DUP MP Carla Lockhart has said her party could help remove Michelle O’Neill as Northern Ireland’s first minister, citing anger among unionist voters over Ms O’Neill’s role in the Garvaghy Road protests.
Ms Lockhart said the issue had contributed to dissatisfaction with Ms O’Neill among unionist voters. Her comments raise the possibility of the Democratic Unionist Party supporting action that could lead to Ms O’Neill leaving the first minister’s post.
The remarks focus on Ms O’Neill’s involvement in protests at Garvaghy Road and the response to that involvement among unionists. No further details about the proposed process or the DUP’s specific plans were provided in the supplied material.
Ms O’Neill’s position as first minister and any potential move against her would have implications for the leadership of Northern Ireland’s devolved government. The latest position is that Ms Lockhart has said the DUP could play a part in removing her, while the party’s next steps have not been set out.
