7 REASONS NOT TO TRUST THE DUP WITH THE TRUTH OVER PROTOCOL CLAIMS

    DUP LIE'S AND PUTTING OUT FALSE                                    CLAIMS

A DUP claim that one fifth of all EU checks are as a result of the *orthern Ireland Protocol has been Fact Checked and proven to be untrue, according to independent verification.

               FOR FRAUD AND ULSTER 

In January MP Jeffrey Donaldson's party published its '7 reasons the Irish Sea Border must go' document which highlighted "the impact of the Protocol on *orthern Ireland and the wider United Kingdom". Among its claims was that "20 per cent of all EU's checks take place in the Irish Sea" (this was more lies).

The 7 Reasons 'Not To Trust The DUP With                             The Truth' ! 

FactCheckNI (Tweet published above) tested the rigour of that assertion and concluded it is not supported by evidence. Its research indicates the actual figure may be closer to 3.5 per cent. "It is unclear how this [DUP] figure was calculated," the FactCheckNI website says. "Neither the DUP, [DUP] Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs nor the European commission could confirm the figure." 

                  The Protocol Facts Speak For                                       Themselves 

FactCheckNI asked the DUP where the party got the figure but received no response. The DUP also declined to respond to The Irish News.

Irish News columnist Brian Feeney said that in common with the DUP's assertion that the protocol is costing the north £2.5 million a day, there was "no evidence" to support the party's false claims either about the Irish Sea checks. "It follows the argument in Lewis Carroll's Hunting the Snark - 'what I tell you three times is true',

he said.

"IT's AS IF THEY HAVE BLOCKED OUT OF THEIR MINDS WHAT THEY DID IN 2019 AND PRETEND THAT THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CURRENT MESS," HE SAID. 

"Donaldson and the DUP hope that by repeating statistical nonsense often enough people will believe it's true. It's impossible the number of checks the DUP cites happen at Larne could take place given the volume of trade between GB and EU through Dover alone." Meanwhile, veteran Ulster Unionist Lord Empey has criticised a "lack of self-awareness" amongst many speakers at anti-protocol rallies. He said those behind the rallies had not acknowledged that the ( Brexit Sea Border) border in the Irish Sea was brought about by Brexit.

"Self-evidently, if there had not been this particular form of Brexit, there would be no need for any border in the Irish Sea and the protocol is the legal expression of that border," he said. "Nearly all the speakers were advocates for Brexit. Did they not do any homework beforehand to find out what the government was going to do about the FACT that *orthern Ireland has the only land border between the UK and the EU? Surely, they must have known that there were going to be problems."

He said the DUP endorsed Prime Minister Boris Johnson's proposal to the EU in October 2019 for a border in the Irish Sea. "It's as if they have blocked out of their minds what they did in 2019 and pretend that they had nothing to do with the current mess," he said. 

With many thanks to: The Irish News and John Manley  and Claire Simpson  for the original publication.

Follow these links to find out more on this story and view the legal government documents proving the DUP were well aware where the Brexit Sea Border was going to be placed: Don't believe the DUP Lies they knew as far back as 2016-17 that there was going to be a Brexit Sea Border

Empey criticises 'lack of self-awareness' at anti-Protocol rallies!