Sinn Fein has given up on powersharing – Gavin Robinson

Mr Robinson said he believed his party’s partners in government want to “goad” him into collapsing the devolved institutions to hide the incompetence of their ministers.

He also said he received assurances from PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher that a criminal investigation was ongoing into “illegal road-blocking” and the frustration of a Parades Commission document, adding that police would begin activity in the next number of days.

“The knocks on the doors will come, and the excuses may follow but the law needs to be seen to run, the law needs to apply equally to everyone,” he said.

Mr Robinson was speaking on the fifth day of a stand-off over the Drumcree Orange Order parade in Portadown, which was historically permitted by the Parades Commission for the first time in almost 30 years to complete.

The residents of the Garvaghy Road have continued their opposition to the parade, and have staged a protest there, vowing to block it, since the weekend, when efforts in court to overturn the Parades Commission determination failed.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill and a number of other Sinn Féin ministers have been seen on the Garvaghy Road this week.

Mr Robinson said there could not be a situation where “through the threat of violence or disorder or intimidation, the illegality of blocking roads and snubbing the courts and the rule of law that law-breakers win. That is not acceptable”.

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster’s Nolan Show, Mr Robinson said: “I’ve been very clear since Monday that we believe in the rule of the law in this case and for decades before, and therefore the rule of law must apply equally to every citizen of Northern Ireland irrespective of the position they hold.

“We have launched complaints and investigations for standards, there will be motions of no confidence in the Assembly which we are supporting, we met with the Chief Constable yesterday and we asked for clear demonstration that you cannot flout the criminal justice system in this country, and he assured us that he will act.

“I can see that Sinn Féin have given up on powersharing, that Sinn Féin have given up on devolution, that their people are scratching their heads saying, ‘where is our Casement Park, where is our Magee Campus, where is our A5, you have delivered nothing’.

“I understand why their people are frustrated by the ineptitude of Sinn Féin ministers, a finance minister who has no budget solutions, they’ve given up on devolution.

“They have given up but they’re trying to goad unionists into bringing down powersharing so they can blame unionists because they’ve no solutions, and I’m not going to be goaded.

“I am going to use the rule of law, I am going to use levers at our disposal and I am going to ensure they are held to account.”