DUP LEADER Peter Robinson has been reinstated as the North’s First Minister in a move that strengthens his prospects of persuading his party to finalise a deal to safeguard the Northern Executive and Assembly.
Mr Robinson said he was returning as First Minister based on legal advice that he had not broken any parliamentary rules over not disclosing that his wife Iris had received two loans totalling £50,000 to support a business venture by her lover Kirk McCambley.
Buoyed by his return, Mr Robinson last night appeared primed to press his party to conclude a deal on policing and justice, and parading.
Mr Robinson seemed ready to again put proposals thrashed out over nine days of negotiation at Hillsborough Castle to his Assembly party for ratification, notwithstanding that on Monday up to 14 DUP Assembly members rejected a draft blueprint for breaking the political deadlock.
This Assembly group meeting could come as soon as today, according to senior sources.
The BBC Spotlight programme claimed on January 7th that he was in breach of a number of parliamentary rules because he had not reported to parliamentary authorities two loans of £25,000 each that Ms Robinson had received on behalf of Mr McCambley. Mr Robinson had taken measures to have his wife repay the loans.
In a teatime DUP press statement yesterday headed “Robinson is Back”, it was announced that Mr Robinson, based on legal advice from Paul Maguire QC, informed the Assembly speaker William Hay that he was resuming his functions as First Minister.
“I welcome the QC’s detailed advice which follows a thorough and comprehensive examination of all of the issues raised in the Spotlight programme that on the material provided his considered view was that there were no breaches whatsoever by me of the Ministerial Code, the Ministerial Code of Conduct, the Pledge of Office and the seven principles of public life,” he said.
“His advice supports my consistent contention that I have acted at all times properly and in full compliance with my public duties. I am therefore glad that at this critical time I can resume fully the functions of my office with confidence,” he added. “I will now move forward to the next stages of this process which I believe will also vindicate me.
“Once those stages are complete, I will determine what legal action I should take against the BBC and others,” said Mr Robinson.
The BBC said last night it was standing by the Spotlight programme. A criminal and other parliamentary inquiries are also taking place because of the broadcast.
Mr Maguire, at Mr Robinson’s instigation, was asked by the Stormont Departmental Solicitor’s Office for expedited advice on whether the DUP leader was in breach of parliamentary regulations.
The next challenge is for Mr Robinson to persuade his Assembly party, particularly the 14 dissenters who rejected the draft agreement on Monday, to now accept the updated deal and allow Taoiseach Brian Cowen and British prime minister Gordon Brown to return to the North to sign off on the deal. It is understood that a number of alterations to the agreement, including in relation to parading, have been made.