So the other story today is that after many years of rumours, disquiet is emerging from DUP Associations over the leadership. Looking at the associations involved many of them (but not all) are associated with the party’s MPs.
The proximate grievance seems to be the protocol and the fact that Arlene went ahead with a N/S meeting she previously had said she would not attend. It appears she promised not to do something she was legally bound to do.
There’s frustration with the protocol across Northern Ireland but it’s most problematic in the DUP.
There are reliable sources that argue the DUP was set to brazen out the protocol at the beginning of the year, but that the fall in poll ratings coincided with some odd, highly activist manoeuvrings inside the party.
Last week in the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, digging into the controversial decision to withdraw staff from Larne Port, the CEO of Mid and East Antrim belatedly discovered she had written to London.
NEW: This is the letter @mea_bc's CEO wrote to UK gov raising NI Protocol concerns on advice of DUP MPs, days before Brexit port staff were withdrawn over safety fears.
She told MLAs it wasn't disclosed to a Stormont inquiry as it was 'not relevant'.
📰https://t.co/f5QtS4V6jQ pic.twitter.com/qcYkZwJjv3
— Brendan Hughes (@brendanhughes64) April 23, 2021
Brendan Hughes reports:
In the five-page letter entitled “NI concerns on the implementation of the NI Protocol”, Ms Donaghy said she was writing to the Cabinet Office “in confidence”.
She wrote: “I have been advised by my local MPs, Mr Ian Paisley, Mr Sammy Wilson and Sir Jeffrey Donaldson that I should write to you to inform you of my first-hand experience in relation to the difficulties, concerns and evolving issues that are emerging locally with the implementation of the NI Protocol after only 30 days.”
Ms Donaghy said she was “aware of the involvement of paramilitary groups and recent protests at Larne Port” and raised concerns over “sinister graffiti”.
She added: “I have made the PSNI aware of the ongoing issues but I now feel compelled to take measures to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of my staff.”
Ms Donaghy also raised issues including governance, funding and UK connectivity.
The chief executive concluded: “The purpose of my letter is to positively resolve the issues and to ensure that NI has unfettered access and not disadvantaged in any UK trade deals.”
Interestingly, the letter had not previously been submitted to evidence because the CEO did not believe it was relevant. Just as interestingly the gang of three DUP MPs included Jeffrey Donaldson who is not an MP in Ms Donaghy’s area.
The question for me is did the three DUP men really think they could persuade a chief executive to re-open negotiations with Whitehall department on their behalf? Most of them chose Westminster against a more locally based life.
And they chose the safe option of London rather than Belfast. As one Slugger reader pointed out it has parallels with the NI Water controversy of 2010 which resulted in the effective sacking of a Permanent Secretary…
A circle of “mates” advising, withholding material evidence and an arrogance which equals stupidity!!
It’s not that Arlene doesn’t have big stakeholder problems. As my friend “The Dissenter” noted in conversation this morning, “parties who go quicker than their base can get punished, but you can also get hit for going too slow”.
I don’t want to speculate too directly on why the sudden emergence of those letters just now, because they articulate genuine issues the party faces. The problem Arlene’s critics face is that none of them are in a position to replace her.
It feels like an attempt to head off disquiet in the party’s base, but the Mid and East Antrim saga reveals just how ragged and how desperate some of Arlene’s old re-doubters have become.
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
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