DUP peers say Michelle O’Neill and Conor Murphy unfit for office and should resign

In an unusual joint statement which was not issued through the party press office, DUP chairman Lord Morrow and former MP Lord McCrea said that both Sinn Fein ministers were “unfit for office” after a “contemptible” display on Tuesday.

By contrast, when pressed during interviews today Mrs Foster and senior DUP MP Gregory Campbell resolutely refused to call on Ms O’Neill to resign – despite the Ulster Unionist Party and the Alliance Party, which also sit in the Executive which Ms O’Neill leads, calling on her to quit.

Mrs Foster said that rather than resigning, Ms O’Neill ought to apologise – but thus far the deputy First Minister has shown no inclination to take that advice.

The two DUP peers said: “The sheer hypocrisy and arrogance of Sinn Fein is breathtaking. The actions of Michelle O’Neill and Conor Murphy have at the very least broken the Ministerial Code of Conduct and both must stand down forthwith, if any semblance of political decency is to be maintained.

“Daily we have listened to them lecturing the people of Northern Ireland to act responsibly, adhering to the orders from Stormont over the lockdown or face the possibility of prosecution, but it is clearly ‘do as we tell you not as we do’.

“O’Neill and Murphy portray themselves as the arrogant elite, who live above the rules they make for all the little people of society they preside over.

“Their flouting the social distancing guidance in west Belfast at the funeral of a criminal, quite clearly demonstrates unfitness for office. It beggars belief anyone who directs others on how they should live their lives could show such utter contempt and disregard.”

Mrs Foster and Ms O’Neill are expected to take part in a Stormont press conference on Thursday afternoon.

However, the two DUP peers said of Ms O’Neill and Mr Murphy: “Neither should appear on the podium making demands of the people of Northern Ireland during the rest of this Covid-19 crisis. They have disgraced their positions.

“Both should now unreservedly apologise and vacate their positions. To do otherwise will be simply to heap contempt and confusion on all those who sacrificed attending the funerals of their loved ones in keeping with the advice and direction liberally handed out by O’Neill and Murphy.”

The blistering statement went on: “Our medical care professionals deserve better than what happened in west Belfast on Tuesday.

“If O’Neill and Murphy cannot find it in themselves to do the right thing on behalf of the whole of society perhaps they might have the good grace to do it then for those who are in the front line fighting this pandemic.

“They clearly undermined the Coronavirus Restrictions Regulations they signed off. For all their talk, Sinn Fein espouse superiority and have placed themselves outwith that which applies to all citizens. Never mind the republican pageantry and propaganda, this was a clear violation of health and safety in the community, rigorously imposed on all others.

“It has been deeply hurtful for grieving families at this very challenging time. Doing nothing is out of the question. It’s time to do the right thing and show leadership and contrition.

“The Police Service of Northern Ireland must act with total impartiality and not merely glance at this flagrant breach of the rules just because the offenders are Sinn Fein representatives.

“We call upon O’Neill and Murphy to resign their Executive positions, at least to allow a full investigation to take place. This is nothing more than they themselves have demanded in the past.”

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