The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has stated that their deliberations on the Windsor Framework will not be influenced by rhetoric and will instead be grounded in reality, according to the party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.
Although the post-Brexit Irish Sea trading arrangements for Northern Ireland have improved, the party still has questions about core sectors of the economy.
The DUP has emphasised that it will take time to secure clear answers on aspects of the proposed arrangements they are still uncertain about.
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald has urged the DUP to lift its blockade on devolution in Northern Ireland and end the power-sharing limbo.
The UK and EU are hoping that their proposed framework to deliver changes to the contentious Northern Ireland Protocol will be enough to convince the DUP to return to devolved government.
Some prominent DUP figures have already expressed concerns about whether the changes to the Irish Sea trading arrangements go far enough to address their concerns over trade and sovereignty.
In a message to party supporters, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson stated that the DUP will always stand up for Northern Ireland and carefully weigh up the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of each situation.
He also criticised rival parties at Stormont that had supported the implementation of the protocol, saying that those parties were more focused on the EU’s interests than Northern Ireland’s interests.
Speaking to the PA news agency, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald stated that there was nothing to prevent the DUP from returning to Stormont while seeking clarity on aspects of the framework.
She encouraged everyone, but particularly the DUP, to make their decision now and give people what they want and need, which is government.
The return of the assembly and government would be a win for everyone and respect the democratic verdict of all of the electorate, according to McDonald.
The protocol created checks and processes on the movement of goods from Great Britain into Northern Ireland. The latest deal between London and Brussels seeks to remove many of those post-Brexit trade barriers, creating a new system for the flow of goods into Northern Ireland.
The DUP has made it clear that it will make a collective decision, factoring in views across the party.
