WEST Belfast MLA Pat Sheehan has told the Assembly that loyalist activist Jamie Bryson is the leader of unionism.

His comments were made in the Assembly chamber on Tuesday as the fall-out over Orange Order attempts to march down the nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown continues.

Speaking in the Assembly, he said: "Now that we are in the midst of another political crisis, brought to us courtesy of the Orange Order and the DUP, many people are rightly asking, 'Who is the leader in unionism?" 

"Who is the leader in unionism? It was not too long ago that it was Jeffrey Donaldson. Now he is lying in Maghaberry.

"Is the deputy First Minister the leader of unionism? I do not think so. She was appointed by Jeffrey Donaldson. She has a good family history in terms of connection to loyalist paramilitarism and gunrunning, so that will maybe go in her favour, but, then again, she is unelected.

"Maybe it is Gavin Robinson, but Gavin is a bit of a part-timer here. He likes to spend his time in Westminster, hanging off the coat-tails of Reform, as other unionists have done. What happened to them? They all ended up thrown under the bus. Jim Allister tried that too. He was palsy-walsy with Nigel Farage. What did Nigel do? He tossed him under the bus. 

"Are there some up-and-coming stars in unionism? Jonny Buckley has been mentioned, but, as a fanboy, he hung on to the coat-tails of 'The Donald', and what did 'The Donald' do? It turned out that Donald was a united Irelander. That was Jonny under the bus. How excruciating it must have been for him down at the golf, when Donald Trump made those statements about a united Ireland. So that is Jonny out; that is Emma out; and Gavin is out." 

He added: "Who is the real leader in unionism? There is one person left: the guy who surreptitiously and covertly taped the DUP conference and played it live online; the legal expert — the legal eagle; the man who is calling the shots. The leader of unionism at the minute, who is calling the shots, is standing at Drumcree. Who is it? The one and only Jamie Bryson — the leader of unionism, swinging you all around by the tail. Why do you not just stand up? Why has unionism given over the leadership to that buck idiot, Jamie Bryson? Why are you doing it? That is the man who is leading unionism."