Jim Allister: pact with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK ‘stands’

Mr Allister said that Mr Farage’s contribution to the Brexit debate was “unparalleled”, but he has “some idiosyncrasies that come to the surface from time to time”.

He made reference to past comments in which Mr Farage told The Irish Times, external there would be a united Ireland “one day” but not immediately.

“There have been one or two dubious utterances relating to Northen Ireland, ‘the Northern Ireland thing’, and indeed some previous comments about Irish unity and matters like that,” he said.

“But I’m not here to denigrate Nigel Farage. The endorsement I seek is the endorsement of the people.”

Mr Allister claimed the DUP has “sadly tried to hoodwink unionists” over post-Brexit trade checks between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

The DUP, Stormont’s largest unionist party, ended its two-year boycott of the devolved institutions in February following a deal with the UK government aimed at addressing concerns.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson last month accepted his party oversold the deal they negotiated, saying there “should have been more cautious realism”.

Mr Allister said it raises a “fundamental issue of trust for every voter”.