Social Democratic and Labour Party Leader Colum Eastwood MP has said that the DUP strategy of cosying up to British Government Ministers on Brexit is foolish after the party was humiliated by Boris Johnson on the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Foyle MP said that meetings with senior Tories and threats to trigger Article 16 are like groundhog day for people in Northern Ireland who want political leaders focussed on our crumbling health service, the crisis in our schools and the spiralling cost of living.

Colum Eastwood MP said:

“It really is incredible that with our health service under immense strain, our schools facing a Covid crisis and households across the North facing spiralling energy costs that the DUP has refused to abandon it’s disastrous campaign of threatening the institutions of government over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

“Instead of addressing the real priorities that people are concerned about – getting the surgery they need, protecting jobs in their communities, providing a warm home for their family – the DUP is once again chasing influence with Tories at Westminster who will use them when it’s convenient and then dump them just as quickly. They haven’t learned a thing from their last ugly break up with that party.

“It is like groundhog day for people in Northern Ireland who want political leaders focussed on the urgent priorities facing us. The only outcome to Jeffrey Donaldson’s foolish crusade is more uncertainty and chaos at a time when we just can’t afford it.

“Parties that are serious about government should be seeking to work together to improve the lives of people in our communities. Instead we have establishment parties in a toxic race to see who can bring the government down first to meet their own selfish needs. People are sick of it.”