DUP's Edwin Poots: We're not traitors on Stormont boycott

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) are not "traitors" in efforts to reach a deal to restore Stormont power sharing, their former leader has said.

Edwin Poots insisted the DUP was "working extremely hard" to resolve the deadlock and those labelling the party as traitors were "idiots".

Northern Ireland's devolved government collapsed in 2022 after the DUP withdrew in protest over post-Brexit trade checks between the region and Great Britain.

The party has been in talks with the UK government seeking changes to the arrangements which were agreed with the EU in a deal called the Windsor Framework.

The DUP believes the trade rules diminish Northern Ireland's place within the UK internal market, creating a so-called Irish Sea border.

A bill was passed through Parliament on Wednesday to extend the deadline for restoring devolution to 8 February - giving the DUP more time to decide whether to return to power sharing.

But the party has been under pressure from unionist rivals not to compromise on their demands.

In an impassioned speech in the Commons, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said some people were attempting to "orchestrate opposition to a deal that has not yet taken place".

Mr Poots, a Stormont assembly member, told the BBC's Nolan Show there had been a lot of "ill-informed" speculation about the party's internal discussions.

"The people who are running about suggesting the DUP are traitors - why would we have done what we have done for the last two years and then go back with nothing, just for idiots to say that?"

The former Stormont agriculture and environment minister added: "There is a course of work that has been done thus far, and that's a course of work that's ongoing, and we are determined to bring that to a conclusion."

Mr Poots would not be drawn on whether he believes the DUP's seven tests - on which the party has said they will judge any deal - must be met before resuming Stormont power sharing.

"The position is expressed in private meetings. Whenever the party comes to a final position, we will report the final position whatever that happens to be," he said.

In the last assembly election in May 2022, Sinn Féin became the largest party at Stormont for the first time, pushing the DUP into second place.

But Stormont's structures for power sharing between unionists and nationalists mean an executive cannot be restored without the support of both parties.

In December, the Northern Ireland secretary said talks with the DUP over the Windsor Framework had "effectively concluded".

Chris Heaton-Harris also offered a £3.3bn financial package for Northern Ireland dependent upon the Stormont institutions being restored.

Last week a major strike was held in Northern Ireland involving tens of thousands of public sector workers taking industrial action in a dispute over pay.