A DUP MP says unionist voters are angry at Michelle O'Neill over her role in the Garvaghy Road protests and says it "cannot be business as usual" at Stormont. Carla Lockhart said the DUP has it "within its gift to remove" O'Neill as Northern Ireland's first minister. On Friday, the secretary of state banned the Portadown District Lodge from marching down the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road.
His decision was welcomed by nationalist politicians but unionists have criticised the move. O'Neill is one of a number of Sinn Féin politicians who have confirmed they received letters from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) investigating protests over the Drumcree parading dispute. What is the Garvaghy Road dispute all about?
Four key takeaways from the Drumcree dispute so far Speaking outside Drumcree Church on Saturday, Lockhart said her constituents are angry. "They're angry at the chief constable for allowing lawlessness to win, for allowing the mob to dictate," she said. "They're angry at the secretary of state for his intervention, but the most palpable anger is at Michelle O'Neill, this self-proclaimed 'first minister for all' for breaking the law flagrantly on the Garvaghy Road, and thumbing her nose at unionism and at the Orange Order and at this community." Police had repeatedly warned those taking part in the unnotified protest that they could be liable for arrest.
O'Neill has defended her involvement, saying she was standing with the local community in opposition to an Orange Order parade through the area. She previously dismissed a call from the DUP to resign over her role in protests telling the assembly she was "proud" to stand with the residents and "will continue to stand with them". The DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) share power with Sinn Féin in the Northern Ireland Executive, but Lockhart says it can no longer be business as usual.
"You can not continue to engage with someone who is so blatant in her disregard and disdain for a large section of this community," she said. "Very clearly it cannot be business as usual at Stormont." Lockhart says her party must take action against O'Neill. "People want to see consequences, and we have said very clearly, profound consequence, and therefore we should use whatever is in our armoury to ensure that Michelle O'Neill, the person who really is supposed to be that first minister for all, as she claims, is dealt with in the appropriate way," she added.
The DUP could remove O'Neill from the first minister's position if the deputy first minister quits. That role is held by Emma Little-Pengelly, but that seems unlikely. DUP leader Gavin Robinson said that Lockhart "is right that the options are there", but stopped short of suggesting his party may collapse the executive.
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