DUP leader 'hopes' Carla Lockhart will not leave party

The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has said he does not want to see Carla Lockhart leave the party.

Lockhart has called for the DUP to remove First Minister Michelle O'Neill from office by having Emma Little-Pengelly resign from her role as deputy first minister.

However on Thursday, the DUP confirmed that Little-Pengelly will not participate in joint engagements with O'Neill and permission will not be granted for the first minister to operate on a solo basis.

Gavin Robinson said he "hopes" that Lockhart will not leave the party and added: "We all share the same view that there needs to be political sanctions for the behaviour of Michelle O'Neill."

It follows unionist anger over Sinn Féin's involvement in protests which prevented a contentious Orange Order march in Portadown from passing along the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road.

In a letter to party colleagues on Thursday, Lockhart said she will "take her own course" if O'Neill is not removed as first minister.

Other DUP representatives, including assembly member Diane Forsythe, have since backed Lockhart's calls for O'Neill to be "removed from office".

Maurice Bradley MLA also said removing O'Neill "would not, in itself, require the Assembly to collapse".

A meeting of the party's ruling officer committee was held earlier on Thursday.

Robinson said the decision among DUP MLAs to cease engagement with the first minister and deputy first minister was "unanimous".

Lockhart is expected to resign from the party, the Belfast Telegraph, external are reporting.

Last week, the Upper Bann MP stepped down from the party's officer board over Robinson not withdrawing Little-Pengelly to force O'Neill from their joint Stormont office.