The Irish protocol.

Jeffrey issues another deadline. I think the real reason is further down the article here:

Seems like a reasonable strategy for them (putting myself in their shoes). Would imagine the hope is to take back and/or get out the vote of a discouraged Unionist hardline that is píssed off with them. So if we are still at status-quo in these EU-UK negotiations over NI protocol in the run up towards elections (neither UK or EU have made moves to escalate the dispute/break the deadlock) they can collapse the NI assembly then and make a lot of hue and cry about the NIP and "enemies" of Unionism/traitors etc. + get some credit for being strong from that segment of voters. Maybe they feel the less hardline Unionist voters are just going to hammer them in any upcoming vote for their many f-ckups which will still be in recent memory no matter what they do now.

DUP are now going to be made to sh**e or get off the pot before an election...by fellow Unionists.

...and still no hint of an alternative and staring down the barrel of Westminster taking over if they won't implement.

Unionists are like fish in a shrinking pond. Unionist politics can't reconcile itself with its loss of supremacy, and loss of its majority. The UUP understand that Unionism needs to widen its appeal to non-unionists for the North to retain UK jurisdiction but gets 'lundyfied' relentlessly from the section of unionism that hasn't reconciled itself with the GFA never mind the 21st Century.

Regardless of the political machinations in the North, Ireland's integration economically, socially, and psychologically continues apace. Political unification of Ireland will be the final piece of the puzzle.

On the DUP, I recall Paisley Snr. used to rant about "The People of Ulster" and what they wanted in his pomp, and he didn't mean anyone who might not be in full accord with a hard line Unionist William Ulsterman position on everything! I think given UK govt.'s behaviour + usage of Unionists as a willing weapon that NI possibly needs some sort of vote on Protocol to clear the air. Lets see exactly how much support there is up there for destroying it, ending NIs special status post Brexit & likely launching a UK-EU trade war with a real vote rather than a poll. Hopefully next election will act as a sort of proxy if DUP/others of that view make it about NI Protocol.

The unionist position is increasingly hard to understand. What's the best case scenario for them? If there was any kind of a move towards a hard border it'd genuinely be a disaster for unionism, it'd really galvanise nationalism in a way that might never happen otherwise. The protocol actually offers a chance for some additional prosperity (something that is necessary for the union to endure) and it doesn't threaten the constitutional status at all.

They should be very careful what they wish for. A lot of them seem to be acting like its 40 years ago and there was a substantial unionist majority.

UK will see EU forced to act rather than negotiate, making them the bad boy and meaning the UK can keep their word that they never erected border infrastructure themselves etc. They will blame the trade war on the EU.

Toys thrown out of the DUP pram when they don't get their way. What a surprise.

I dunno though, the last time the DUP looked like they were in trouble and the UUP were publicly coming out against them, a Big Boy Westminister election came around, and the usual deals about pulling other Unionist candidates from marginal areas were done and everyone settled into the traditional sectarian head count.

The cynic in me says faced with the prospect of a Nationalist majority in the Assembly (the Unionist majority was only 40-39 last time around) if the Unionist vote is sufficiently fractured, the same thing will happen again.

That would raise the question of whether the UK government is in control of its own territory or whether it can be tusted to honour its commitments in international negotiations or treaties.