‘I will be a leader in unionism’ says Poots

THE incoming DUP leader has vowed to unite unionism and defeat the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Edwin Poots, who recently recovered from cancer surgery, defeated the DUP’s Westminster leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson in the battle to replace Arlene Foster, who announced her resignation last month.

The Lagan Valley MLA won by 19 votes to 17 in the poll carried out within the party’s 36-strong electoral college.

In a statement to the media at Stormont, Mr Poots said he will meet Secretary of State Brandon Lewis in Belfast next week over Brexit’s contentious Northern Ireland Protocol.

He also said he intends to be in London later in the week to continue those discussions with the Government.

Mr Poots urged fellow unionists to work with him to oppose the protocol.

“I want to say this very clearly, I will be a leader in unionism who’ll be reaching out to other leaders in unionism,” he said.

“I want to see unionism working together.”