A cabinet minister has been branded “clueless” by the DUP after he urged them to stop blocking the resumption of devolution in Northern Ireland.
Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland secretary, told an event in Belfast marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement that real leadership is about having the courage to say “yes”.
That was a reference to the DUP’s ongoing refusal to re-enter power-sharing government with Sinn Fein over their opposition to Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal.
Heaton-Harris said: “Devolved power-sharing institutions created a status quo that those of us who value Northern Ireland’s place in the union can robustly and successfully promote and celebrate.
“So let no-one tell you that power-sharing is at any way at odds with unionism.
“Instead it is the surest way by which Northern Ireland’s place in the union can be secured.”
But the minister’s comments were condemned by DUP MP Gavin Robinson.
In a statement, he said: “The Northern Ireland Office’s approach today has been patronising towards unionist concerns and stands in contrast to their approach when Sinn Fein blocked devolved government for three years over the Irish language.
“The government must realise that getting the foundations right, supported by unionists as well as nationalists, rather than personal attacks and blackmail will restore Stormont.
“The secretary of state’s rhetoric was more akin to a speech by a clueless Irish American congressman rather than a UK government cabinet minister.”
The Belfast East MP said Northern Ireland needed “stable and sustainable devolved government”, which would only happen with the consent of both unionist and nationalist politicians.
Robinson added: “There is no solid basis for an Executive and Assembly until we have arrangements that restore Northern Ireland place in the UK internal market and our constitutional arrangements are respected.”