News

First Minister to survive into 2017 as ‘grave consequences' postponed by Sinn Fein

ARLENE Foster will survive as First Minister into 2017 after “grave consequences” threatened by Sinn Fein were postponed.

Mrs Foster lost a vote of confidence in the assembly over the RHI scandal but remains in post because the SDLP motion did not have cross-community support.

Sinn Féin did not participate in the vote and, despite calling on the First Minister to stand aside as an independent investigation is launched, the party said only that it would bring its own motion forward in January.

This cannot be debated for at least four weeks with the assembly not scheduled to reconvene until January 16.

In other developments:

  • Arlene Foster categorically admitted responsibility for the "fundamental flaws" in her former department's green energy scheme for the first time
  • Speaker Robin Newton was urged to reflect on his position as Stormont speaker
  • Opposition and Sinn Fein MLAs walked out of the Assembly chamber twice yesterday
  • Justice minister Claire Sugden was the only non-DUP MLA to vote against the motion
  • Another email released by the economy department appeared to support a version of events by renegade DUP MLA Jonathan Bell