The Government has published the package of measures that have been agreed as part of our negotiations. The Government has also published its draft legal measures which will then be debated and voted upon in Parliament.

The 'Safeguarding the Union' Agreement is the product of a long and protracted negotiation between the DUP and the UK Government.

It is almost two years since we withdrew the then First Minister as a consequence of the imposition of the Northern Ireland Protocol which did not have support from the elected representatives of Unionism in Northern Ireland.

Prior to our decision, we warned that a failure to deal with the Protocol, its imposition without consent and its disruptive impact on the delicate political balance was leading to an unsustainable position.

Having taken a strong and principled stand we were able to bring the UK Government and the European Commission back to the negotiating table and whilst significant progress was made at the time of the Windsor Framework, we judged that more work was required if we were to reach a point of securing arrangements that unionists as well as nationalists could support.

Throughout much of this period, other parties in Northern Ireland were calling for rigorous implementation of the Protocol.

During that time our detractors said we would never stay the course and that after the Assembly election in May 2022, we would give up.

Again, after the Council elections in May 2023, our opponents claimed we would immediately seek to reform an Executive. Through all of that period, we consistently said we would not be calendar-led but rather we would work until we had reached a conclusion which we believed could be measured against our objectives. We have reached that moment.

We have made very significant progress on all the issues we advanced in our negotiations. Is it everything we sought? No, however, it provides us with an opportunity to use the new structures to shape the future and to continue to work and campaign on all the areas where we will want to focus on going forward. We have to make decisions based on the real world and not based on fantasy and what we might wish was the case.

I know from over 40 years of public service that people want their representatives to be straight with them. They value honesty. Therefore, I won't claim that every battle has been won but I do believe what has been achieved gives us an opportunity to bank what has been secured and to continue making the case for further change.

The publication of the package of proposals is the first stage in the Government delivering its end of the bargain. The introduction and passing of measures in the House of Commons is also an essential part of that process so that we can be sure that everything is being fully implemented.

The publication of the package will end speculation about the nature, shape and content of what has been agreed. It will also debunk many of the myths peddled by some.

The measures will ensure there is a new UK Internal Market system. It will remove checks for goods moving within the UK Internal Market system, save for those conducted by UK authorities as part of an intelligence-based approach to tackle criminality and smuggling. This package will also end Northern Ireland automatically following future EU laws.

There will be legislation to provide new legal and practical protections for the Acts of Union and which guarantees unfettered access for Northern Ireland businesses to the rest of the United Kingdom.

We have secured substantial legal change, between the United Kingdom and the EU expanding the number of goods classed as "not at risk" flowing from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. This new change will alter the legal treatment of certain goods and will be legally binding on the EU and UK and as such is a legal change to the Windsor Framework.

MLAs will have a meaningful say on whether future EU law applies in NI and the U.K. Government will have the power of veto over any EU law that harms our ability to trade with the rest of the United Kingdom.

All legal duties to protect the 'all-island economy' will be scrapped.

There will be a statutory ban on Governments agreeing future treaties with the EU that would harm our place in the UK Internal Market.

A new UK East-West Council will be created to boost connections between the UK regions and the establishment of Intertrade UK to boost trade within the Union.

The Government will also set out further additional measures to build our relationships and strengthen our collective links across the four nations that make up the United Kingdom.

This package I believe will restore our place within the UK Internal Market and protect our economic rights under the Acts of Union. It provides a platform upon which to continue to make other arguments about securing further change and importantly gives us the opportunity to restore political balance in Northern Ireland.

The agreement and all the details contained within it is the culmination of a long and difficult negotiation process. We have squeezed everything we can from the negotiations and we have made real progress across all of our seven tests.

I understand that some within Unionism will say it is not enough or that we should hold out for more. However, we have delivered significantly more than was available even a year ago, and I have a responsibility to bank the gains whilst campaigning for further change.

To my critics, I simply ask: "What have you achieved and where would your strategy bring us?"

As the leader of Unionism, I am determined to ensure we secure our gains and deliver in the best interests of Northern Ireland.

I am convinced that on the basis of faithful delivery of all elements of the agreement, we are taking the right steps. I, and my colleagues, will work confidently, alongside others, to build a thriving Northern Ireland, firmly within the Union.

Fermanagh and South Tyrone is the most western constituency in the UK. I am glad that through DUP work in Westminster, 13,000 rural homes in this constituency now have fibre broadband. We delivered and solved a real problem for families in rural Northern Ireland.

With a fully functioning devolved government and some of the new bodies established through this Agreement, I want us to do more of that going forward to ensure this constituency has the appropriate infrastructure and public services for the next generation.