TUV leader Jim Allister shared his disappointment about the mean comments, mainly from DUP folks, aimed at his friend Ben Habib, who he believes greatly supports Northern Ireland. He didn’t think it was right for these comments to come from them.
According to Allister, what counts isn’t how you start understanding the Protocol but where you end up understanding it.
He pointed out some mistakes made by the DUP:
- In August 2016, the leader of the DUP wrote a letter to Martin McGuinness asking for special Brexit deals for Northern Ireland. According to Allister, this move led to the separate treatment of Northern Ireland and eventually to the Protocol.
- When the DUP made a deal with Mrs. May, they cared more about money than ensuring a smooth Brexit.
- The DUP initially praised some parts of the Protocol, like getting access to the EU single market, which meant they had to accept EU laws.
- The current leader of the DUP said customs checks wouldn’t harm Northern Ireland’s constitution.
- Despite warnings from Jim Wells and himself, every DUP member voted on December 8, 2020, to follow 45 EU laws to obey the Protocol. Allister said this led to the DUP giving up and agreeing to the Protocol, which he believes breaks up the Union.
Meanwhile, Ben Habib took the lead in challenging the Protocol in court with the necessary funding. His help didn’t stop there; he gave £30,000 each to the DUP and TUV to fight against the Protocol. Allister stated that if his party, the TUV, had supported the Protocol, he would have returned Habib’s money.
When other local politicians weren’t doing much, Ben Habib set an example by taking action. Allister declared that he wouldn’t let anyone degrade Ben because they were uncomfortable with his strong stance against the Protocol. He criticized those who support the DUP’s leadership in implementing the Protocol over what’s best for the country.
