DUP party officers to meet amid ongoing fall-out over Drumcree dispute

Members of the DUP’s main decision-making body will meet later to consider the party’s next steps amid the ongoing political fall-out from the Drumcree parading dispute. The party officers will convene at a time when some senior DUP figures are at odds on how they should respond to Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill and several of her party colleagues being investigated by police for participating in an allegedly unlawful protest last month.

Ms O’Neill, who last week attended a police station for interview, has defended her presence at the protest on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown as the “right thing to do”. First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald leave Musgrave Street police station in Belfast after being interviewed by police (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Wire The protest was staged as part of efforts to prevent a contentious Orange Order parade proceeding down the predominantly nationalist road from nearby Drumcree Church.

Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has been the most vocal voice within the DUP calling on the leadership to withdraw deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly from the Stormont Executive – a move that would automatically force Ms O’Neill from her post due to the joint nature of the powersharing structures in Northern Ireland. Such a step would effectively collapse the devolved administration in Belfast as the Executive could no longer meet to make significant decisions.

Individual departmental ministers would, however, remain in post for up to six months and the Northern Ireland Assembly could continue to sit. DUP leader Gavin Robinson has so far resisted pressure to pull Ms Little-Pengelly out, arguing that imploding the Executive would damage unionism. Ms Lockhart resigned as a party officer last week over the difference of opinion with the leadership. Carla Lockhart has resigned as a DUP party officer (Mark Marlow/PA) PA Wire Others within the party have suggested action short of withdrawing the deputy First Minister, such as ending Ms Little-Pengelly’s participation in further joint engagements with Ms O’Neill.

The furore is playing out amid the customary political manoeuvring that takes place at Stormont ahead of an Assembly election. The next poll is currently due to be held in May. A decision by the Parades Commission adjudication body to allow the Orange Order to parade down the Garvaghy Road for the first time in almost 30 years prompted a two-week stand-off at the site of what was a notorious parading flashpoint during the Troubles. The parade was ultimately unable to take place because of significant numbers of protesters on the Garvaghy Road, leading Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant to overturn the commission’s decision and ban the procession.

His decision was upheld by a High Court judge on Wednesday this week. Under parading laws in Northern Ireland, protests must be notified to, and approved by, the Parades Commission. Police investigating the unnotified Garvaghy Road protest, which was staged on the day the Drumcree parade was meant to proceed on September 27, have said invitations to attend interviews were sent to individuals “reasonably suspected of committing offences”.