Ulster Unionist Party Leader, Mike Nesbitt MLA, is seeking clarification from the Secretary of State Hilary Benn MP following his extraordinary interview broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster this morning.

Mike Nesbitt MLA said, "There were three statements I found peculiar, to say the least. First, in the context of having recently viewed the original copy of the 1998 Agreement in the National Archives, he chose to praise the courageous leadership of Ian Paisley. Does he not know where Dr Paisley was on the day the agreement was reached? He was on the far side of the crush barriers, shouting Lundy, Judas, and Traitor at David Trimble and the Ulster Unionists who made the agreement happen. Trimble was the courageous one.

"Then he said the 1998 Agreement was the outstanding achievement of his Labour Party. But not a word about how the DUP undermined it with the St Andrews Agreement, passed without reference to the people, unlike the original, which secured over 71% support in a referendum in Northern Ireland - and over 90% in the Republic.

"Finally, the totally imbalanced assessment of the issue of Irish language signage at Grand Central Station. Mr Benn says he wants us all to celebrate all traditions. Does that include the tradition of some republicans to believe every word spoken in Irish is another bullet fired in the battle for Irish freedom? That tradition needs to be addressed if we are to achieve cross-community support for the language my Party would like to see.

"I’m disappointed he does not realise progress requires compromise, not fully throated support for one side or the other."