A meeting of senior DUP members on Friday, January 19 was not a 'make or break' moment for deciding whether to return to Stormont, leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said today (Monday, January 22).
He said he will meet the government again this week to address remaining concerns over the Windsor Framework.
He said he will meet the government again this week to address remaining concerns over the Windsor Framework.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Right, he's already gone.
00:12 To date no agreement has been reached in our negotiations with the government and there
00:16 remains a number of important issues that have to be finalised if we are to see a restored
00:22 Assembly and Executive.
00:25 And to be clear we want to see the re-establishment of the Executive and Assembly and we're working
00:31 towards that objective.
00:34 The DUP wants to secure an agreement that provides the basis for the institutions to
00:38 function with stability and in a way that is meaningful for everyone in Northern Ireland.
00:45 Building sustainable foundations is vital to allow Northern Ireland to move forward
00:50 and to secure support from both Unionists and Nationalists.
00:55 Factually we have made further progress on many of these issues since Christmas and have
01:03 worked constructively with the Secretary of State and his team on the issues which include
01:07 matters relating to the Windsor Framework and those elements where we need to see significant
01:16 improvements.
01:17 The DUP Party Officer team met on Friday.
01:21 To be clear that meeting was not a make or break meeting as indicated to some media outlets
01:27 by some unnamed, apparently DUP sources.
01:32 Those stories are factually inaccurate and are sourced by those not present at these
01:39 vital meetings and often by those outside of the DUP itself.
01:45 We will not be giving a detailed and running commentary on our internal meetings and structures
01:51 except to make clear that we are not negotiating with ourselves as some have reported.
01:57 We continue to negotiate with the Government.
02:02 On Friday I provided our Party Officers with a detailed update on the contacts and discussions
02:08 that we have had with the Government and we are of the view that given the progress that
02:13 has been further secured that we will endeavour now to close the remaining gaps between us.
02:22 As such together with some colleagues we will be meeting again early this week with the
02:29 Government engaging with the Secretary of State and his team to discuss the state of
02:33 play and to ensure that the remaining issues can be satisfactorily finalised recognising
02:41 the progress that has been made since Christmas.
02:44 There were reports, certainly it has been speculated on Friday, that you had this meeting
02:52 with your Party Officers and because you didn't feel the deal was strong enough and you didn't
02:57 have the support of your Party Officers you retracted or decided not to go for a vote.
03:03 Are you saying that's not the case?
03:04 Well Tracey your question presupposes that a deal has been made, that agreement has been
03:10 reached and that is not the case.
03:12 I am very clear that we have made significant progress but there are a number of outstanding
03:17 issues that need to be finalised and this week my focus along with my colleagues will
03:23 be on securing that progress so that we reach the moment where we can make a decision but
03:29 we are not there yet.
03:30 So Geoffrey just to be clear I was told and it wasn't somebody outside the DUP told me
03:37 this that this was a yay or nay meeting.
03:40 Can you tell us if you are denying that's the case?
03:44 I mean what was it about if it wasn't that?
03:46 Well I regularly meet my Party Officer team to update them on the progress we have made
03:51 in the negotiations.
03:53 That was the main purpose of the meeting on Friday and to decide on the next steps and
03:59 that is what we have done and this week I will be taking forward those further discussions
04:04 with the Government to finalise the outstanding issues and reach the point where we are ready
04:10 to make a decision.
04:11 The claim by some was that this was a final take it or leave it meeting and you were spooked
04:16 by the fact that it was leaked beforehand?
04:18 Categorically not.
04:20 I am afraid the so-called senior DUP sources who made this claim are ill-informed.
04:27 They are not people who are around the Party Officer table.
04:30 They are not people who are privy to all of the detail that the Party Officers have been
04:38 dealing with.
04:39 They got this wrong and the media should be careful about who they listen to because I
04:44 am afraid there are some very ill-informed people out there who don't know the truth
04:49 of what is happening and as such simply make things up.
04:52 Are these people trying to damage your leadership?
04:55 Well they will have to explain if they are prepared to step out from behind their anonymity
04:59 what their real motive is.
05:02 But I am very clear, none of this spooks me, phases me.
05:06 I am focused on the job I need to do.
05:09 I am working closely with my Party Officer team to deliver the outcome that we need for
05:16 Northern Ireland and to make a decision once we have concluded these negotiations.
05:20 Frankly a lot of what you have said to us about, still not there yet, you could have
05:24 said and you have said over the past few months, a lot of people are now tired waiting for
05:29 the DUP.
05:30 What is it that is more important than public sector workers getting a fair day's pay for
05:36 a fair day's work and for the health service getting itself out of the mess it is in and
05:40 for the buses running on time?
05:42 What is more important than that?
05:44 Well all of those things are important and that is why we have gone to the Government
05:48 and we have said very clearly to the Secretary of State that he should release immediately
05:53 the extra funding that has been secured for our public services and that includes the
05:59 Public Sector Pay Award.
06:00 The Secretary of State has the power to do that.
06:03 The Secretary of State has the money to do that.
06:05 The Secretary of State has the responsibility at the moment to do that in the absence of
06:10 Stormont and he should get on with it.
06:13 We will continue to work to get an agreement that enables the sustainable restoration of
06:19 devolved government in Northern on a stable basis on which Unionists and Nationalists
06:24 can give their support.
06:26 That's what I'm working towards and our priorities in a restored Stormont will of course be to
06:31 continue addressing the issues within our health service, our education system, ensuring
06:36 that our public sector workers are properly rewarded for the vital work that they do but
06:42 having secured the extra funding the Government should simply get on with it and deliver that
06:47 funding so that our public sector workers and our public services are properly supported,
06:54 properly paid and properly funded.
06:56 Sir Geoffrey, might it be the case that the real crunch point that has come within Unionism
07:01 is a deep divide on whether or not to be pragmatic about things like how to deal with trade and
07:09 whether or not to be pragmatic about the return to Stormont and that that is a divide that
07:12 breaches all three parties and that spans all three parties and that you are now at
07:16 the thick of?
07:17 Well I am very clear Ben that the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland support Stormont,
07:24 support our devolved Government and want to see the institutions restored but a key element
07:30 of that restoration is that Unionists as well as Nationalists can support the basis for
07:35 the restoration of our devolved institutions and that is what I am working to achieve,
07:40 to make the progress that we need measured against our seven tests, to ensure that the
07:46 problems that were created by the protocol in relation to our ability to trade with the
07:51 rest of the United Kingdom, I want to restore and protect our place within the UK and its
07:56 internal market and I want then to restore the institutions and see them delivering for
08:01 everyone in Northern Ireland.
08:02 Sir Geoffrey you are talking about you are going to finalise arrangements now, the Government
08:05 have said that they are done talking about all of this, so where is any of this going
08:13 given the fact that most people and I am sure yourself are running out of patience for this
08:18 whole process?
08:19 Well the Government are still talking and I will be meeting with the Government this
08:24 week to finalise the outstanding issues and to get to a point where my party can make
08:30 a decision and it is in everyone's interest that we do that and I am confident the Government
08:37 will engage to the point where we get an outcome and then we can make our decision.
08:43 Have you reached your David Trimble moment or are you reaching it?
08:48 Well some people have said it is a Geoffrey Dalton moment, some people have said it is
08:53 a David Trimble moment, I am not into that personality stuff or histrionics, I am focused
08:59 on getting the job done, I am focused on making the progress that we need measured against
09:07 our seven tests to see Northern Ireland's place within the UK and its internal market
09:13 restored and our political institutions restored as well.
09:18 I am in the business of providing the leadership that is needed to get that done and that is
09:23 what I am doing.
09:24 Would you ever say back me or side me?
09:26 I think it is a question for my party collectively and that is why our party officers are the
09:33 people who will make these decisions.
09:36 Yes as party leader it is my duty to lead that approach, it is my duty to lead these
09:41 negotiations but it is ultimately the party officers collectively who will come to a decision
09:48 as to whether we have made the progress that is required.
09:52 Thank you.
09:53 [BLANK_AUDIO]