DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has personally pledged to "take steps" to overturn a council agreement on implementing Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol, a prominent loyalist activist has said.
Jamie Bryson said he has spoken to Sir Jeffrey "numerous times" in recent days and received assurances that the DUP would oppose the scheme signed off by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.
The agreement on behalf of all 11 councils seeks to prepare for European Union oversight and increase cooperation and coordination on implementing the protocol, the BBC's Nolan Show reported.
Read more: NI secretary wants to 'deliver enough pressure' to restore Stormont and fix Brexit Protocol
A service level agreement document, seen by Belfast Live, describes the scheme as building capacity for "product safety market surveillance" and "product safety intelligence-gathering".
It is part of a UK-wide approach to meet the provisions of the EU Withdrawal Agreement and the protocol, according to the document.
The DUP objected to the scheme at committee level at Causeway Coast and Glens council, a majority-unionist local authority, but it was signed off at full council.
It was also reported that DUP Ards and North Down councillor Nigel Edmund seconded a motion to back the scheme in that council area.
He later attempted to change his mind but then abstained when a full vote on the scheme was carried out.
Mr Bryson told the Nolan Show the scheme is "inconsistent with resisting the protocol".
The loyalist activist, who said he has spoken to Sir Jeffrey and other senior party figures, stressed that the "DUP leadership did not know about the scheme".
"The DUP have been very clear they do not stand over this, and they are going to take steps now to stop these schemes," he said.
"I've spoken to the leader of the DUP, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson. I've spoken to him numerous times over the last couple of days. I spoke to him this evening."
He added: "Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has told me the DUP will be opposing this in unionist-dominated councils, presumably they'll oppose it in all councils, but in councils where they can make a difference, unionist-dominated councils, they will take steps to try and stop this."
In a statement to the programme, the DUP said: "This is another example of Northern Ireland Protocol red tape.
"DUP councillors opposed these checks and voted against them. It is time to get rid of these unnecessary inspections and bring forward a solution on the protocol that restores our place in the UK internal market."
The DUP has been blocking the restoration of Stormont power-sharing in protest over the protocol, which has angered unionists for creating new barriers to trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Talks have resumed between the UK and European Union in the latest attempt to resolve the impasse.
TUV councillor Stephen Cooper said he plans to table a motion to rescind the scheme in Ards and North Down and called for "unionist unity" on the issue.
He said: "The protocol must go, and as a direct consequence so should this service level agreement."
A TUV spokesman also said its group leader on Mid and East Antrim council, Matthew Armstrong, has challenged council officials on "why the agreement had not been brought before councillors before signing it off".
He said the council advised this was an "oversight" and the issue will be brought before a council committee "at the earliest opportunity".
Alliance Party MLA Sorcha Eastwood accused the DUP of "rank hypocrisy".
"They have said it's perfectly fine to tear down the institutions when everyone needs them the most, and here they are in local government saying it's not a problem and crack on," she said.
"They have made an embarrassing U-turn where they have actually not been aware of what their own elected reps are doing."
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