FIRST MINISTER'S MOVE:DUP LEADER Peter Robinson has announced he will temporarily stand down as First Minister but says he intends to return to the post within the next six weeks.
He also made clear he is to remain as DUP leader and that as well as addressing the problems caused by his wife Iris’s mental illness, he will enter into negotiations with Sinn Féin to try to resolve the standoff over policing and justice.
Mr Robinson formally announced in his First Minister’s office at Stormont that he was temporarily resigning some three hours after his parliamentary party virtually unanimously said he had their “whole-hearted” support.
Most of the DUP’s Assembly members, MPs and its single MEP, Diane Dodds, stood behind deputy leader Nigel Dodds as he read out a brief statement announcing that the party was standing by Mr Robinson. He said any absent faces were due to these members being on other political duties.
It was notable that former DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley and his wife, Baroness Eileen Paisley, joined the DUP group to express that support.
There were many “hear hears”, including from Dr Paisley, when Mr Dodds expressed his statement of solidarity with Mr Robinson.
In the chamber after 2pm, DUP speaker William Hay announced that the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment Arlene Foster was at Mr Robinson’s instigation taking over the First Minister post.
Shortly before 3.30pm Mr Robinson gave his statement explaining his reason for standing down. “Iris is receiving acute psychiatric treatment through the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. As a father and a husband, I need to devote time to deal with family matters.” He said he appreciated the “unanimous support” from his Assembly and Westminster colleagues.
“I count it a great honour and privilege to lead the Democratic Unionist Party and I will continue to do so with the full support of my colleagues.”
Mr Robinson repeated that he believed he did nothing wrong in not reporting to the parliamentary authorities the £50,000 in two loans that Mrs Robinson raised on behalf of her lover Kirk McCambley, and which Mr Robinson subsequently insisted that she return.
“I continue to contend I have acted ethically and it is particularly painful at this time of great personal trauma that I have to defend myself from an unfounded and mischievous allegation. As you know, I have requested that an opinion be obtained from senior counsel in relation to the ministerial code and related aspects.”
He said he has asked for a Westminster and Assembly inquiry to be undertaken into these matters. He would also seek to deal with the policing and justice impasse during his period of absence from the First Minister’s post.
“Throughout this period I will continue to work on the outstanding issues relating to policing and justice and some other matters,” he said. “This allows a particularly concentrated focus on these discussions and we will work to try to build on the agreements we have already reached so that a successful resolution can be reached. This is the year to deliver at Stormont for all the people of Northern Ireland.”
Mr Robinson did not take questions but he clarified that under the legislation he can temporarily vacate the post for a maximum of six weeks and left open the possibility that he could return to his First Minister’s office before the six weeks are up.