Who are the DUP? Democratic Unionist Party policies explained - views on Northern Ireland Protocol and Brexit

The DUP has described the Northern Ireland Protocol as “an existential threat” to the future of Northern Ireland’s place within the UK.
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The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is facing increased attention as UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attempts to put an end to the long-standing, post-Brexit impasse over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Prime Minister arrived in Belfast on Friday (17 February) amid growing speculation that a deal could soon be struck - but on Monday (20 February) Downing Street admitted that negotiations had stalled and “no deal has been done as yet”. Sunak told reporters that while he had had “positive conversations with political parties in Northern Ireland”, it is clear that “there is still work to do”.

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Although the Prime Minister said the reason for the delay is that he wants to find solutions that “protect the Belfast Good Friday Agreement and Northern Ireland’s place in our single market,” various media reports have suggested that Sunak is holding back on finalising the deal amid concerns of backlash from the DUP - as well as from Tory Brexiteers.

The DUP, as a unionist party, is strongly opposed to the Northern Ireland Protocol. It believes that placing an effective border across the Irish Sea undermines Northern Ireland’s connection with the UK, describing the potential deal as an “existential threat” to the country’s future.

But who exactly are the DUP, and what do they stand for? Here’s everything you need to know about the party, its leader, and its views on Brexit, the Protocol, and much more.

The DUP has described the Northern Ireland Protocol as “an existential threat” to the future of Northern Ireland’s place within the UK. Credit: Mark Hall / NationalWorldThe DUP has described the Northern Ireland Protocol as “an existential threat” to the future of Northern Ireland’s place within the UK. Credit: Mark Hall / NationalWorld
The DUP has described the Northern Ireland Protocol as “an existential threat” to the future of Northern Ireland’s place within the UK. Credit: Mark Hall / NationalWorld

Who are the DUP?

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The DUP, or the Democratic Unionist Party, is one of the biggest political parties in Northern Ireland. It was founded by the late Ian Paisley in 1971, at the height of the Northern Ireland Troubles.

It describes itself as ‘Unionist’ because it supports Northern Ireland being a part of the United Kingdom, instead of being part of the Republic of Ireland. The party is also considered to be more right-wing and socially conservative, known for being anti-abortion and for blocking same-sex marriage.

In contrast with the Conservatives and Labour Party, who have MPs across the UK, the DUP only represents Northern Ireland (like the SNP in Scotland).

Currently, the leader of the DUP is Jeffrey Donaldson. He was preceded by Edwin Poots, Arlene Foster, Peter Robinson, and the party’s founder, Ian Paisley.

What power does the party have?

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The DUP governs Northern Ireland alongside its rivals Sinn Féin, as part of a power-sharing deal set out in the Good Friday Peace Agreement. Previously, the DUP has been the biggest party - meaning it puts forward Northern Ireland’s First Minister and Sinn Féin has the Deputy Minister. But in the election in May 2022, for the first time, Sinn Féin became the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, pushing the DUP into second place.

In that election, the DUP received 21.3% of the votes, compared to Sinn Féin’s 29% of the vote. The Alliance Party - a non-sectarian party - received 13.5% of the vote, while the Ulster Unionist Party was the fourth largest party with 9.1%.

The Northern Ireland Assembly has been suspended since February 2022, after the DUP resigned in protest over the Northern Ireland Protocol. This has stalled the country’s politics as although Sinn Féin is the largest party, it cannot form a government or take up office without the support of the DUP.

Loyalists hold up placards during an anti Northern Ireland Protocol protest against the so-called Irish Sea border on April 6, 2021 in Larne, Northern Ireland. Credit: Getty ImagesLoyalists hold up placards during an anti Northern Ireland Protocol protest against the so-called Irish Sea border on April 6, 2021 in Larne, Northern Ireland. Credit: Getty Images
Loyalists hold up placards during an anti Northern Ireland Protocol protest against the so-called Irish Sea border on April 6, 2021 in Larne, Northern Ireland. Credit: Getty Images

What does the DUP think about Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol?

Although Northern Ireland voted Remain by a majority of 56% to 44% in the 2016 Brexit referendum, the DUP campaigned strongly for Leave. However, its manifesto also argued for maintaining a “seamless and frictionless” border between Great Britain and Ireland - meaning the party is against the Northern Ireland Protocol.

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This is because the Protocol - which prevents a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland so that goods can be transported across the island’s land border without the need for checks - also effectively moves the trade border to the Irish Sea. As a result, checks are instead conducted between Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland, at the country’s port.

According to the DUP, this creates an “an existential threat” to the future of Northern Ireland’s place within the UK. It says it undermines the union of the UK, and is also damaging to Northern Ireland’s economy. “

“The checks on the Irish Sea border are the symptom of the underlying problem, namely, that Northern Ireland is subject to a different set of laws imposed upon us by a foreign entity without any say or vote by any elected representative of the people of Northern Ireland,” the party’s manifesto reads.

Instead, the DUP wants the Protocol to be replaced by “arrangements that restore our place within the UK internal market” - such as having “no checks on goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland” and giving the people of Northern Ireland “a say in the making of the laws that govern them”.

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Currently, the UK is looking to extend the Northern Ireland Protocol to make trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland easier too. This would be done by creating ‘green’ and ‘red’ lanes - with goods in the green lane exempt from checks and customs controls, while goods in the red lane, which would be moving on to the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the EU, would still undergo full checks and customs controls at ports.

What other policies does the party stand for?

Aside from removing the Northern Ireland Protocol, the DUP lists four other key policy points in its manifesto. These are:

  • Fix the NHS
  • Grow the economy
  • Keep Northern Ireland’s schools world-class
  • Help working families

Elsewhere, the DUP is known for being anti-abortion - and has fought hard to halt an extension of abortion rights to Northern Ireland. Campaigners say their actions have forced thousands of women to travel elsewhere for terminations.

The DUP has also in the past voted against gay marriage - contributing to Northern Ireland becoming the last country in the UK to legalise same-sex unions, with them only becoming legal in 2020. (In England, Scotland, and Wales, same-sex marriage was legalised in 2014).

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One such instance of this was in November 2015, when a vote on the issue in the devolved assembly resulted in a numerical majority in favour of same-sex marriage for the first time in the country’s history. However, the government could not move forward with legalisation, as the DUP blocked a change in the law by using a controversial veto known as the Petition of Concern.

The party’s 2017 manifesto also included retaining the “triple lock” on pensions, cutting VAT for tourism businesses, abolishing air passenger duty, and reviewing the price of ferries between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

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