Carla Lockhart: Upper Bann MP quits DUP in Drumcree row

Carla Lockhart has announced her departure from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) following a dispute over the party’s handling of the Drumcree parading controversy. Representing Upper Bann as an MP, Lockhart had been urging the DUP to remove Stormont’s deputy first minister in an effort to expel First Minister Michelle O’Neill from their shared government post. Choosing to leave on what she described as a matter of principle, she declared her intention to continue serving in the House of Commons as an independent unionist.

This decision arises amid heightened unionist frustration linked to Sinn Féin’s involvement in protests on Garvaghy Road, which effectively blocked a contentious Orange Order parade through a predominantly nationalist area in Portadown, County Armagh. Several prominent Sinn Féin members, including O’Neill, have been questioned by police investigating these demonstrations. Unionists accuse Sinn Féin of unlawful behavior in connection with the protests. In response, the DUP, which operates in power-sharing with Sinn Féin at Northern Ireland’s devolved government, announced that it would refuse to engage in official functions with O’Neill.

While Sinn Féin’s vice-president defended her participation in the protests as the “right thing to do,” DUP leader Gavin Robinson resisted Lockhart’s suggestion to force O’Neill from office. Lockhart, however, outlined in an open letter that this was the “only one credible option,” dismissing any partial measures as “insulting to those who have trusted us.” In a Facebook post, she emphasized her foremost commitment to the people of Upper Bann, expressing her resolve to continue working diligently for her constituents.

According to BBC News NI political editor Enda McClafferty, Lockhart’s decision to sever ties with a party she had been associated with since her teenage years represents a significant turning point. Despite deep family connections to the DUP and a reputation among colleagues as someone who “bleeds the DUP,” she has become isolated in her confrontation with the party leadership. Although she enjoyed some support, including from Portadown Orangemen and other unionists, Robinson maintained the backing of the DUP’s key officers and assembly teams. Unwilling to risk collapsing the executive without an agreed budget or becoming culpable in ongoing disputes like the nurse’s pay strike, Robinson stood firm, resulting in Lockhart’s exit and reducing the DUP’s parliamentary representation from ten MPs to just four. This development comes at a difficult time for the party, which must now regroup prior to the upcoming assembly elections, having already experienced seat losses in recent polls