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Northern Ireland's DUP elects hardliner Poots as new leader
Northern Ireland's agriculture minister Edwin Poots walks outside the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) headquarters during a vote to replace former First Minister Arlene Foster in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Britain, May 14, 2021. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Edwin Poots was narrowly elected leader of the region’s largest party yesterday. He is seen by some commentators as more aggressive in his opposition to Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trade barriers and more conservative on social issues than his opponent, Jeffrey Donaldson.
Northern Ireland’s agriculture minister takes over at a time of instability in the UK province and unionist anger over the post-Brexit Northern Ireland protocol that installed a customs border with the rest of the UK.
Poots, a young Earth creationist who rejects the theory of evolution, said after being elected: "The Northern Ireland protocol has proven to be a massive challenge for us and if we are to fight this, then it is for us to do that together."
“This party has been the authentic voice of unionism and will continue to be the authentic voice of unionism under my leadership.”
The protocol leaves Northern Ireland within the EU’s trading sphere, avoiding a hard border on the island with EU-member Ireland but irritating pro-British unionists by undermining the region’s place in the UK.
It was partly blamed for recent rioting by young pro-British loyalists. A legal challenge against the arrangements partly launched by the DUP began on Friday.
British and EU negotiators have told they will try in the coming weeks to smooth the disruption to trade in everyday goods such as cheese originating in Britain. The DUP wants the protocol scrapped altogether.
“It’s all a bit of a fantasy contest in terms of the protocol really because it’s not in the DUP’s gift to get rid of it,” said University of Liverpool politics professor Jon Tonge, describing the election as the DUP “reconnecting with its past".
Poots has said he plans to nominate another party member to replace Arlene Foster as Northern Ireland’s first minister and split the roles of party and devolved government leade
He is one of a number of DUP ministers who have protested against the Brexit arrangements by refusing to attend meetings with Irish counterparts established under the 1998 peace deal that ended 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland.
