A LETTER from a group of former political and religious leaders urging Boris Johnson to "step up" to tackle recent violence on the north's streets has received a mixed reaction.
The intervention from Lord Chris Patten, four former secretaries of state, a former chief constable and former Archbishop Robin Eames called for urgent action, including engaging directly with Stormont's parties and community groups.
The cross-party group call on on the British prime minister and Secretary of State Brandon Lewis to "urgently create the space for local politics to regain the initiative", waring that there is currently a "political vacuum".
But the responses from the north's parties vary from predictable calls for the protocol to be scrapped to questioning the wisdom of further involvement from the Tory leader.
SDLP chair Colin McGrath said the "character and calibre" of the signatories should be a clear message to Downing Street.
"But the cold truth is that Boris Johnson has shown more energy and interest in a debate about football leagues than he has about violence on our streets in recent weeks," he said.
Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry said the current British government was the "most disengaged" in decades.
"The government needs to be working much more closely with the Irish government and the local parties to address current sources of tension, including finding realistic adjustments in relation to the protocol – a meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference would be a good starting point," he said.
Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken welcomed the letter, which he said recognised that unionists had "not been listened to".
"Having refused to listen to our genuine concerns, I sincerely hope the prime minister listens to the concerns raised by the signatories to this letter before it is too late," he said.
DUP Westminster leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the protocol was continuing to "wreak havoc on east-west trading relationships".
"Throughout the Brexit process Brussels has ignored the views of unionists and trampled the founding principles of the devolved settlement, including that of consent," he said.
"Lasting progress in Northern Ireland is only possible when proposals command the support of both the unionist and nationalist community."
