A NEW survey has exposed massive loyalist alienation from politics and policing - with widespread support for collapsing the Northern Ireland assembly and protests in the Republic.
The online `Loyalist Engagement Survey' saw more than 1,000 responses, according to the advocacy group which carried it out.
Let's Talk Loyalism conducted the survey this month "to ascertain loyalist perspectives" about the Northern Ireland Protocol, the PSNI, voting intentions and support for the Good Friday Agreement.
It found loyalist support for the DUP has drained away since the last election, with a 63.2 percentage point decrease in first preference votes likely for the party if survey answers translate to the polls.
The controversial protocol is seen as a threat to the north's position within the UK by 98.3 per cent, with 91 per cent wanting it "abolished" and just 7.7 per cent in favour of amendment to "make it tolerable".
According to the survey 91.5 per cent of loyalists `think the Northern Ireland Protocol risks a return to violence' - although do not specify the source of the security threat.
It also highlights the pressure on unionist ministers from a section of their voter base to disengage from co-operation with their counterparts in the Republic, with 8 out of 10 loyalists wanting withdrawal from "all North/South ministerial meetings" over the protocol", and just 9.4 per cent support for the DUP's selective approach to missing meetings.
A huge proportion (89.5 per cent) support collapsing the assembly amid protocol discontent.
The British government was ranked primarily responsible for the accord, followed by the EU, the Irish government and the DUP, with Brexit supporters in last place.
Just 11.8 per cent believe the DUP has "no responsibility".
More than half of those questioned (55.8 per cent) would "support and attend a protest in the Republic" on the protocol, with 32.8 per cent more happy to "support but not attend".
Distrust of the PSNI is high, with 93.1 per cent convinced it "discriminates or treats the loyalist community unfairly" and 94.8 per cent believing the republican community has "preferential treatment".
Anger remains over its handling of IRA figure Bobby Storey's funeral, which 92.3 per cent said "decreased their confidence in the PSNI". Nine out of 10 want Chief Constable Simon Byrne to resign.
Jim Allister's TUV has overtaken the DUP in electoral popularity, with current voting intentions giving it 50 per cent of the vote, followed by the DUP on 12.7 per cent, UUP on 11.9 per cent and PUP on 7.2 per cent.
For the DUP that is a fall from 75.9 per cent first preference votes at the last assembly election and an 42.7 per cent increase for the TUV.
Meanwhile, 86.5 per cent "would vote against the Good Friday Agreement given the opportunity".
