Ulster Unionist leader, Steve Aiken OBE MLA, has stated that Sinn Fein is in no position to lecture anyone about the rule of law given that they continue to glorify terrorism. Instead all parties should encourage the UK and EU to reach a fair deal which respects the Belfast Agreement in its entirety.

Mr Aiken said:

“On Monday we will see yet another piece of hypocrisy on display as Sinn Fein bring a motion to the Assembly attempting to admonish the UK Government about the rule of law. For all the faults of the Johnson Government and the mistakes it has made in Brexit negotiations, we have now entered the territory of ‘Alice through the looking glass’ where we will have a former terrorist and apologists for IRA murder, grandstanding, attempting to lecture others about the rule of law while during the rest of the week they continue to glorify the actions of IRA criminals. Everyone is already aware of Sinn Fein`s intense hatred of the United Kingdom.

“No doubt others will jump on the bandwagon, but it will do nothing to address the serious challenges facing everyone in Northern Ireland as we enter the final stretch of UK-EU negotiations. Some day very soon nationalists and others in Northern Ireland will have to waken up to the fact that their unquestioning endorsement of the Northern Ireland Protocol could inevitably lead to rising prices in our shops, rising energy prices, barriers to trade with our biggest market and our businesses hamstrung by rules thrust on them by committee.

“It`s not just Unionists who this will affect; it`s every man, woman and child in Northern Ireland. I would ask Sinn Fein, SDLP, Alliance and the Green Party to cut out the Brit bashing and work with all parties to use their influence with both the EU and UK negotiators to encourage them to use their best endeavours to reach a fair deal where the people of Northern Ireland and the Belfast Agreement are respected in their entirety. Otherwise we will pay a very high price in years to come.”