Dodds says UK should stay in the EU ‘rather than risk Northern Ireland’s position’

DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds has said he would stay in the European Union rather than risk Northern Ireland's position.

In an interview with BBC Newsnight political editor, Nicholas Watt, Mr Dodds said the UK should stay in the EU if that was the only way to preserve Northern Ireland’s place in UK.

“I would stay in the European Union and remain rather than risk Northern Ireland’s position. That’s how strongly I feel about the union,” he said.

The DUP, as it had asserted, joined British opposition and some Conservative MPs in rejecting Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement in the House of Commons on Friday afternoon.

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Mr Dodds said the DUP wanted to see Brexit delivered.

“We believe the referendum result should be respected and delivered on but it can’t be at the risk of separating Northern Ireland out from the rest of the United Kingdom,” he said.

“ So yes, the answer must be something that works for the whole of the United Kingdom – that’s our first and main priority.”

Earlier, DUP leaders urged the British government to use the remaining time before a definitive position must be adopted on Brexit to get the issue of the backstop “sorted out”.

Shortly after the vote the DUP deputy leader, Nigel Dodds rose in the house to say that Ms May knows that the backstop in the withdrawal agreement designed to avoid a hard border “remains the problem”.

Mr Dodds speaking directly to Ms May added, “She knows that Michel Barnier and Leo Varadkar this week have said in a no-deal scenario there will be no hard Border. Please prime minister even now . . . use the time constructively to get that matter sorted out.”

‘Return to Brussels’

The DUP leader Arlene Foster in a statement made the same point. "We have encouraged the government . . . to return to Brussels on these issues and not simply to accept the position of the European Union as being unalterable," she said.

“The government must use the remaining time to deal with widely held concerns across the House of Commons,” she said.

“We deeply regret the numerous missed opportunities by those who negotiated on behalf of the UK to listen to our warnings about the dangers of the backstop and to take steps to remedy those deficiencies,” said Ms Foster.

“Over the coming weeks and months, we will continue to play a central role to chart a route that respects the democratic desire to leave the European Union but that does so in a way that strengthens our United Kingdom,” she said.

Ms Foster repeated her arguments that the backstop would create a border down the Irish Sea and therefore pose a constitutional threat to the integrity of Northern Ireland’s union with Britain.

“In those circumstances there is the strong possibility that we could have a long-term outcome whereby Northern Ireland would inevitably pull away from its biggest trading market in Great Britain as there would be new internal barriers within the United Kingdom,” she said.

Ms Foster said the DUP arguments were well understood across Westminster and “there is strong recognition in the House of Commons that Northern Ireland cannot be subjected to new and onerous trade barriers within the United Kingdom as the price of leaving the European Union”.

“The United Kingdom’s long-term relationship with the European Union will need to accord with our key objectives to ensure the economic integrity of the United Kingdom,” added Ms Foster.

In advance of the withdrawal agreement vote independent unionist MP Lady (Sylvia) Hermon said the DUP did not speak for the majority of people in Northern Ireland and that the withdrawal deal did not threaten the North’s union with Britain.

Lady Hermon said Ms May cared deeply about the union. “She cares so deeply about the United Kingdom that the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement and the consent principle are protected in her withdrawal deal; they’re protected in black and white,” she said.

Mr Dodds responded that the DUP “represents more people than anybody else” while adding, “Let no one pretend that we don’t speak for the unionists of Northern Ireland.”