Ulster Unionist MLA Adrian Cochrane-Watson has heavily criticised both the DUP and the Alliance Party over the issue of rolling Ministerial resignations.

Mr Cochrane-Watson MLA said:

“When the Ulster Unionist Party decided to withdraw from the Executive, the DUP had no intention of following suit.  They made noises about excluding Sinn Fein from the Executive, yet they knew fine well, that under their St Andrews Agreement, the possibility of excluding Sinn Fein from the Executive through an Assembly motion simply does not exist.

“When we withdrew from the Executive we did so clearly on a point of principle.  The point of principle being the complete undermining of trust in the serial deniers of Sinn Fein, in the wake of a still operational Provisional IRA  being implicated in the McGuigan murder.

“If we look back at the public statements coming from various DUP spokespeople in late August, early September, it is abundantly clear that they had no intention of withdrawing from the Executive, which would have triggered an Assembly election.  No intention whatsoever.

“I also note Mr Lyttle of the Alliance Party’s comments on radio when he tried to link the Ulster Unionist Party with the DUP’s rolling resignation policy. To repeat for the benefit of the Alliance party and others:  the Ulster Unionist Party has resigned from the Executive. Full stop. It is obvious that the Alliance Party with two Ministers, which is twice as many as they are entitled to, would need a crowbar to remove them from the Executive.  Given that one of their Ministers is allegedly in charge of justice, that should be a matter of embarrassment for that party.”