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The DUP will not be "intimidated" by a return to power sharing in Northern Ireland, his party leader has warned. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson's comments came after Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris claimed that restoring Stormont's institutions was the surest way to secure the region's place in the UK. Addressing a major conference in Belfast to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, Heaton-Harris said "true leadership" was having the courage to say "yes" while hailing decisions made by former union leaders during the peace process.
While Downing Street denied that the speech indicated a hardening of the government's message towards the DUP, many interpreted the comments as a change in tone around the current Stormont standoff.
The DUP is currently blocking institutions in Stormont from operating in protest of post-Brexit trade deals which the party says have created economic barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
The government insists that the DUP's concerns have been addressed by the new trade agreement it has reached with the EU, the Windsor Framework.
But Northern Ireland's largest unionist party has insisted that the government must provide it with additional legal guarantees over EU sovereignty and law enforcement in Northern Ireland.
"The great and good can lecture us all they want for cheap applause, but that won't change political reality," Sir Jeffrey tweeted on Tuesday.
“Political institutions only work when there is a cross-community consensus. Reprimanding unionists will not solve the problem. They didn't do it to Sinn Fein (when the party collapsed power-sharing in 2017) and we won't be treated differently or beaten up front for submission.
“The government must work with us to address concerns and resolve outstanding issues. We are ready to do the work and see the restoration of Stormont. But you must have a solid foundation.
Earlier, the Northern Ireland secretary said those who are proud of the region's place in the Union "should put the Union first" and restore decentralized institutions.
Mr Heaton-Harris was speaking at the three-day conference at Queen's University to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
He said the narrative that unionism was not well served by the 1998 peace deal was "false."
Speaking at Queen's Whitla Hall, he said he was struck by a narrative that "has grown stronger in recent years, a narrative that the deal reached in 1998 did not do great things for unionism."
He said: “That these were sort of total victories for nationalism. This story is false. And all of us, all of us who support the Agreement, must speak out loud and clear against it.
"Today the principle of consent is often taken for granted, but it was an important and hard-to-get safeguard that kept Northern Ireland part of the United Kingdom."
Heaton-Harris said the "simple reality" is that people tend to change the status quo only when the status quo doesn't work, or they just stop standing up for it.
"Decentralized power-sharing institutions have created a status quo that those of us who value Northern Ireland's place in the Union can strongly and successfully promote and celebrate," he said.
“So, nobody tell them that power sharing is at odds with unionism.
"Instead, it is the surest way to secure Northern Ireland's place in the Union," he said, in comments that drew applause from the crowd.
Heaton-Harris added: "I make no apology for being proud of Northern Ireland's place in the Union and wanting it to continue.
"Others who share this view should put the Union first, restore decentralized institutions and continue to work for the people of Northern Ireland."
Heaton-Harris said true leadership is having the courage to say 'yes', telling the crowd: 'Like David Trimble (former UUP leader), David Ervine (former Progressive Unionist Party leader) earlier in 1998, the Dr. Paisley in 2006 (former DUP leader Ian Paisley), true leadership is knowing when to say yes and having the courage to do it.
When asked about the tone and content of Heaton-Harris's speech, the prime minister's official spokesman said ministers had used "similar" messaging before, as part of efforts to restore power-sharing.
"We think it's important that the people of Northern Ireland have an executive that works and works," he said.
“Our priority is to make sure this is delivered, it's something we worked on prior to the framework and we obviously believe the framework provides the right foundation for power sharing to return.
Sir Jeffrey did not attend the conference for the first two days. His party colleague, Emma Little-Pengelly, told the event on Tuesday that some messages coming off the stage had union concerns "downgraded or dismissed".
Sinn Fein's Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill, who will become prime minister if devolution is restored, said the theme of the conference was "encouragement".
"I don't think he was deliberately hostile towards anyone," he said.
"I think he was absolutely determined to be positive and try to encourage the parties to come together.
"There's no other show in town."
Earlier, Irish Deputy Prime Minister Micheal Martin also called for the return of the Stormont executive, saying the UK government "has been working hard" to achieve the Windsor framework.
"The last few years, with the practicalities of Brexit, have been turbulent for Northern Ireland and for these islands," he said.
“The European Commission and the UK Government have been struggling over the last few months to find accommodation that works for Northern Ireland.
“I know that the turmoil will take time to settle, that the parties need to pause and think internally about the next steps.
“But I urge all elected officials to take their place in the assembly and executive and get to work on the day-to-day issues that matter to the people of Northern Ireland, including health care, education, the police, regional imbalances and much more”.
Mr Martin also called on the Northern Irish parties to restore the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement.
European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic, who also attended the conference on Tuesday, hailed the importance of "inclusivity".
During a panel discussion focused on the Good Friday Agreement as a model for resolving global conflicts, Sefcovic said that "lesson number one" is "respect your partner."
He also said it was important to build a strong personal relationship, adding that he was happy to have had a strong relationship in a very short time with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Mr Heaton-Harris.
The event at Queen's University Belfast was attended by leading political figures including former US President Bill Clinton, former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is due to deliver a closing address to the conference on Wednesday before a dinner expected to be attended by former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
PA wire
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