Paisley warns 'we are moments from collapse', asks Rees-Mogg to guard against Dublin

Speaking at Westminster on Thursday amid reports the DUP First Minister Paul Givan may be set to resign in protest at the Irish Protocol, he said: "Events in NI are teetering on the brink. We are not months, weeks or days but moments away from the collapse of the NI Executive and that is, of course, very sad, but entirely predictable and has been predicted from these benches for the past thirteen months."

He asked Mr. Rees-Mogg, the leader of the British House of Commons, if he can 'assure us that good governance and good practices can be put in place to ensure that NI does not fall behind in any of its governmental matters'.

Mr. Paisley also called for a greater role for the British House of Commons in the governance of the north and for 'interference' from the 26 counties to be opposed.

He asked Mr. Rees-Mogg if he could assure the house that that more time will be 'left aside in this house to debate issues to do, that are pertinent to NI, and that the daily affairs of NI will not be set to the side in any way and that the British government will take full and proper charge of affairs when and where they have to and that people from the Republic of Ireland, their government, will not be allowed to interfere in the internal mechanisms and affairs of NI?'

Mr. Rees-Mogg said: "It would be wrong of me to predict what is happening in NI at the moment. We have to wait upon events but I can assure the honourable gentleman that the British Government takes its responsibility for the whole of the UK - and it is one single and undivided UK - and her majesty's Government has a responsibility for the bexst interests of the whole of our country and recognises the serious difficulties that have been caused by he NI Protocol and its implementation and the effect this has had on NI."