Northern Ireland: Direct rule would see ‘radical woke agenda foisted’ on Stormont, warns DUP leader

Mr Robinson urged a long-term view and cautioned about what can happen when unionists “cannot apply the brake”.

He continued: “The most liberal abortion law in Europe was imposed on Northern Ireland by Westminster while Stormont was down. Not one MLA voted for them.”

“If we returned to direct rule, the radical woke agenda would be foisted on our schools, our public sector and every other part of life, with no ability to stop it.”

He added: “Some without responsibility think only of their next Facebook post; as Democratic Unionists, however, we have a responsibility to think long-term and ensure that no action we take, regardless of the lawbreaking republicans, plays into our enemies’ hands.

“That is why we will not be goaded by Sinn Féin. Instead, as I said to the Prime Minister this week, we want a sanction in place that will punish all Sinn Féin ministers who broke the law.

“We will keep holding Sinn Féin to account and keep fighting for a budget that works. Every lever we have will be used to protect the values of the people we represent.”