It’s the last weekend before the Twelfth of July celebrations. Last minute preparations are being made. The Union Flag is flying, the grass cut and the fence is painted. Traditionally this is also a time when cousins, children, brothers and sisters travel home from wherever they live to join the rest of their family in Twelfth fields across the country.
I will parade in Lisburn and then travel back to the mountains of Mourne and walk with my home lodge. As the eldest child, our family has expanded well beyond the original Donaldson eight. There are now grandchildren and great-grandchildren for my mother to enjoy whilst watching the parade.
Politics will not be far from the lips of many at the parades. The last few weeks have been amongst the most extraordinary in this generation.
Unionism has however shown that by working together and standing together in opposition to the NI Protocol, we can bring matters to a head. Brussels on the other hand has shown that regardless of unionist opposition, it simply does not understand. In recent weeks on 22 May and again on 13 June the EU Vice President Maros Sefcovic emphasised “there can be no renegotiation”. This is a mistaken approach because a balanced and sensible negotiated outcome would always be preferential.
It is a regrettable trait of our political system that voicing our opposition to the Protocol was not sufficient to bring about a change of approach in London.
In January 2020, devolution was restored through the New Decade New Approach agreement. That agreement included a commitment from the Government to restore Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market. Two and a half years later, legislation has only just started making its way through the House of Commons. Such delays undoubtedly eroded confidence in Government commitments.
Many ask me how Boris’s departure will impact on the NI Protocol Bill.
No one can predict the future, but we can examine the facts.
Fact one. The Bill is still scheduled for its next stage in the House of Commons on Scarva Day - Wednesday 13 July. I will be there and want to see the Bill proceed unamended so we can be a step closer to Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom being restored. I trust with the Conservative leadership campaign in full flow, some MPs will hold back from playing politics with Northern Ireland.