DUP leader Gavin Robinson has written to the new UUP leader, Jon Burrows, inviting him to speak with the DUP about ‘greater co-operation within our unionist family’.
In an email to DUP party members, Robin said: “I stand ready to act in the widest interests of the Pro-Union cause and to work across the unionist spectrum. I have written to the incoming leader of the Ulster Unionist Party setting out our position and inviting him to meet.”
“I look forward to working with Jon Burrows to see how our parties could co-operate and work towards building greater support for the Union and to test how we might best strengthen pro-Union co-operation leading to the election of more Pro-Union members at Local Government, Assembly and Westminster elections,” he added.
A spokesperson for the Ulster Unionist Party said: “This is an exciting time for Ulster Unionism as we embark on a new chapter that will engage and refocus our efforts on a confident and pragmatic unionism. As a party, we look forward to setting out our vision for Northern Ireland and the Union in the months ahead and invite all unionists to join us in this endeavour.”
“Over the years, we have engaged in previous talks on unionist cooperation with our unionist colleagues, repeatedly in good faith, and we know all too well when others are engaging in good faith or when self preservation is on their mind.”
“We are also mindful that decisions taken over the last 20 years by some within unionist leadership have failed to deliver for the Union but rather have championed the largest of strategic mistakes. That history informs our desire to offer the electorate a clear choice.
“Our new leadership team will consider any request to meet, judged against what is best for Northern Ireland and its people. We remain committed to advancing the interests of the Union through constructive dialogue that benefits all.”
In his letter to party members, the DUP leader criticised Sinn Féin, saying they are “not interested in working with the UK Government or the rest of us, who at our core, want to do what is best for Northern Ireland.”
He closed his letter saying: “By working co-operatively Unionism can impact and thwart their objectives whilst bringing about real benefit to the everyday realities of everyone in Northern Ireland. When it comes to delivering investment, making the case for Northern Ireland and delivering support for economic growth it is not Sinn Féin and its allies that have been successful in that endeavour.”
Jim Allister’s TUV also released a statement: “First, we must make it unequivocally clear that there have been no one-to-one meetings with the TUV leader or representatives of the party.”
“The reality is that the DUP walked away from unionist unity, and that decision has had consequences. Their abandonment of consistent, collective opposition to the Protocol fractured an agreed unionist position and fundamentally weakened the Union. That fracture now means the DUP can scarcely even mention the Protocol — certainly not without reminding people of their own broken promises.”
“We would welcome the DUP and the UUP back to this ground of unity. But it must be unity based on principled, unambiguous opposition to the Protocol’s implementation as it currently stands, and on a clear articulation that protecting the Union requires rejecting its operational impact.”
