DUP terminates Iris Robinson's membership

The Democratic Unionist Party today terminated the membership of disgraced MP Iris Robinson.

Her membership has been terminated and she will leave Westminster and her MLA’s position in Stormont as early as next week because of the furore over her financial dealings with a young lover.

A party source said: “The next few days is absolutely critical for the party. We wanted to show people we were acting decisively. There was no question about it, she had to go and go now. There was absolutely no sympathy for the position she found herself in.”

The source said party officers would meet as early as Monday to decide who would replace Mrs Robinson as MLA in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

However there will not be a by-election for her Westminster Strangford seat as a general election is likely before the formal writ can be moved.

The wife of the North's First Minister Peter Robinson announced just after Christmas she was quitting politics because of severe depression.

But the Robinsons have since been plunged into controversy after it emerged Iris had secured £50,000 (€55,600) from two wealthy developers to help her 19-year-old lover set up a restaurant business in south Belfast.

Her husband Peter has been left fighting to clear his name after insisting he did not know of his wife’s irregular financial dealings with her teenage lover.

It is believed Mrs Robinson remains living at their east Belfast home.

Authoritative sources with the party claim the leader believes his marriage may not survive the scandal, never mind his political career.