The Democratic Unionist Party has been at odds with the government since Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed a new deal with the European Union earlier this year, which London said eased trade arrangements and firmly rooted the province's place in the United Kingdom.
"We are very clear that the Windsor Framework does not meet our seven tests. We've put proposals to the government that we believe would address those concerns, we'll see what the government come back with," he told a press conference. In response, a British government spokesperson said the Windsor Framework was "the best deal for Northern Ireland", adding that it was working with businesses, communities and political parties on implementing the framework.
It says that deal, and the subsequent one, have put a question mark over Northern Ireland's place in the UK after the province effectively remained in the EU single market for goods to preserve an open border with bloc member Ireland.