DUP leader says he is “very sorry” Carla Lockhart has left the party

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Gavin Robinson said he was “very sorry” that Carla Lockhart had left the party, while making clear he would not criticise the Upper Bann MP. Lockhart resigned on Monday over the DUP’s response to the Drumcree parading dispute and will continue as an independent unionist in the House of Commons.

The disagreement centred on strategy, Robinson said, rather than their view of the issue. Lockhart had urged the DUP to withdraw its deputy first minister from Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government, a move intended to force Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill from their joint office. Robinson said the DUP believed O’Neill should face consequences, but opposed a step that would penalise other people in Northern Ireland.

O’Neill and several senior Sinn Féin figures have been interviewed by police investigating the Garvaghy Road demonstrations. Unionists have accused Sinn Féin of acting unlawfully. Last week, the DUP announced it would block official engagements involving O’Neill, but Robinson stopped short of backing Lockhart’s demand that she be removed from office.

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme on Tuesday, Robinson said the party believed O’Neill’s actions required sanctions. He added that the DUP wanted a sanctions regime for those who break the pledge of office, while stressing that Northern Ireland needed a functioning government and a budget. He said discussions on those matters were expected to continue with the secretary of state on Thursday.

In an open letter to colleagues last week, Lockhart called removing O’Neill from office the “only one credible option” and described a graduated response as insulting to those who had trusted the DUP. In her resignation statement, she said her first responsibility remained to the people of Upper Bann and that she could not stand by while Sinn Féin ignored the rule of law and promised consequences failed to materialise.

DUP MP Gregory Campbell said Lockhart’s departure was no surprise and could be a pivotal moment for unionism. He urged unionists to unite rather than fracture. Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister said the DUP had “preferred to keep Michelle O’Neill and let Carla Lockhart go”, and said Lockhart would be welcome in his party.

Sources: BBC News UK.