Robinson: I'm stepping down to clear my name

DUP leader Peter Robinson said today he was temporarily stepping down as the North's First Minister in an attempt to clear his name following the scandal surrounding his wife Iris.

In a shock move, party colleague Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster will fill the role for up to six weeks.

The development came within hours of DUP members offering Mr Robinson their full support, but he said today he needed time to care for his family, allow the crisis to be investigated and help resolve the threat to the future of the Assembly.

“As a father and a husband, I need to devote time to deal with family matters,” he said.

He added: “I continue to contend I have acted ethically and it is particularly painful at this time of great personal trauma that I have to defend myself from an unfounded and mischievous allegation.”

Acting First Minister Mrs Foster addressed the assembly in the aftermath of the announcement.

“On behalf of the First Minister, I want to make it clear that he entirely rejects the sole allegation made by the BBC Spotlight programme and will be seeking to clear his name in the days that lie ahead,” the Fermanagh and South Tyrone member said.

Mr Robinson has been facing calls for his resignation after a TV documentary claimed he failed to report his wife Iris to the parliamentary authorities for obtaining loans for her teenage lover to run a Belfast cafe.

The DUP leader has said he did nothing wrong and told his wife, who is now said to be receiving acute psychiatric treatment from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust after battling against depression, to pay back the loans.

Earlier today DUP colleagues at Stormont emerged from private talks to declare they were offering their support to Mr Robinson.

The decision was in defiance of the major political damage caused when it emerged that Mrs Robinson secured £50,000 (€55,000) from two wealthy developers to help her then 19-year-old lover Kirk McCambley set up a restaurant business in south Belfast.

But it later became clear that today’s statement of support by elected DUP representatives was only the first step in a political choreography planned by the party.

Assembly Speaker William Hay surprised members by interrupting a sitting of the House to declare that he had received a letter from Mr Robinson asking that Mrs Foster become acting First Minister.

Mr Robinson later read a statement detailing his position.

He revealed that a legal study of the TV programme that raised allegations against him, which he commissioned last week, was to be followed by a Parliamentary and Assembly inquiry at his request.

“This has been a difficult time. However, I want to thank all those who have sent messages of encouragement and support,” he said.

“I have literally received thousands of messages from all sections of the community and beyond.

“I will want to respond to everyone who has taken the time to send their best wishes to me and the family at this time. I hope they will forgive me because of the volume if it takes me some time.

“Iris is receiving acute psychiatric treatment through the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. As a father and a husband, I need to devote time to deal with family matters.

“To take account of this I have, following a meeting with party colleagues and one with the Deputy First Minister, asked the Minister for Enterprise, Arlene Foster MLA, to carry out the functions of the Office of First Minister for a short period.”

Mr Robinson thanked his DUP colleagues for their support and said he considered it an honour to lead them.

Repeating his claims of innocence, he added: “As you know, I have requested that an opinion be obtained from senior counsel in relation to the ministerial code and related aspects. In addition, the Deputy First Minister has received advices from the Departmental Solicitors’ Office which do not present any complications or difficulties whatsoever.

“I have asked for a Parliamentary and Assembly inquiry to be undertaken into these matters.

“Throughout this period I will continue to work on the outstanding issues relating to policing and justice and some other matters.

“This allows a particularly concentrated focus on these discussions and we will work to try to build on the agreements we have already reached so that a successful resolution can be reached.

“This is the year to deliver at Stormont for all the people of Northern Ireland.”