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Northern Ireland's first minister Peter Robinson resigns Northern Ireland's first minister Peter Robinson resigns
(35 minutes later)
Northern Ireland’s first minister has resigned with the region’s power-sharing government on the brink of collapse over police allegations that the IRA still exists.Northern Ireland’s first minister has resigned with the region’s power-sharing government on the brink of collapse over police allegations that the IRA still exists.
Peter Robinson’s announcement came after his Democratic Unionist party, the largest in the Stormont assembly, was defeated in a vote to suspend the assembly for emergency talks to take place. Peter Robinson’s announcement came after his Democratic Unionist party, the largest at Stormont, was defeated in a vote to suspend the assembly for emergency talks to take place.
Robinson will be replaced as temporary first minister by his DUP colleague Arlene Foster, he said on Thursday, and most of the party’s ministers would also resign.
Robinson had given an ultimatum that unless the UK prime minister, David Cameron, uses executive powers to adjourn business at the Northern Ireland assembly, the Democratic Unionist party will withdraw from the executive in Belfast.
Related: Northern Ireland's political crisis: the key questions answeredRelated: Northern Ireland's political crisis: the key questions answered
Robinson said his DUP colleague and finance minister Arlene Foster would become temporary first minister, but all his party’s other ministers would resign.
The move by the DUP will not bring an immediate collapse of the assembly institutions. Executive departments will still function under the temporary arrangements, but the executive will not meet.
Foster, a Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA, will also continue as finance minister.
Robinson said: “In light of the decision by republicans, nationalists and the UUP to continue with business as usual in the assembly, I am therefore standing aside as first minister and other DUP ministers will resign with immediate effect with the exception of Arlene Foster.
“I have asked Arlene to remain in post as finance minister and acting first minister to ensure that nationalists and republicans are not able to take financial and other decisions that may be detrimental to Northern Ireland.”
The Northern Ireland secretary, Theresa Villiers, said she would not be suspending the devolved institutions and called on the local parties to come together. She said the DUP resignations would make it more difficult for the executive to function. “It is a sign of a complete breakdown in working relationships within the executive,” she said.
Earlier on Thursday the DUP failed to win enough votes in the parliament’s business committee to adjourn the workings of the assembly. Robinson wanted an adjournment to allow for only emergency talks to take place over allegations that the IRA still exists and had killed its one time member Kevin McGuigan.Earlier on Thursday the DUP failed to win enough votes in the parliament’s business committee to adjourn the workings of the assembly. Robinson wanted an adjournment to allow for only emergency talks to take place over allegations that the IRA still exists and had killed its one time member Kevin McGuigan.
Robinson warned that it could not be “business as usual” at Stormont while these discussions were to take place. Robinson warned that it could not be business as usual at Stormont while these discussions were to take place. But crucially the smaller nationalist party, the SDLP, refused to back the DUP motion even though the cross-community Alliance party supported it.
But crucially the smaller nationalist party, the SDLP, refused to back the DUP motion on adjournment even though the cross-community Alliance party supported it. A Downing Street spokeswoman said the prime minister was gravely concerned about the worsening political crisis at Stormont.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said the prime minister was gravely concerned about the worsening political crisis at Stormont and would call Robinson and the Northern Ireland secretary, Theresa Villiers, to discuss developments.
Asked if he was considering powers to suspend the assembly, the prime minister’s spokeswoman said: “There are obviously now different people calling for different things, and the prime minister’s calls with the secretary of state and the first minister are an opportunity for us to consider what steps should be taken next.”Asked if he was considering powers to suspend the assembly, the prime minister’s spokeswoman said: “There are obviously now different people calling for different things, and the prime minister’s calls with the secretary of state and the first minister are an opportunity for us to consider what steps should be taken next.”
The SDLP resisted pressure from the Irish premier during a meeting in Dublin in which Taoiseach Enda Kenny urged the northern nationalist party to support adjournment as a means of saving devolution in Northern Ireland.The SDLP resisted pressure from the Irish premier during a meeting in Dublin in which Taoiseach Enda Kenny urged the northern nationalist party to support adjournment as a means of saving devolution in Northern Ireland.
Related: Unionists may come to regret collapse of power sharing over McGuigan murder
The SDLP leader, Alasdair McDonnell, said: “Adjournment would not have added anything, an adjournment would have been there and when the adjournment was over we would still have been drifting toward suspension. The adjournment was not the solution and we looked at this long and hard.”The SDLP leader, Alasdair McDonnell, said: “Adjournment would not have added anything, an adjournment would have been there and when the adjournment was over we would still have been drifting toward suspension. The adjournment was not the solution and we looked at this long and hard.”
The Alliance party leader, David Ford, later accused the SDLP of betraying the peace process for the sake of its party’s electoral competition with Sinn Féin.The Alliance party leader, David Ford, later accused the SDLP of betraying the peace process for the sake of its party’s electoral competition with Sinn Féin.
“John Hume and David Trimble (former SDLP and UUP leaders) sacrificed their parties for the sake of the peace process,” he said. “Today the current leadership of the Ulster Unionists and SDLP has sacrificed the peace process. For what?”“John Hume and David Trimble (former SDLP and UUP leaders) sacrificed their parties for the sake of the peace process,” he said. “Today the current leadership of the Ulster Unionists and SDLP has sacrificed the peace process. For what?”
The Ulster Unionist party had also refused to adjourn Stormont business but had already pulled out of the power-sharing government.The Ulster Unionist party had also refused to adjourn Stormont business but had already pulled out of the power-sharing government.
The DUP leadership is now expected to instruct its ministers to leave the four-party power-sharing coalition, bringing down a historic political compromise that took almost two decades of tortuous negotiations to create. Their move was prompted by the assessment of George Hamilton, the chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, that members of the IRA killed Kevin McGuigan in a revenge murder in August, and that the republican paramilitary group still maintains a structure.
Their move has been prompted by the assessment of George Hamilton, the chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, that members of the IRA killed Kevin McGuigan in a revenge murder in August, and that the republican paramilitary group still maintains a structure.
Sinn Féin leaders insist the IRA has gone away and “left the stage”, but few unionists believe that and trust has broken down between the two main power blocs.Sinn Féin leaders insist the IRA has gone away and “left the stage”, but few unionists believe that and trust has broken down between the two main power blocs.
Gerry Adams, the Sinn Féin president, made a late appeal to the DUP not to pull out and trigger the collapse of the power-sharing devolved institutions.Gerry Adams, the Sinn Féin president, made a late appeal to the DUP not to pull out and trigger the collapse of the power-sharing devolved institutions.
Adams said: “The decision of the [assembly’s] business committee is a very, very clear democratic reiteration of the integrity of these institutions and of the need and the wish for these institutions to continue the work which we were all elected to do on behalf of citizens in this state and across this island.”Adams said: “The decision of the [assembly’s] business committee is a very, very clear democratic reiteration of the integrity of these institutions and of the need and the wish for these institutions to continue the work which we were all elected to do on behalf of citizens in this state and across this island.”
Later his party colleague and deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, added his voice to calls for the DUP not to pull the plug on power sharing. McGuinness denounced those behind McGuigan’s murder and the earlier killing in May of another ex-IRA man, Gerard ‘Jock’ Davison, describing them as criminals.Later his party colleague and deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, added his voice to calls for the DUP not to pull the plug on power sharing. McGuinness denounced those behind McGuigan’s murder and the earlier killing in May of another ex-IRA man, Gerard ‘Jock’ Davison, describing them as criminals.
However, McGuigan’s family and other republican sources in Belfast insist it was mainstream members of the Provisional IRA who killed the father of nine.However, McGuigan’s family and other republican sources in Belfast insist it was mainstream members of the Provisional IRA who killed the father of nine.
The prime minister now has to weigh up if he can introduce legislation at Westminster which would give him powers to suspend devolution in Northern Ireland. If he does not, the DUP are almost certain to pull out of the regional government on Thursday night.