The friendship between Irish Robinson and a young man who had lost his father turned into a sexual relationship
THE CONTROVERSY involving the North’s First Minister Peter Robinson and his wife, Iris Robinson MP MLA, had its roots in Ms Robinson’s close friendship with east Belfast butcher Billy McCambley who died in February 2008.
According to last Thursday night’s BBC Spotlight programme, before his death Mr McCambley asked Ms Robinson to look after his only son, Kirk, who was then aged 19.
Over subsequent months, the friendship between Ms Robinson, who was then aged 59, developed into a sexual relationship.
The growing romance and its aftermath were chronicled in more than 150 text messages from Ms Robinson to Dr Selwyn Black, who had begun work at the start of the year as a political adviser to the Strangford MP in her role as a member of the health committee at Stormont.
On June 5th, 2008, Ms Robinson’s husband, Peter, succeeded the Rev Ian Paisley (82) as Northern Ireland First Minister and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party. The following day, Ms Robinson generated major controversy when she told the BBC’s Stephen Nolan that homosexuality was an “abomination” but that, with proper assistance, gays could be “turned around”.
In the same month Ms Robinson, a member of Castlereagh Borough Council, found an opportunity for her young lover to set up in business when the council advertised for a tenant to operate a cafe being built beside a 200-year-old lock-keeper’s cottage on the banks of the river Lagan.
Ms Robinson acquired a total of £50,000 to fund the project from two property developers, Fred Fraser and Ken Campbell. Kirk McCambley told Spotlight that, after he received the money, she asked him to give her £5,000 in cash.
Mr Fraser, one of the most successful developers in the North, died some weeks later, in August 2008. Mr Campbell runs a property development business based in Co Down.
The council decided that the only suitable applicant to run the cafe was Kirk McCambley and, on August 28th, the signing of the lease was authorised. Ms Robinson was in attendance when the council took its decision but did not declare her interest, according to the BBC programme.
As summer turned to autumn, the relationship came to an end and Robinson informed Mr McCambley that she wanted him to return the money.
On December 18th, they met in Belfast for the last time before their final break-up. On Christmas Eve, Ms Robinson sent Dr Black a text message to say that she wanted McCambley to give back the money. She asked her adviser to obtain two cheques from the young entrepreneur, one made out to herself and other to her church, the Light ’n’ Life Church at Dundonald, Co Antrim.
At the end of December, Ms Robinson sent a further text message, to the same effect, from her holiday flat in Florida. Dr Black replied: “Where is God in all of this?”
In a lengthy response on New Year’s Day 2009, she texted her adviser: “This is just to allay any concerns. Money given to me on the promise of paying back one of them. The money was given to me on the promise of paying back one. The other didn’t have the same condition placed on it. When given to Kirk he wept and wanted to share 50:50. I said no, I wanted nothing. At that particular time he was a young man I wanted to help because [his father] Billy couldn’t and had so much wanted to.
“I agreed that one-third of the profit each month to go to the church as a gesture of giving something back. I never intended this to be a buy-off to God. it was an honest and honourable decision.”
She added that she would be returning all of Mr Campbell’s money but that Mr Fraser was now dead and was not to be paid back.
“I had intended to release £1,000 per month to church as well as using it to clear the massive debt incurred by me over past year.”
However, on January 6th she sent another text message to say that all the money should be returned to where it came from because she had “decided along with Peter to make a clean break and give the monies to them instead of the church”.
Dr Black who subsequently resigned over the loans issue, told Spotlight that at this stage, Mr Robinson was taking charge and during telephone conversations with Iris, he could hear him prompting her in the background.
In a text message on January 14th, Ms Robinson told Dr Black that her husband wanted to distance himself from the return of the money to Mr Campbell.
“He knows about this money, he knows about Fred Fraser’s money and he is attempting to keep his hands clean and saying this money must go back through solicitors.”
On March 1st last year, Mr Robinson discovered that his wife had had an affair four months previously.
Early next morning, Ms Robinson attempted suicide. Later that day, she was being treated in hospital while her husband took questions at the Stormont Assembly as First Minister.
Mr Robinson last night disputed suggestions that he had been remiss in leaving his wife’s side to go to work before she was taken to the hospital. He said she was left in the care of family members. He also dismissed footage of him answering a question at Stormont in a jocose manner as selective.
On December 30th, 2009, Iris Robinson announced she would be quitting politics and leaving her various positions as MP, Assembly- member and councillor. “The stress and strain of public life comes at a cost and my health has suffered,” she said.
Last Tuesday, arising from a lengthy investigation, Spotlight put a series of questions to Mr Robinson concerning his wife’s financial dealings.
The following evening, the First Minister went on television to say that his wife had attempted suicide as a result of depression following an extra-marital relationship.
He had forgiven her and they would try to rebuild their marriage, but he insisted the revelations had no implications for his position as head of the powersharing administration.
On Thursday night, Spotlight was broadcast by BBC Northern Ireland, featuring claims by Dr Black and revealing the identity of Iris Robinson’s former lover.
The programme reported that the alleged behaviour of the Robinsons was in breach of the rules for public representatives holding their respective positions.
Peter Robinson has defended himself against these allegations and declared his intention to abide by the findings of an official inquiry.