI protocol will be cancelled.
“There are too many disagreements. These elections will won and lost on transfers.
“I want every union member give them first preference, but want then continue them and transfer them to other pro-union candidates.”
The rally is latest in a series who took place throughout Northern Ireland, outlining trade union and loyalist opposition post- Brexit protocol which sees additional checks on goods arriving in Northern Ireland from the UK.
The trade unions categorically object to it as a frontier in Irish sea.
Previously this yeardup pulled out of CEO of Stormont in protest against protocol and party promised not to enter again government after Thursday’s election until their concerns are resolved.
Sir Geoffrey continued: protocol passed up transport costs between the UK and NI by 27% and established a border between us and our most important trading partner is the UK and also jeopardizes our drug supply in middle of health pandemic.
“We have made progress in convince many of dignity of our case. From the position of revision, the EU and the government now recognize need for change.
“The Government knows that the Protocol is not enjoy in support of Unionists and Brussels can be in no doubt the Protocol has cast its long shadow over Political structure of Northern Ireland.
“If Sinn Féin wins this election, the message to London, Dublin and Brussels will be business normally with in protocol.”
(Image: Mark Marlow/PA)
The meeting was also speeches were made by TUV leader Jim Allister, as well as Baroness Kate Howey and former Ben Habib, Brexit MEP, who are among group who sued against in protocol, which is to be reviewed by the Supreme Court.
They are also spoke at the anti-protocol rally earlier in day in Ballymena, County Antrim.
Mr. Allister said at a rally in Co Antrim that there could be no return. of executive body for the distribution of powers in Stormont until protocol is an removed.
Number of detachments of the faithful to the order passed through Ballymena in front of several hundred people collected in city center to hear speeches.
Mr. Allister said “We must bring in the lying prime minister who put it unfair protocol on the us by the time he has to make a choice.
“And the leverage we have is to make the prime minister choose: you want save the protocol or you want save Stormont?
“You can’t have both.
“AND reason I’m saying you can’t have both very simply: price of Stormont must implement protocol and this price no union member can pay or ever should paid.”
He added: “Basic premise of in protocol that Great Britain is a foreign country and that Northern Ireland, in trading terms is an integral part of EU on what should be an economically integrated island of Ireland.
“Declaration of Great Britain as a “third” or foreign country hurts to the heart of Union.
“It is not surprising that the court of Appeal recognized protocol subjugated Article 6 of acts of Union is the foundation of economic union of Union.”
Lady Howie said, “I think people angry in pro-union community.
“I think we’re mad at way Northern Ireland was treated by our own government, but also especially way The Irish government and the European Union have colluded to do everything possible to set Northern Ireland apart from the rest of United Kingdom.
“I think we are all know how in protocol separated Northern Ireland from the rest of UK, principle of the agreement that was so central to the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement that many of us voted for.
“Now how betrayed, we feel that the principle of consent has been revoked by our own government and the European Union, which used Northern Ireland to punish others of United Kingdom.
” price of Brexit to people within the European parliament will be Northern Ireland. Well, we won’t let that happen.
“None of us want go back to terrible days of violence, but we cannot have a situation where our government ignores the majority community in Northern Ireland.”
Speaking of the Stormont elections on Thursday, Mr Habib said: “We need to have a union majority. in Stormont, we must use it’s a union majority to bring Stormont down.
“There can be no Stormont for Bye protocol exist.
“If we get a union majority, down you people bring these politicians to justice, force sure that they do what they promised, that is, not allow Executive power to form and ensure Stormont does not reform until protocol goes.
“You can’t have Stormont and protocol, protocol have to go first.”
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