Unionist quits DUP in powersharing row
A former Irish rugby international has quit Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists, he revealed tonight.
Davy Tweed, a councillor to the party chief's heartland of Ballymena, Co Antrim, resigned in opposition to plans to go into a powersharing government with Sinn Féin.
Mr Tweed, 47, also warned others who cannot stomach the prospect of sitting in an administration with republicans will follow his lead.
He has sent a letter to Mr Paisley outlining his reasons for leaving with immediate effect.
He said tonight: "I sincerely think the DUP intends to, and they are already in a process of, going into government with Sinn Féin.
"There's a lot of other people in the same situation as myself, I have just went earlier than some of them, but there will be others who do similar following my resignation."
Mr Tweed, who was capped four times for Ireland and played 37 times for Ulster, was one of seven DUP councillors in Ballymena who announced earlier in the election campaign for the Northern Assembly that they would not canvas for the party.
The hardliner insisted he had major problems with what he claimed was contrary to what the party pledged in previous election manifestos.
He alerted the DUP chairman on Ballymena council, Maurice Mills, last night about his intentions and also posted a letter to Mr Paisley.
Mr Tweed stressed that he would serve as an independent councillor rather than join in the other party but also hit out at the DUP leadership for not doing enough to alleviate his fears.
He added: "I worry about the people still in there. They have a Christian commitment as well as a political agenda and I'm terribly fearful for what could happen.
"Some people within the DUP think something will change and they're praying for change so that they won't go into power with Sinn Féin.
"But I seriously think the DUP is in that process and I can't stay in a party with that position."
The prospect of Mr Paisley being appointed First Minister of the Stormont Assembly, with Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness as his deputy, increased after republicans took the historic step earlier this year of pledging to support the North's police service.
But Mr Tweed claimed the DUP was wrong to set just a policing test of Sinn Féin's credentials before considering forming a coalition with them.
"They (Sinn Féin) had destroyed the UDR, the RUC and they're going to destroy the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) from within.
"Sinn Féin is not going to go into government if they think it's going to stifle their objection of achieving a united Ireland."
