Sammy Wilson says the DUP cannot return to the executive branch with the ‘poison’ protocol as he fears a ‘tough’ election for the party

DUP MP Sammy Wilson has insisted his party cannot return to the executive with the “venom” of the Northern Ireland Protocol as he admitted assembly elections will be “tough” for the DUP.

It is after Northern Ireland Minister Brandon Lewis hinted this week that a certain piece of legislation relating to the Northern Ireland Protocol will not feature in the Queen’s speech.

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has called on the UK government to address trade unionists’ concerns about post-Brexit trade deals, criticizing the deals as damaging to the union and calling for the protection of Northern Ireland’s position in the UK single market.

Speaking on the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster radio show, Mr Wilson said: “Unless there is legislation in the Queen’s speech and no plans to deal with Protocol, we have made it very clear that the Assembly cannot work if the poison of Protocol is in it is still here. “

He continued: “We would have to sit in an executive branch to implement legislation designed to destroy Northern Ireland constitutionally and economically. And secondly, we would be sitting in an assembly representing 60 percent of the laws that govern manufacturing and goods made in another jurisdiction.”

Mr Wilson insisted that the last time he spoke to ministers in Westminster, before recess, they said there would be legislation surrounding the Protocol, but “they couldn’t tell us what was in this one.” Legislation or the details of it and now appears to have been removed.” He added: “If that’s the case, that’s a mistake.”

Meanwhile, Mr Wilson admitted that this election would present a challenge for the DUP as vote counting began on Friday morning.

“We didn’t do very well in the last election and it will be a tough election for us,” he said.

On the same program, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said, “The reality is, if there is no assembly, there will be some form of direct rule.”