Jeffrey Donaldson stops short of saying DUP would bring down NI Executive

There was a major escalation on Thursday of the row over allegations that Sinn Féin breached Covid-19 social distancing rules at Tuesdays funeral of Bobby Storey when the DUP called on Michelle ONeill to stand down as Deputy First Minister.
The SDLP leader Colum Eastwood added his name to those criticising Sinn Féin when he also said Mr ONeill should stand down to allow the PSNI investigate the matter.
Now, apart from Sinn Féin, all four other parties on the Northern Executive – the DUP, SDLP, Ulster Unionist Party and Alliance – want Ms ONeill to step aside.
The DUP MP for Lagan Valley Sir Jeffrey Donaldson brought further pressure to bear on Ms ONeill on Thursday morning when he said she should step aside.
Hitherto DUP leader and First Minister Arlene Foster had stopped short of making such a call, instead saying Ms ONeill should apologise and make amends for allegedly breaking social distancing rules at Mr Storeys funeral.
But after Ms ONeill refused to offer such an apology and stood by the manner of her attendance at the funeral the DUP parliamentary party met on Thursday morning and urged her to stand aside.
In light of the failure of Sinn Féin yesterday to grasp the opportunity to apologise it is our view that the Deputy First Minister must now step back from her role while these matters are investigated by the PSNI, said Mr Donaldson.
We will be asking the standards authorities in the Assembly to examine whether those MLAs who attended the funeral broke the code of conduct for MLAs, and we will also be asking the PSNI to specifically investigate any potential regulatory breaches by Executive Ministers including the Deputy First Minister, he told BBC radio Ulster Stephen Nolan Show.
Given the seriousness of this situation, given the need to rebuild public confidence, given the need to have clarity in the Executive message on Covid-19 and the risk to the public, then yes thats what we believe should now happen, said Mr Donaldson.
While thousands of people attended the funeral of senior IRA and Sinn Féin figure Mr Storey on Tuesday Ms ONeill argued that in terms of about 30 people walking behind the cortege and in terms of her attendance at the funeral Mass that she did observe the coronavirus rules.
I stand over that my actions were within the regulations and the public health guidance, so I can only control whats within my gift, she said on Wednesday.
I can say very clearly I stand over and can very clearly say that I was within the guidance and the regulations, added Ms ONeill.
She accused her opponents of playing politics with her attendance at the funeral.
Mr Donaldson however insisted Ms ONeill broke the rules. The law on these matters is clear and what happened at that funeral has sent out a very, very bad message to people in Northern Ireland, he said.
The Lagan Valley MP stopped short of saying the DUP would bring down the Executive if Ms ONeill did not step aside, as Sinn Féin did more than three years ago when Ms Foster would not temporarily stand down during the dispute over the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.
Mr Donaldson questioned would this be the right action in the middle of a pandemic.
Are we seriously saying that the right thing to do is bring the Executive crashing down because of the wrongdoing of Sinn Féin? Sinn Féin need to step up now and take responsibility for what they have done, he said.
We should not be punishing the people of Northern Ireland for this. Sinn Féin are the people who need to take that responsibility, he added.
Mr Donaldson also called for an urgent meeting of the party leaders forum, which was established under the New Decade, New Approach deal that helped restore Stormont at the start of the year. The meeting should discuss a way forward in order to re-establish confidence, he said.
The Northern Executive is meeting on Thursday. Ms Foster and Ms ONeill are due to deliver a regular press conference by video link together on Thursday afternoon after the Executive meeting but Mr Donaldson indicated this was unlikely to take place.
I think it would be very difficult for that to happen in the current circumstances because we cannot afford mixed messages right now. The public needs leadership and that is what we intend to give them.
Mr Donaldson said that Ms Foster wrote to Ms ONeill on Thursday morning outlining the DUPs position.
Earlier SDLP leader Mr Eastwood also called Ms ONeill to step aside pending a police investigation.
He referred to how he and other SDLP politicians and supporters were unable to attend the recent funeral of party Assembly member John Dallat because they observed the Covid-19 rules, and that countless other people were in a similar position over the period of the virus.
Mr Eastwood said it was patent nonsense that Ms ONeill observed the regulations. He said that in reference to Ms ONeill it is the people making the rules who are blatantly breaking them.
That is very difficult for people to take, he said. If people lose confidence in the message and the messenger they will begin to do their own thing.