Northern Ireland Protocol: Poots denies letter tried to dilute bill
former Stormont agriculture minister Edwin Poots has dismissed a report that he tried to dilute the Northern Ireland Protocol bill.
x-DUP leader responded to a Financial Times article which suggested he wrote to the government to argue Northern Ireland's farmers would be better off under the protocol.
DUP has blocked Northern Ireland's executive and assembly from forming in its protest against the protocol.
Mr Poots has said he supports the bill.
He added the legislation, which would override parts of the protocol, is "necessary to deal with the constitutional and economic damage being done to Northern Ireland".
rotocol keeps Northern Ireland aligned with the EU's single market for goods to ensure free trade can continue across the Irish land border post-Brexit. 
It has, however, in turn angered unionist politicians by adding new checks to some goods being moved between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
DUP has said this undermines Northern Ireland's constitutional position and the party has, since February, withheld its support for the formation of Stormont's governing executive.
rty said there appears to be "some people in London who mischievously are out to cast doubt on the DUP's determination to get rid of the NI Protocol - their tactics will fail". 
"The party did not at any time consider tabling amendments to the bill to reflect anything contained in the letter which was sent by Mr Poots in his ministerial rather than party capacity and which was never discussed by the party," it added.
On Friday, it was reported that Mr Poots wrote to the then-UK environment, food and rural affairs secretary, George Eustice.
It said Mr Poots argued it was "unacceptable" that the protocol bill would force farmers to accept the same agricultural subsidy as the rest of the UK.
In response, Mr Poots has said he "reasonably suggested one change which would maximise the UK's ability to use state aid under World Trade Organisation rules".
A new subsidy system is expected to come fully into force in the UK from 4 January, which is designed to allow the devolved regions to deliver subsidies tailored for their needs.
wspaper reported that Mr Poots could not recall if he received a response from London.
UK government and the EU resumed talks in recent weeks about the protocol, while the legislation continues to progress through parliament. 
raditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister accused Mr Poots of putting "expediency before principle" by writing the letter, to which Mr Poots replied "it does not dilute the bill in any way, on the contrary it makes it better".