Election ‘will decide direction for Northern Ireland’, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson says

By Rebecca Black, PA

This year’s Stormont election will “decide the future direction for Northern Ireland”, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said.

The DUP and Sinn Féin will be vying to become the biggest party in the Assembly following May’s poll.

Whichever party secures the most MLAs will be entitled to nominate a first minister.

However with the Executive currently unable to fully function following the resignation of Paul Givan as first minister over the Brexit protocol, it is unclear whether the DUP will agree to nominate ministers after the election.

The Stormont election this year will “decide the future direction for NI” - Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.https://t.co/5ufRwlm1n3

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Sir Jeffrey has claimed Sinn Féin’s aim is to secure a border poll, while he wants to see the parties working together to “focus on what matters”.

Speaking at the Queen’s University Belfast as part of an Assembly election leaders lecture series, Sir Jeffrey described the poll as “unparalleled in its importance”.

“It will decide the future direction for Northern Ireland,” he said.

“Sinn Féin has made it clear, even just last week with half-page adverts in the New York Times and Washington Post, this election for them is about having a divisive border poll.”

Sir Jeffrey insisted the “last thing Northern Ireland needs is a border poll”.

“As we rebuild after Covid and deal with the rising costs of living because of the grotesque Russian invasion of Ukraine, the last thing Northern Ireland needs is a border poll,” he said.

“We need to get on with making Northern Ireland work. We need to focus on what matters.

“That’s why I will be publishing a five-point plan so that Northern Ireland can move forward together.

“Unionists and nationalists working together to ensure we fix our NHS, keep our schools world class, remove the Northern Ireland Protocol, help working families deal with rising costs and grow our economy with more and better jobs.”

The DUP emerged as the largest party following the last Assembly election in 2017 with 28 MLAs, just ahead of Sinn Fein with 27.

Since 2017 the DUP numbers have fallen following the removal of the party whip from South Down MLA Jim Wells and the resignation of North Down MLA Alex Easton.