Carla Lockhart quits DUP over party’s response to Drumcree dispute

Carla Lockhart has resigned from the Democratic Unionist Party over its response to the Drumcree parade dispute, saying she will continue as an independent unionist MP for Upper Bann.

Lockhart had urged the DUP to withdraw its deputy first minister from Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government, a move intended to force First Minister Michelle O’Neill of Sinn Féin from their shared office. DUP leader Gavin Robinson rejected her call.

The dispute followed protests on Garvaghy Road in Portadown, which prevented an Orange Order parade from passing along the mainly nationalist street. O’Neill and other senior Sinn Féin figures have been interviewed by police investigating the demonstrations. Unionists have accused them of acting unlawfully; the interviews do not establish that anyone broke the law.

In a statement posted on Facebook on Monday, Lockhart said her decision was “on a point of principle”. She accused Sinn Féin of wilfully ignoring the rule of law and said promised “profound consequences” had not materialised. She added that her first responsibility remained to Upper Bann’s constituents.

The DUP said last week it would block official engagements involving O’Neill in response to the fallout. Lockhart had argued that this was not enough, describing forcing O’Neill from office as the “only one credible option”.