First Minister’s wife decision to quit shocks political party

THE decision by the wife of Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson to quit politics because of a battle with mental illness shocked her Democratic Unionist Party, it was revealed yesterday.

Some of Iris Robinson’s closest associates, were unaware of her plans to withdraw from public life until she made the announcement, according to party sources.

“It came right out of the blue,” said one. “Hardly anybody had advance warning this was going to happen.”