Rishi Sunak's Brexit negotiations are insanity. He's making the same mistakes as Theresa May, says Arlene Foster

Pete Tong, a DJ from my youth, used to always say “we continue”… and so it is with the negotiations on the NI Protocol.

Today the Prime Minister is in Belfast talking to the Northern Ireland Parties. I would not expect an immediate break through however as last night some of the parties learnt about the visit from the local media and when they were finally told by the Government, they were given 15-minute time slots this morning.

The Prime Minister is trying to give the impression of engaging with local parties without actually telling them anything of substance.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP speaks to the media outside the Culloden Hotel in Belfast, after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held talks with Stormont leaders over the Northern Ireland Protocol
Liam McBurney

We were told by some of the party leaders after their meetings that they were only given a sense of where the negotiations were at.

How can any party decide on whether the “deal” is enough if they are only given a sense of the negotiations?

The Democratic Unionist Party spent the longest time with the Prime Minister. Afterwards their leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, said that whilst progress was being made there was still a way to go.

Time after time promises have been made by Prime Ministers, including the current Prime Minister about Northern Ireland’s place within the Union and time after time loyal British citizens have been let down.

For the DUP who propped up May’s Government with a Confidence and Supply agreement, and were not included in the negotiations even then, they will be thinking of Einstein’s quote on the definition of insanity – doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

There is no ambiguity about the DUP’s position – they set it out 18 months ago in their seven tests, which include reversing the damage to the Act of Union caused by the Protocol in relation to trade and ensuring that the border in the Irish Sea is dismantled.

There has been some government briefing that the new deal which Sunak is engaged in will meet the DUP seven tests. If that is so, then that is good news for Northern Ireland and devolution will be back.

But if it is just spin from the Government and the tests are not actually fulfilled then they will find that the lack of a devolved administration in Northern Ireland will in Pete Tong’s words, “continue”.