Ulster Unionist Party Deputy Leader, Robbie Butler MLA said, “Mary Lou McDonald’s latest intervention shows once again that Sinn Féin are like a stuck needle on a record. No matter how many times they repeat that ‘change is happening,’ the evidence simply is not there. They have failed to persuade the majority in Northern Ireland, and the louder they shout, the clearer that failure becomes.

“What Sinn Féin are demanding is nothing short of a rewriting of the Belfast Agreement. The Agreement enshrines the principle of consent, that the future of Northern Ireland lies in the hands of its people, not in the gift of politicians in Dublin or London. For governments to set a referendum timetable would rip the Agreement apart.

“It is also worth reminding Ms McDonald that in 1998, the Irish people themselves voted to amend their Constitution, removing the territorial claim over Northern Ireland. That change was made in recognition of the principle of consent, and it expressly prohibits what Sinn Féin are now calling for. Dublin cannot constitutionally deliver a timetable for unity, and Sinn Féin knows it.

“Far from seeking the leader of Sinn Féin to stay silent or change their tune, I say keep it up, because it only highlights the truth that the biggest obstacle to their united Ireland dream is actually themselves. Each time they rehash the same tired rhetoric, it becomes more obvious that they have no credible plan, no majority support, and no answers to the real challenges facing households today.

“The Ulster Unionist Party will continue to stand firmly on the principles of the Belfast Agreement, democracy, consent, and respect for both traditions. Sinn Féin may want to tear up that settlement, but we will not allow them.”