NEW: Edwin Poots has resigned as DUP Leader.

He assumed office 20 days ago.

Stunning.
Full statement from Poots.

Remember Poots was instrumental in forcing Foster out. Now he too has gone.

Much bigger than the fate of the DUP. Deep instability within power sharing. Poots’ nominee for First Minister was literally installed today.
Now what authority does Paul Givan have? Can he stay in office? And if he resigns will the executive collapse? And given Poots has been driven out effectively as a result of his decision to keep power sharing going, the possibility for his successor to maintain the Exec is slight
Ie we could be looking at an election- ironically at the worst possible time for the DUP.

There can be no doubt now that Brexit (and the Protocol which flowed from it) has signifcangly destabilised the politics of Northern Ireland and that story may just be starting.
Leaders of the DUP

Ian Paisley 1971-2008 (37 years)
Peter Robinson 2008-15 (7 years)
Arlene Foster 2015-21 (6 years)
Edwin Poots 2021 (20 days)

Each time getting shorter...

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More from @lewis_goodall

18 Jun
NEW: If you’re waking up you’ve missed a truly sensational by election result.

Lib Dems GAIN Chesham and Amersham. It’s been Conservative since 1974. It had a Tory majority of 16000+. Now a Lib Dem maj of *8028*.

That’s a swing to the Lib Dems of 25.2%.
Result in full

Lib Dem: 56.7% (+30.4)
Conservative: 35.5% (-19.9)
Green: 3.9% (-1.6)
Lab: 1.6% (-11.2)

Loads of tactical voting- Labour vote collapses in favour of Lib Dems. But also clearly huge Tory-LD transference.
The word sensational is overused in elections but I’m struggling to think of a more staggering one than this. When I say this has been Tory since 1974 that’s because the seat was created in 1974. In one way or another, the seat has basically been Tory since universal suffrage.
Read 21 tweets
17 Jun
To those who haven't been following this, an explanation 🧵-why has Poots resigned?

Poots was instrumental in deposing Arlene Foster from the leadership.

He did so because of an ongoing slow burn crisis within the DUP and to some extent within unionism...
...,not confined to but put on steroids by Brexit and the Protocol which flowed from it.

Foster and the senior leadership of the DUP are blamed by many loyalists (especially the harder line elements on which the party's support traditionally rested) for allowing the Protocol...
...to come about and for being so closely identified with the Conservative party and especially Boris Johnson, who unceremoniously ditched the party as a means of getting a Brexit deal.

For many unionists the Protocol is an affront. They see the economic border...
Read 17 tweets
17 Jun
Everyone should be following what’s happening in Northern Ireland. The crisis in unionism is in danger of becoming a meltdown.
Mr Poots was elected by the DUP 20 days ago.
Read 12 tweets
16 Jun
Starmer asks PM whether he accepts his decision to leave India off the red list contributed to the spread of Delta.

Johnson: “No. Captain Hindsight needs to adjust his retro-spectroscope.”
Pretty baseless attack. Whether you agree with it or not, Labour has been consistent in calling for a tougher borders regime.
Starmer: “The British people did their bit by following the rules and getting vaccinated. But the prime minister squandered it by letting a new variant into the country. That was not inevitable.”
Read 5 tweets
15 Jun
Tomorrow is the 5th anniversary of the murder of Jo Cox. In two weeks’ time there’ll be a by-election in her old seat, the 5th parliamentary contest there in 6 years. There’s concern in Labour that declining support among British Muslims might cost them the seat. Watch tonight 👇
BBC2 2245pm (back to 2230 next week!)
Tomorrow Labour’s candidate Kim Leadbeater (Cox’s sister) will be suspending her campaign in Batley and Spen in honour of the anniversary and spending the day with her family.
Read 8 tweets
14 Jun
Move over Raheem Sterling...a certain @AndyBurnhamGM campaigning with @kimleadbeater in Batley this afternoon
Completely outplayed
Galloway signage everywhere in Batley and Spen. Delivering leaflets claiming it’s a two horse race and calling on Labour to drop out.
Read 5 tweets

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