Carla Lockhart has resigned from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in a dispute over the party’s handling of the Drumcree parading controversy.
The Upper Bann MP had urged the DUP to withdraw the Stormont Deputy First Minister in a bid to oust First Minister Michelle O’Neill from their joint office.
Lockhart stated she was departing on a “point of principle” and intends to remain in the House of Commons as an independent unionist.
The rift follows unionist outrage regarding Sinn Féin’s participation in protests on the Garvaghy Road, which prevented a contentious Orange Order parade from proceeding along the predominantly nationalist thoroughfare in Portadown, County Armagh.
O’Neill and several other senior Sinn Féin figures have been interviewed by police investigating the demonstrations, prompting unionist accusations of unlawful activity.
Last week, the DUP—which shares power with Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland’s devolved executive—announced it would boycott official engagements involving O’Neill in response to the fallout.
The Sinn Féin vice-president has defended her involvement in the protests, describing it as the “right thing to do.”
DUP leader Gavin Robinson declined to endorse Lockhart’s demand to force O’Neill from office.
In an open letter to colleagues last week, Lockhart argued that collapsing the joint office was the “only one credible option” and warned that any “graduated response” would be “insulting to those who have trusted us.”
In a statement posted to her Facebook page on Monday, the MP said: “My first responsibility remains to the people of Upper Bann. You placed your trust in me, and I will continue to work every bit as hard for you, your family and our community.”
