THE DUP has been urged to end engagement with the representatives of loyalist paramilitary groups in the wake of threats they may end their ceasefires.
The Loyalist Communities Council (LCC), which purports to speak for elements within the UVF, UDA and Red Hand Commando, last week warned of "dire consequences" if the prolonged absence of devolution resulted in joint authority involving the British and Irish governments.
The statement was issued by the group's chairman David Campbell, who was last year appointed by the then DUP Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to the board of the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (Afbi).
Concerns were raised at the time about the controversial appointment, which pays £412 for each day worked, because Mr Campbell had failed to declare that he had been involved in any political activity, despite issuing numerous statements on behalf of the LCC.
As well as declaring any political activity, candidates are also expected to declare if there is any conflict of interest that could bring the organisation into disrepute.
Any reservations raised regarding Mr Campbell's appointment to the Afbi board are not currently being investigated due to the failure of the last executive to appoint a commissioner for public appointments.
SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone said he had "deep misgivings" about the LCC chair's appointment to and continued involvement with a public body.
"A person like David Campbell making statements on behalf of illegal paramilitary groups brings no credibility whatsoever to the the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute and the Department of Agriculture should therefore be carefully monitoring his utterances," the Mid Ulster representative said.
The Department of Agriculture last night told The Irish News that questions regarding Mr Campbell's role on the Afbi board should be directed to the institute.
However, queries to Afbi, whose board is chaired Colin Coffey, a non-executive director with Invest NI, yesterday remained unanswered.
Mr McGlone said the DUP should break off any planned engagement with the loyalist paramilitary umbrella group.
"The only circumstances under which the DUP should meet the LCC is to tell its members to stop their threats, quit their drug dealing, and cease their criminal activity," he said.
People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll also called on he DUP to end all engagement with the LCC.
"Representatives of sectarian murder gangs should have no say in politics and the DUP should never have sounded them out on the protocol," the West Belfast MLA said.
“We oppose any further concessions on the protocol, particularly under the threat of loyalist violence –the UDA, UVF and Red Hand Commando have nothing to offer working class communities and should be consigned to the past.”
A spokesman for the DUP said the only way to overcome challenges around the protocol was through "politics and democratic processes".
"We engage with people from across loyalism and will continue to emphasise democratic politics," he said.
"Violence and/or the threat of it, is never acceptable and the DUP always advocates the democratic route as opposed to arguing that there was 'no alternative' to violence as some have recently said."
