Nigel Dodds rules himself out as next leader of DUP

The North's Minister for Finance Arlene Foster was last night installed as

favourite to become the next leader of the DUP after deputy leader Nigel Dodds caused political shock by announcing he was not seeking the leadership. This would also place her in line to be First Minister.

The North Belfast MP had been viewed as the overwhelming favourite to succeed Peter Robinson as DUP leader. That formal conferring was expected to come following a party executive meeting on Thursday of next week.

However Mr Dodds issued a statement yesterday evening saying he would not be seeking the leadership, citing the difficulty of running a party from Westminster.

He said he reached his decision after "prayerful thought". "For a long time I have been consistent in my belief that, with devolution now firmly established in Northern Ireland, I would only put my name forward for leader if I was a member of the Stormont Assembly, " he said.

“I am previously on record as stating clearly my view about the disadvantage of attempting to lead a modern Northern Ireland party from Westminster when we now have devolved government,” said Mr Dodds, who does not sit in the Assembly.

Elections

The DUP plans to press ahead with the election for leader. Nominations for the post close on Wednesday night. The DUP parliamentary team of 46 Assembly members, MPs and a single MEP (Mr Dodds’s wife Diane) is due to choose the new leader on Thursday night of next week.

The party’s 90-member executive – five members from each of the North’s 18 constituencies – must ratify or reject their decision that night.

It will then be for the new leader to decide who should be First Minister. If elected, it is expected that Ms Foster would also take on that role.

As of last night, no one else has declared to contest the leadership. Possible contenders could include the likes of MPs Sammy Wilson and Ian Paisley and Lagan Valley MLA Edwin Poots.

Based on Mr Dodds’s endorsement, Ms Foster is seen as securely in the driving seat. “I believe that the best way forward is to back Arlene Foster as leader of our party going forward,” he said last night.

“In the Assembly she has served as acting First Minister. She has demonstrated leadership credentials of the highest order here in the Assembly where I believe the leader of the party needs to be,” he said.

Best interests

“I intend to work alongside her as deputy leader, as parliamentary leader, as part of a strong team of committed DUP representatives at every level, and I think that is in the best interests of unionism and in the best interests of Northern Ireland,” said Mr Dodds.

Ms Foster is also seen as Mr Robinson’s chosen successor. She served as acting First Minister in 2010 during the controversy over the so-called Irisgate affair when Mr Robinson’s wife Iris was revealed to have had an affair with a 19-year-old man, Kirk McCambley, for whom she secured £50,000 in loans to start up a restaurant.

She was also acting First Minister when Mr Robinson stood aside as First Minister in response to the murder of Belfast republican Kevin McGuigan.

Mr Dodds said yesterday he had been humbled by the expressions of support from many quarters in recent days and had taken time before reaching his decision.

“I remain of the view that being at Westminster means I would not be able to devote the necessary day-to-day focus and time to the role of leader and, at the same time, properly and fully carry out my duties and responsibilities in the House of Commons,” he said.