Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson has claimed he met with senior figures from the European Union on behalf of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson during talks around the Windsor Framework last year.
A year ago, the Safeguarding the Union deal was agreed by the party and the UK government promising changes around post-Brexit trading rules and paved the way for the restoration of Stormont.
However, hardline unionists lambasted the deal as “surrendering” to the EU and criticised the DUP for maintaining an Irish sea border.
The agreement came after a tumultuous private meeting of DUP members in which a senior party figure is said to have worn a wire to broadcast proceedings to Mr Bryson.
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster on Friday morning, the loyalist blogger said he had met with EU officials during talks which represented the views of Mr Donaldson
“I was very close to Jeffrey in respect to the time of the Windsor Framework,” Mr Bryson said.
“I met representatives of the European Union, they were told that the views I was expressing, that those represented the position of Jeffrey Donaldson.
“Jeffrey Donaldson told those people that the views I expressed represented his position. Whether that was the DUP’s position was another matter.
“I can’t say that it was for the DUP because it may well be that Jeffrey was flying his own kite so I can’t stand over that.
“A paper went to the Cabinet Office, that Jeffrey Donaldson told me, told people in the ERG represented the DUP position.
“It went to the Cabinet Office, it was sent to the prime minister. A paper was put together, I was involved in drafting it along with lawyers involved in the ERG. Jeffrey Donaldson endorsed that paper.”
Former DUP MLA David McIlveen told the same programme it was “astonishing” that an unelected figure such as Mr Bryson would have been involved in those negotiations.
“We were told when we voted for Brexit that one of the main reasons for doing so was to stop unelected people from having political influence over our country,” he said.
“Having listened to what we just listened to, it seems like we are out of the frying pan and into the fryer. So yes, I think it is astonishing and just highlights the bigger issue in that unionism is sadly a bit all over the place at the minute.
“I think that is something we do need to get a hold of because it’s going to create more and more problems for us as we go into the future.”
