THE NORTH’S First Minister Peter Robinson last night resisted calls to stand down and insisted he had done nothing wrong in relation to the alleged financial wrongdoings of his wife, Iris.
Mr Robinson said he had been unaware of some of the disclosures in a BBC Spotlightprogramme around his wife's affair with a young Belfast businessman Kirk McCambley and of how she procured £50,000 to help Mr McCambley take over the Lock Keeper's Inn in south Belfast.
In an interview with The Irish Times, Mr Robinson said he still wanted to save his marriage while indicating that the fresh disclosures had made that more difficult.
He accepted that he knew about the £50,000 his wife obtained from two businessmen, adding that he took action to ensure the money was returned.
He rejected the programme’s allegation that he was in breach of parliamentary rules by not reporting his wife’s actions over the money.
As Mr Robinson battles to save his political life, concerns have been raised by the Irish and British governments that the situation could undermine the powersharing structures at Stormont. Taoiseach Brian Cowen discussed the issue by phone with British prime minister Gordon Brown last night, while Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin assessed the implications of the issue with Northern Secretary Shaun Woodward.
The Democratic Unionist Party’s senior partners in the Northern Executive, Sinn Féin, have so far resisted any temptation to call for Mr Robinson’s resignation.
However, both Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams warned yesterday of a “growing crisis in the political process” and again demanded a speedy DUP move to accept the transfer of policing and justice powers.
Mr Robinson said he had sought through the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister to engage senior counsel to help determine whether, as alleged, he was in breach of any parliamentary codes. Mr McGuinness has taken similar action.
“I have done nothing wrong and therefore I want to uphold my reputation,” Mr Robinson said.
“I want to clear my name and I intend to do that and I have told you the quickest possible route to answer the one allegation which was made against me.”
He said he would be bound by such an inquiry’s findings and denied he would cling to office at all costs. He indicated that if the inquiry found against him he was likely to resign.
“I’m not one of those who hangs on to office. If it is deemed by the party there is someone better to lead or if it is deemed by the party including myself that the issues relating to me are getting in the way of the party message getting through, then I will not be the one who is holding tight to the armchair and insisting on staying and the same is true of my public office.”
He made clear, however, that he expected to be vindicated.
Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey said Mr Robinson’s position was becoming untenable and called for his wife to quit all public positions immediately.
SDLP leader Mark Durkan said Mr Robinson’s position was “questionable” at best. Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister said Mr Robinson “knew that that money needed to be declared to the Electoral Commission [and] to the registry of interests”.