Leader has party's full support and resignation unnecessary - Minister

DUP REACTION:THE DEMOCRATIC Unionist Party was fully behind its leader Peter Robinson and there was no reason for him to resign, party Environment Minister Edwin Poots said at the Stormont Assembly yesterday.

“We have discussed all of the issues,” Mr Poots told reporters. “I think it is becoming fairly evident that . . . Peter Robinson hasn’t done anything wrong and there is no reason for him to resign.”

When it was put to him that some senior party members were privately expressing dissent, he said: “The party met . . . The discussion was very clear, that Peter Robinson should continue as the party leader. We have put Arlene [Foster] into the position of acting First Minister to allow Peter to concentrate on dealing with a number of the issues and to move on with the policing and justice issue and deal with that in an emphatic way.”

Asked to comment on a claim by political opponent Jim Allister that Sinn Féin had put a gun to the DUP’s head on the policing issue, Mr Poots replied: “Jim Allister is not relevant to this issue. What is relevant is the views of the members of the DUP in moving this forward and, if we get the conditions right, we will be in a position to move forward. If the conditions aren’t right, it will not happen.”

Asked if he had any doubts that Mr Robinson would lead the party into this year’s Westminster elections, he replied: “I believe Peter Robinson will lead the DUP into the general election. I said on Friday that it would be a shame if someone of Peter’s strategic and leadership skills would have to stand down over what has happened.”

When asked if the DUP was damaged by recent events, he said this was a possibility, but added: “People will judge the party on the party’s response to that. This party has responded very clearly and very effectively in removing that individual from all of her positions and from the party.” Asked if he felt any sympathy for Iris Robinson, he replied: “I do feel sympathy for Iris . . . all has not been well. We all need to have sympathy for individuals when they fall. As the Lord Jesus Christ said when a woman was caught in adultery, ‘Let him that is without sin cast the first stone’. ”

DUP Finance Minister Sammy Wilson said there was now “a positive engagement” between Sinn Féin and the DUP on the devolution of policing powers from London.

“We have been the ones, at every step in this process, who have tried to make sure that we are building on a sure, secure foundation.

“You couldn’t have had the progress to where we are at present if Sinn Féin had not been brought in from the cold when it comes to policing and their attitude to the police. We were responsible for that.

“We would not have been here if we had not a sound financial footing for the policing budget. We are the ones who are primarily responsible for that and we will see these other issues through as well.”

On Mr Robinson’s position, he said: “Peter is still the leader of the party and the leader will lead the party into the general election. The party has endorsed him overwhelmingly as leader. There is no question about that.”

Asked about the mood of the present engagements with Sinn Féin he said: “I’m always optimistic about these things. I think the only way to approach anything that you go into is to approach it in a good, positive way. We are [doing that]. There are difficult issues to be resolved and I am not minimising the difficulties that there always are in these because you will have people who have different emphases and different views. But I approach it from the view of, ‘let’s see if we can do it, then do it’. ”