Sir Jeffrey Donaldson will address his first Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) conference as party leader when members meet in Belfast later on Saturday.
Because of the pandemic, the party has not held its annual convention since 2019.
Power struggles erupted within the DUP last year, resulting in Arlene Foster and Edwin Poots being ousted as party leaders within months.
Sir Jeffrey, the Lagan Valley MP, became leader in June 2021.
He is expected to tell the conference that “unions should have no barriers to entry other than the belief that Northern Ireland is best served as part of the UK”.
“In support of this union, I want us to build a better Northern Ireland, not just for those who share our union movement, but for all of our people.”
It is understood the DUP leader will call on the “widest coalition of support” from across the community to support the union.
He will also say the coalition should include “those whose support for the Union is based on a cultural, social and historical affinity with Britain” as well as “those whose support is based more on reason and realism and what is best for them.” and their families”.
Sir Jeffrey has been criticized by other political parties for blocking the formation of a new Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly at Stormont.
The party ousted Paul Givan as First Minister in February in protest at the Northern Ireland Protocol, which triggered the collapse of power-sharing.
The DUP wants controls between the UK and Northern Ireland to be significantly reduced and has insisted Northern Ireland’s place in the UK single market must be “fully restored”.
After the recent general election in May, the party said its stance had not changed and it would stay out of the institutions until “action” against protocol was taken.
The UK government has attempted to renegotiate the deal with the EU that sets post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.
Talks between the two sides resumed this week, with British and Irish ministers indicating progress could be made towards a new deal.
On Thursday, however, Irish Foreign Secretary Simon Coveney warned that an agreement was unlikely before October 28 – the current deadline for restoring power-sharing at Stormont.
Northern Ireland Minister Chris Heaton-Harris has repeatedly pledged to hold elections if no new Stormont executive is in office by then.
Gone are the DUP conferences, when the Conservative Party heavyweights were the stars.
Expect a low-key event that looks and feels very different from other years.
Today’s backdrop is, of course, the recent change of tone between the UK and EU when it comes to reaching an agreement on the protocol – an agreement that may not be what the DUP has called for.
Then the specter of another general election looms if the DUP refuses to reform an executive branch within the next three weeks.
Sir Jeffrey detailed the DUP’s plan to leave Stormont earlier this year, a postponement which has resonated with hard-line unionists.
So his speech today will contain little resembling a plan for an early return to Stormont.
You can follow Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s speech at the DUP conference live on the BBC News NI website and on BBC iPlayer from midday.
Add Comment