Ulster Unionist leader, Steve Aiken OBE MLA, has stated that recent commentary from Dublin, Brussels and Washington is in danger of pulling the Belfast Agreement apart in the Brexit negotiations.

Mr Aiken said:

“The continuing commentary from Dublin, Brussels and Washington demonstrates either extreme naivety about the Belfast Agreement or else deliberate manipulation to sustain partisan pro-United Ireland positions which will do long term damage to relationships across these islands and particularly within Northern Ireland. It`s as if the Belfast Agreement only refers to one community within Northern Ireland and fundamentally ignores the imposition of a border down the Irish Sea – an internal border within a sovereign country. They disgracefully trample over the legitimate concerns of unionists and are in danger of pulling the Belfast Agreement apart in the Brexit negotiations. Unionists are as entitled to have their rights protected as nationalists.

“The United Kingdom government has made some disastrous mistakes such as signing up to the Withdrawal Agreement in the first place, but it shouldn`t be an excuse for all pretence of impartiality to be thrown out the window by those who should know better. Some elements within the Dublin Government and political nationalism seem to have lost the run of themselves, delirious on the euphoria of being able to publicly kick ‘the Brits’ on a daily basis with US Presidential Candidate Joe Biden weighing in behind them with a highly regrettable intervention.

“The irony of the President of the EU talking in her speech last week about EU member states that ‘can always count on Europe's full solidarity on protecting their legitimate sovereignty rights’ at the same time as ignoring the legitimate rights of the people of Northern Ireland to have unfettered access to the rest of our own country is extraordinary. President von der Leyen would be well advised to read the Belfast Agreement especially this part;

“…the present wish of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland, freely exercised and legitimate, is to maintain the Union and, accordingly, that Northern Ireland’s status as part of the United Kingdom reflects and relies upon that wish; and that it would be wrong to make any change in the status of Northern Ireland save with the consent of a majority of its people…”

“Does the imposition of an internal Border in the Irish sea, against the express wishes of the people of Northern Ireland meet this criteria? It obviously does not and compares hypocritically with her so called support of legitimate sovereign rights. But this skewing and deliberate manipulation of the intent, content and purpose of our peace process by the EU is nothing compared to the contemptible language of Republican Congressman Peter King.  That such a noted supporter of the IRA believes that he has anything positive to contribute on any issue to do with peace on our islands, is risible.”