Unionists urged to end their ‘petty squabbling’ and form a united front

AS Brexit turmoil intensified in London, the DUP and Ulster Unionists clashed over the fall-out from the Withdrawal Agreement.

North Antrim MP Ian Paisley accused UUP leader Robin Swann of trying to score political points against the DUP and urged unionists to unite in opposition to Mrs May’s proposals.

The MP said: “At a time when unionists throughout the United Kingdom are standing together, it is cheap in the extreme for Robin Swann to engineer attacks against the DUP.”

Mr Paisley (top right) spoke out after Mr Swann (bottom

right) slammed the DUP’s stance over the Brexit negotiations, accusing the party of “a monumental error of judgment” on the issue.

In another statement yesterday, Ulster Unionist MLA Jim Nicholson claimed signing up to the backstop in December was “a huge strategic error” by the Government, which was supported by the DUP. He said: “We have repeatedly warned that the backstop would come back to haunt us and unfortunately so it has.

“At the time, we wrote to the Prime Minister outlining our se-

rious concerns about the implications of the text on the constitutional integrity of the UK and democratic decision making in Northern Ireland.

“The Government were hoodwinked by the EU, and the DUP bought the December agreement hook, line and sinker too.

“Instead of demanding and scrutinising meaningful legal advice regarding the potential implications of the backstop, the DUP and Arlene Foster instead chose to boast of commitments they had supposedly secured and ultimately welcomed the December

agreement.

“Mrs Foster said that at the time, ‘Northern Ireland will not be separated constitutionally, politically, economically or regulatory from the rest of the United Kingdom.’ ”

Mr Nicholson claimed that the DUP had failed in their “primary duty”, which was to protect the Union.

He added: “The Prime Minister now owes an explanation to the people of Northern Ireland why she has signed up to a deal which contains proposals that aren’t very different from the March version of the backstop which Mrs May said at the time no British Prime Minister could sign up to?

“This draft Withdrawal Agreement makes for grim reading.”

But Mr Paisley rejected the UUP claims and said unionists did not want to see the parties clashing at this time.

He said: “Unionism in Northern Ireland should also stand united against a deal which is bad for Northern Ireland.

“Grassroots unionism does not want to see such a petty squabble when the real focus should be on the proposed Brexit deal.

“The DUP will work with those from all sides of the House of Commons and all parts of the UK to oppose a deal which weakens the Union.

“If the UUP is prepared to set their own petty agenda aside, they could play a constructive role in that process,” Mr Paisley said.

Meanwhile, Theresa May’s Brexit plan has failed to win the backing of the British public, with an opinion poll suggesting that more than four in 10 Britons oppose it.

A YouGov poll conducted yesterday found twice as many people oppose it as support it, 42% to 19%.