The East Antrim MP stated:
“We have consistently warned about the unfairness of the Democratic Consent vote since October 2019, when Nigel Dodds told the House of Commons that such a vote ‘drives a coach and horses through the Belfast Agreement by altering the cross-community consent mechanism.’ Despite unionists voting against, this vote has been rigged to get the desired outcome.
In Northern Ireland, we have safeguards to prevent domination by one community, such as the requirement for a majority of both unionists and nationalists in key votes. Why, then, is the decision on the NI Protocol, a deeply divisive issue, not held to the same standard? The simple answer is, they wanted a certain outcome.
Our DUP MLAs will be in the chamber to vote against the continuation of these arrangements. Our campaign to restore Northern Ireland’s rightful place within the United Kingdom continues. This includes the removal of EU law from Northern Ireland and the dismantling of the internal border it creates.
The Chancellor should be using her visit to Brussels this week to advocate for this outcome. She must work to address the harm caused to businesses, competitiveness, consumer choice, and the broader economy by the implementation of the Windsor Framework.”