NI Protocol: Thousands sign Orange Order petition

Mervyn Gibson, like many unionists, is strongly opposed to the Northern Ireland Protocol

More than 52,000 people have signed a petition against the Northern Ireland Protocol, the grand secretary of the Orange Order has said.

The Reverend Mervyn Gibson accepted that some could be double signatures or not genuine as the petition was also online.

"The vast majority walked into an Orange Hall and signed their name," he said.

Mr Gibson was speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme on Tuesday.

"I'm not decrying anybody who did it online.

"It was great to get the people online, but thousands upon thousands got up on a Saturday and went out deliberately to go into a hall and sign the petition, that's how strongly they felt about the protocol," Mr Gibson said.

• What is the Northern Ireland Protocol?

• Sea border issues clear when Brexit deal was done

• What are Brexit border controls between GB and NI?

The NI Protocol is the part of the Brexit deal which created the Irish Sea border, resulting in checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain.

Mr Gibson told the programme that if Michelle O'Neill is first minister and the protocol is still in place following May's election, then the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and other unionists should not enter the assembly.

"It (the protocol) leads us into an all-Ireland economy which is a precursor to a united Ireland," he said.

"I see the protocol as a bigger threat than the Provos were ever."

He was speaking a day after meeting Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin.

"It was a frank discussion, he gave of his time and he listened," he said.

"But it's like everyone else; everyone's listening but there's no product yet about the protocol. We didn't hold back and told him what we thought.

"As an organisation we worked hard to build relationships with the Republic of Ireland and sadly the protocol has shattered those.

"We have not engaged with the Irish government for near on two years."

A meeting last week with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss was also frank and, he felt, that she was determined to get a resolution.

"We want to move forward, we're in solution mode," he said.

Mr Gibson said the Orange Order was not against special arrangements for Northern Ireland.

"We are not against special arrangements at all, but those arrangements should not stop goods [moving] within the United Kingdom market, [it] should be unfettered access, and we should not be subject to any court of justice in the European Union."

He said arrangements would only be acceptable to unionists if they did not "impinge on the sovereignty of Northern Ireland".

You can hear the full Talkback interview with Mervyn Gibson here.