The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has refused to agree to a deal to restore devolution in Northern Ireland before Christmas, the BBC has learned. The party has been boycotting Stormont since early 2022, in protest over post-Brexit trade rules. The government was hoping an agreement on power-sharing could be reached before parliamentary recess on Tuesday. However, the DUP has said that the party won’t be “calendar-led” in its negotiations.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, leader of the DUP, has said that the party won’t be distracted by hype over a deal. He believes that the financial package offered by the government doesn’t deal with the long-term challenges faced by Northern Ireland. He hopes that the government would “advance on their offer on Monday”. Party leaders have agreed that the current financial offer from the UK government isn’t enough.
Talks about a financial offer of £2.5bn from the UK government, which are tied to the return of the DUP to Stormont, are due to resume at Hillsborough Castle later. Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris will be hosting the talks, which will be attended by the four parties eligible to form a power-sharing government if it is restored – Sinn Féin, the DUP, Alliance and the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). The money includes a lump sum to settle public sector pay claims and a new “needs-based” funding formula for public services. Transport staff, teachers and healthcare workers have all staged strikes in recent months over pay, causing widespread disruption across Northern Ireland.
The DUP has been in closed talks with the government for months over further changes it wants to the framework. The party believes the current rules, which include additional checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, are damaging to the economy and undermine Northern Ireland’s place in the UK. Earlier this year, the trade rules contained in the protocol were eased by the Windsor Framework – a new deal negotiated by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with the EU. Last week, Mr Sunak said the government stood ready to legislate to “protect” Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market. Sinn Féin’s John Finucane said striking public sector workers were “surrounded by uncertainty” over their finances at Christmas and many other people were struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
The party’s assembly members (MLAs) are not meeting later on Mondays, indicating that the restoration process is incomplete. Despite the optimism surrounding an imminent deal, the party’s position, as of now, is that the process is not yet complete. The DUP is the biggest unionist party in Northern Ireland and the second biggest party at Stormont, behind Sinn Féin
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