Robinson resignation ‘post-dated’
PETER Robinson signed a post-dated letter of resignation as First Minister to secure his party’s support for policing and justice, it can be revealed.
The letter, which was not suggested until after last Monday’s tense meeting of DUP Assembly members, was introduced to secure the support of the 14 MLAs who at that point were still wary of the deal on offer.
Crucially, the letter had to be given to his party executive to activate if at any point they decide that Sinn Fein had not delivered, enabling the DUP executive – more than 100 people – to pull down Stormont.
Effectively the mechanism means that Mr Robinson can be removed as First Minister, even if the DUP’s MLAs still want to remain in Government.
It is believed that the letter has been entrusted to Lord Morrow, the party chairman and one of its strongest sceptics of swiftly devolving policing and justice. However, Lord Morrow refused to comment on the issue.
A DUP source told the News Letter that the resignation letter was one of “two additional safeguards” to ensure republicans do not secure devolved policing and justice in April but then refuse to allow the Parades Commission’s abolishment in December.
The individual described the cross-community Assembly vote on devolving policing and justice on March 9 as the “belt” and the letter as the “braces” of the party’s double mechanism for ensuring Sinn Fein’s compliance with what the parties have agreed.
That, the individual said, had given the party’s MLAs who were unhappy at the deal on offer confidence that it could be enforced as policing and justice powers, along with all other devolved matters, would return to Westminster in the event of the Assembly falling.
It is understood that Sinn Fein was not told of the internal DUP mechanism for ensuring republicans’ compliance with the agreement.
Mr Robinson’s post-dated resignation letter mirrors the letter which the party leadership made every DUP Assembly member sign when they stood for the party in 2007, meaning that Mr Robinson could ‘resign’ one of his MLAs without their consent.
The device was seen as a way of the party leadership maintaining control of its Assembly members.
However, the only time when a resignation letter was activated was last month when Mr Robinson resigned his wife following her affair and business dealings with a 19-year-old man.
