by John Coulter
The Democratic Unionist Party has opted for the “housewives’ choice” in promoting Stormont enterprise minister Arlene Foster to caretaker First Minister in a last-ditch bid to hold onto its dwindling support among devout Protestants, according to one Unionist source.
While Peter Robinson remains as DUP leader, the East Belfast MP and MLA is stepping aside as First Minister for six weeks in order to clear his own name following the financial and sex scandals that have engulfed his wife.
Iris Robinson, who is currently receiving “acute psychiatric treatment” has been expelled from the DUP and will leave her Westminster and Northern Ireland Assembly seats at the earliest opportunity. She is also expected to quit as a Castlereagh councillor. The council is launching an inquiry into her behaviour.
Ms Foster – a 39-year-old married mother of three – has had a rapid rise through the DUP since she left the Ulster Unionists in 2004.
The MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, she also represents the DUP on Fermanagh District Council and is viewed as a potential Unionist unity candidate to snatch the Fermanagh Westminster seat from Sinn Fein’s farming minister Michelle Gildernew at the forthcoming general election
One leading Unionist said: “Foster is seen as a moderniser, given her past experience with the UUP. She would be a good housewives’ choice to stop the evaporation of evangelical and fundamentalist Protestants away from the DUP – this would be its core vote.”
The Unionist source added: “While the DUP is talking publicly about giving ‘wholehearted support’ to Peter Robinson as leader, they will also use the next six weeks to assess if they can regain the church vote or whether he – like his wife – has become a serious electoral liability.”
Nationalist sources claim that Mr Robinson had all but agreed a deal with Sinn Fein over devolving policing and justice before the scandals surrounding his wife erupted.
They said the deal was for executive minister and SDLP leadership contender Margaret Ritchie to become policing minister with Sinn Fein backing.
Nationalists view Ms Foster as a staunch supporter of former First Minister Ian Paisley and one said her appointment was “the hand of Big Ian trying to get the DUP back on course with Christians”.
In the meantime, the DUP and Sinn Fein are trying to prevent a total meltdown at Stormont by hammering out an agreement on the devolving of policing and justice powers to the Assembly.
