In todays News Letter, Sam McBride has a report on the mounting pressure for Peter Robinson to step down as DUP leader and First Minister.
McBride reports the concern within the party about how the DUP would do in an Assembly election led by Robinson;
There is concern within the party at how it would fare if an election was called, with one senior figure telling the News Letter that the DUP has been “haemorrhaging” support over recent weeks.
In relation to the date of Mr Robinson’s departure, the individual said: “The sooner the better.”
He also quotes other party sources who are unhappy;
One DUP politician who has been publicly restrained about Mr Robinson’s leadership told the News Letter: “He’d need to go soon.”
Another party source said that the party was taking “a pounding” over its decision to re-enter the Executive despite the revelation that the IRA did not decommission all its weapons and the allegation that the IRA Army Council effectively runs Sinn Fein.
Then we have the blow back from his appointment of Emma Pengelly as a Junior Minister from a party source;
And he said that the decision to appoint Mr Robinson’s former special adviser, Emma Pengelly, as a junior minister in the First Minister’s office had been met with incredulity in the party.
He said: “Can you imagine Cameron doing that – putting one of his advisers in as a minister after getting a big pay-off as his adviser?”
Full story here
David McCann holds a PhD in North-South relations from University of Ulster. You can follow him on twitter @dmcbfs
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