[DUP’s Edwin Poots: We’re not traitors on Stormont boycott – BBC News](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-68105094)

​

**By Brendan Hughes**BBC News NI political reporter

**The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) are not “traitors” in efforts to reach a deal to restore Stormont power sharing, their former leader has said.**

Edwin Poots insisted the DUP was “working extremely hard” to resolve the deadlock and those labelling the party as traitors were “idiots”.

Northern Ireland’s devolved government collapsed in 2022 after the DUP withdrew in protest over post-Brexit trade checks between the region and Great Britain.

The party has been in talks with the UK government seeking changes to the arrangements which were agreed with the EU in a deal called the [**Windsor Framework**](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-53724381).

The DUP believes the trade rules diminish Northern Ireland’s place within the UK internal market, creating a so-called Irish Sea border.

A bill was passed through Parliament on Wednesday to extend the deadline for restoring devolution to 8 February – giving the DUP more time to decide whether to return to power sharing.

But the party has been [**under pressure from unionist rivals**](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-67741715) not to compromise on their demands.

In an impassioned speech in the Commons, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said [**some people were attempting to “orchestrate opposition to a deal that has not yet taken place”.**](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68074278)

Mr Poots, a Stormont assembly member, told the BBC’s Nolan Show there had been a lot of “ill-informed” speculation about the party’s internal discussions.

## Seven tests

“The people who are running about suggesting the DUP are traitors – why would we have done what we have done for the last two years and then go back with nothing, just for idiots to say that?”

The former Stormont agriculture and environment minister added: “There is a course of work that has been done thus far, and that’s a course of work that’s ongoing, and we are determined to bring that to a conclusion.”

Mr Poots would not be drawn on whether he believes the DUP’s [**seven tests**](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-57852095) \- on which the party has said they will judge any deal – must be met before resuming Stormont power sharing.

“The position is expressed in private meetings. Whenever the party comes to a final position, we will report the final position whatever that happens to be,” he said.

In the last assembly election in May 2022, Sinn Féin became the largest party at Stormont for the first time, pushing the DUP into second place.

But Stormont’s structures for power sharing between unionists and nationalists mean an executive cannot be restored without the support of both parties.

In December, the Northern Ireland secretary said talks with the DUP over the Windsor Framework had “effectively concluded”.

Chris Heaton-Harris also offered a £3.3bn financial package for Northern Ireland dependent upon the Stormont institutions being restored.

Last week a [**major strike was held in Northern Ireland**](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-67981000) involving tens of thousands of public sector workers taking industrial action in a dispute over pay.

by DirtbagsonDirtbikes

21 comments

  2. DUP: SF doesn’t want NI to work!

    Also DUP: Fuck devolution!

  4. A bunch of legends.

    Of the people, by the people, for the people

  7. Poots runs the party, sure Jeff runs out to the media to moan about leaks or how “It’s not over yet folks plz give us more time”. It’s Poots and the crew which are keeping the whole thing deadlocked and Jeff is too weak to do anything about it.

  8. >”The people who are running about suggesting the DUP are traitors – why would we have done what we have done for the last two years and then go back with nothing

    9 out of 10 gamblers quit before they win big. Trust me bro

  9. This “course of work” that’s kept us in stasis for two years, it’d need to be pretty substantial wouldn’t it? On a hiding to nothing.

  11. This is fantastic. Not often I have praise for the governments of Ireland and the UK but by god have they put the DUP in a right fucking hole of its own making or what?

  12. Rumour has it that Jeffers was attempting to bring Pootsy over to the side that agrees with a return to Stormont as he’s been on the fence about it.

    This suggests those efforts are oaying off because Pootsy has been dead silent up until now.

  13. They can’t deliver on all of what they said they would.

    They have achieved the best deal that they can get.

    Those that don’t like it, need to stuck it up and move on.

  14. They’re idiots for supporting Brexit, and after decades of fear mongering among their voter base, they are backed into an ideological corner of their own making. They have been given plenty of outs, they refused.

    I wish they’d just hurry up and fuck off, so the rest of us can actually get back to fixing the country.

  16. If you look like a lundy surrender like a lundy you’re a fuckin lundy edwin

  17. DUP says NO to NI public who voted against Brexit.

    DUP says NO to every possible deal

    DUP says NO to Stormont power sharing

    DUP says NO, we are not traitors

  18. So the people who have committed to their jobs or roles all this time , all the way through pandemic, lock down and complete lack of government causing cost of living crisis, broken healthcare, underemployment, these are the idiots? … Meanwhile that poots guy was leader a couple years ago for what, 5 days then quit?

    And he still gets paid this whole time….. Still gets his lunch, coffee, and meals free, free transport, free security, free offices with free heating and free electricity, free healthcare for his cancer while others died cause they couldn’t and can’t be seen, free legal aid to sue a man on an aircraft who made poor poots upset …. This entire time… All paid for by us .. the idiots.

  19. >”The people who are running about suggesting the DUP are traitors – why would we have done what we have done for the last two years and then go back with nothing, just for idiots to say that?

    Because you did nothing, you do nothing. You are nothing, poots, you are worthless and corrupt and you should go back to work as you get paid this whole time for doing NO THING at all, so go back with nothing, yes you did nothing and you stole our money and time. I wish you’d died instead of my friends and family who couldn’t get healthcare while you did .

  21. No it’s a perfectly reasonable response to hold a government you seemingly profess loyalty to to ransom.

Leave a Reply