Ms Lockhart’s move comes amid a difference of opinion between her and DUP leader Gavin Robinson on whether the party should withdraw deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly from the powersharing executive.
asserted
party → come → executive
Upper Bann MP Ms Lockhart has argued that the party should pull Ms Little-Pengelly from her post as it would automatically remove Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill from her position in the joint office they lead together.
asserted
they → argue → office
In a social media post on Saturday, Ms Lockhart said her decision was not made for the purposes of “satisfying hardliners”.
asserted
decision → say → hardliners
“The stand I have taken is about principle,” she said.
asserted
she → take → principle
“My only ambition is to continue serving the people of Upper Bann.
asserted
ambition → continue → Bann
“I feel strongly that an issue this serious cannot be resolved through symbolic or token gestures.
asserted
issue → feel → gestures
Nor am I interested in myself making any such gestures.
asserted
myself → make → gestures
“Any belief the steps I have taken are for that purpose is deeply misguided and completely misreads both my strength of feeling, and that of those I represent.
asserted
I → take → those
“Suggestions that I am simply “satisfying hardliners” miss the point.
asserted
I → satisfy → point
I am standing up for what I believe is right, even when that means taking difficult decisions.”
asserted
that → stand → decisions
Ms Lockhart posted the statement after DUP MP Sammy Wilson suggested her move was a tokenistic attempt to please Unionist hardliners.
uncertain
move → post → hardliners
“Obviously Carla feels a lot of the Drumcree pressure and more than most probably because it’s their own constituency,” Mr Wilson told the News Letter.
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Wilson → feel → Letter
“Probably there were people lashing out and demanding that the DUP brings Stormont down – but how that helps the Drumcree cause, of the country, I don’t know.
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I → be → country
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“It’s a way of making a token gesture as to her dissatisfaction that we weren’t prepared to bring the assembly down.”
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we → read → assembly
Ms Lockhart said she wants to be clear about what she is calling for.
asserted
she → say → what
She called for Michelle O’Neill to be removed from office, adding that deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly’s resignation would also bring that about.
asserted
resignation → call → that
“I wish we could, but we cannot simply remove every Sinn Féin Minister who is under investigation for law breaking on the Garvaghy Road, and I want to be honest about the limits of what we can achieve,” she said.
uncertain
she → wish → what
“I have never seen unionism so united or felt such anger across our community.
asserted
unionism → see → community
That unity should give us encouragement and courage.
asserted
unity → give → encouragement
These concerns are not confined to so-called “hardliners”.
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concerns → confine → hardliners
“They are shared across all shades of unionism by people who want fairness, respect for the rule of law and meaningful accountability.
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who → share → law
Unionists who want flagrant law-breaking dealt with but want the institutions to continue.”
asserted
institutions → want → ?
Ms O’Neill attended a police station in Belfast on Wednesday for an arranged interview with officers investigating an unnotified protest, which was staged as part of efforts to stop an Orange Order parade proceeding down the predominantly nationalist Garvaghy Road from nearby Drumcree Church.
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which → attend → Church
“I’m sorry to see that it’s occurred,” the party leader replied.
asserted
leader → ’m → ?
“I appointed Carla to the party officers.
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I → appoint → officers
She remains a key part of our team.”
asserted
She → remain → team
Mr Robinson said his party was democratic and it had come to an “agreed position” not to pull Ms Little-Pengelly out of the Executive.
asserted
it → say → Executive
Asked if he thought Ms Lockhart may ultimately quit the party entirely, Mr Robinson said: “I hope that’s not the case.”
uncertain
that → ask → party
He said he was not going to criticise Ms Lockhart, insisting she still had a “valuable contribution” to make to the DUP.
asserted
she → say → DUP
Earlier on Thursday, Ms Lockhart was asked whether she had confidence in Mr Robinson’s leadership.
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she → ask → leadership
Sinn Féin leaders Mary Lou McDonald and Ms O’Neill were both interviewed at Musgrave PSNI station on Wednesday over their participation in the Portadown protest.
asserted
McDonald → interview → protest
The senior republicans were among several Sinn Féin politicians to receive letters from the PSNI asking them to attend for interview.
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republicans → receive → interview
Politicians from other parties also received letters.
asserted
Politicians → receive → letters
Under parading laws in Northern Ireland, protests must be notified to, and approved by, the Parades Commission adjudication body.
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protests → notify → body
Police are carrying out an investigation into the unnotified protest on the Garvaghy Road on the day the Drumcree parade was meant to proceed and said invitations to attend interviews had been sent to individuals “reasonably suspected of committing offences”.
asserted
invitations → carry → offences
The Aporia
