Doug Beattie: Mary Lou McDonald not invited to Protocol talks due to ‘basic diplomatic norms’

Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie said Foreign Secretary James Cleverly could not meet with Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald because he had not yet met the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Sinn Féin dramatically withdrew from roundtable talks with Mr Cleverly over the Northern Ireland Protocol, claiming their party leader was excluded from attending.

The Belfast talks, which were also to include Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris and focus on the Stormont powersharing crisis, will now be overshadowed by the row.

Speaking following roundtable talks in Belfast, Mr Beattie said: “It was a shame that SDLP and Sinn Féin were not there. It is good that we all come together and we all discuss problems.

“It did come up in the meeting. It all boils down to basic diplomatic norms.

“The Foreign Secretary has not met the Taoiseach (Mr Varadkar) so he could hardly meet the leader of the opposition of a party in Ireland before he meets the Taoiseach.”

Mr Beattie said during the meeting he pushed for more input from local politicians over the Northern Ireland Protocol negotiations.

He said: “We need to be in a position that if they are going to agree something, we have the ability to say that is not going to work.

“That is a red flag and I made that point quite strongly to the Foreign Secretary.

“He did say there will be no running commentary in regards to the protocol, there will be no timeline set.”

Read More: Sinn Féin refuse to meet UK Foreign Secretary without Mary Lou McDonald

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said no party had been excluded from talks.

Speaking following the meeting in Belfast, the DUP leader said he did not want to get drawn into the row over Sinn Fein refusing to attend.

He said: “That is a matter between the Northern Ireland Office and Sinn Féin, and I am not going to intrude on that matter.

“My understanding is the NIO didn’t exclude any party. There was an issue around the protocol of Mary Lou McDonald meeting the Foreign Secretary ahead of the Foreign Secretary meeting his counterpart in Dublin.

“That is not a matter for me. I am not going to get drawn into this.

“It is better when all parties are at the table. I want to see all parties in Northern Ireland putting their views across, particularly to the Foreign Secretary.

“I hope next time the parties will be back at the table.”

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said no party had been excluded from talks with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. Video by Hugh Russell

Mr Donaldson said he believed the UK Foreign Secretary recognised that any deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol had to be acceptable to unionists.

“This was an invaluable opportunity for us to put forward our concerns about the ongoing negotiations.

“They talked about getting a deal that works for everyone and works for Northern Ireland, and I think that is fundamentally important, they recognise a deal with the EU which doesn’t work for unionists just isn’t going to fly.

“It was good we had the opportunity to input our views on how the negotiations should go forward and on the areas that need to be addressed in the negotiations.”

Alliance MLA Andrew Muir described the approach of the next deadline for the Executive to be formed, January 19, as “groundhog day”.

He urged reflection of the collapse of Stormont on public services and the health service, as well as calling for a “quickening of the pace” in terms of the negotiations between the UK and the EU around the Northern Ireland Protocol.

“It has been going on for a number of months now and it is important that that is brought to a conclusion that is a durable solution but also protects Northern Ireland’s place within the single market,” he said.

“Alliance Party made constructive proposals within the meeting particularly in relation to health.”