Ulster Unionist leader, Robin Swann MLA, has stated that the current approach being adopted by the Prime Minister and Arlene Foster will launch Northern Ireland into a different trajectory from the rest of the United Kingdom.

Robin Swann said:

“Regrettably, the Prime Minister`s comments in the House of Commons today don`t even provide crumbs of comfort for those Unionists who are rightly concerned and angry at the Conservative/DUP proposals for a border in the Irish Sea. The fact that not one DUP MP could even drag themselves into the House of Commons to defend their u-turn on the principle of the economic and constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom is disappointing. I appreciate that some of them may have had other pressing commitments. They had an opportunity to go on the record in Westminster to either defend this torrid deal or at least acknowledge the concerns of unionists over their proposal for a border in the Irish Sea.

“Both Boris Johnson and Arlene Foster should drastically rethink their approach. They may get a deal for Great Britain`s exit from the EU while Northern Ireland will be launched into a different trajectory. They need to go back to the drawing board no matter what short term gains are dangled in front of them.

“The Irish Government also have a role to play and recognise the genuinely held concerns of unionists over the principle of consent. All parties should return to the basics of the Belfast Agreement and seek consensus. Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney shouldn`t seek to stretch the Belfast Agreement to breaking point. We have put our cards on the table, we have put our own suggestions forward and now is definitely the time for the UK and Irish Governments to negotiate directly to get out of this current mess.”