Northern Ireland's three main unionist parties have backed a motion of no confidence in First Minister Michelle O’Neill. The move comes amid a 10-day impasse in Portadown, which developed after the Parades Commission gave the green light for the first time in almost 30 years for the parade to complete its traditional route along the Garvaghy Road.
Motions Against Sinn Féin Ministers
No confidence motions have also been listed against Finance Minister John O’Dowd, Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald and Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins over their alleged backing of a protest on the Garvaghy Road against the Drumcree Orange Order parade. They are set to be debated in the Assembly next Monday.
The parade has been protested against with large-scale gatherings on the road in Portadown, leading police to say they cannot safely facilitate the parade. The Police Service of Northern Ireland is investigating the prevention of the parade, and potential offences of unnotified protest, obstructing a lawful parade and breaching the Parades Commission determination.
Proposals and Allegations
The motions against Ms O’Neill and the Sinn Féin ministers were proposed by TUV MLA Timothy Gaston and have since been backed by DUP MLAs Jonathan Buckley and Diane Dodds, as well as UUP leader Jon Burrows. They claim that those ministers no longer enjoy the confidence of the Assembly, alleging they took part in an “unlawful protest” on the Garvaghy Road on September 27 2026 which “prevented a permitted parade from proceeding”.
They go on to say that by doing so they “failed to observe the Pledge of Office, requiring them to uphold the rule of law and support it unequivocally in word and deed”. The motions propose that the ministers be excluded from holding office as a minister or junior minister for a period of 12 months.
First Minister’s Response
Speaking in the Assembly on Monday, Ms O’Neill stood by her actions, and said “when the law is wrong, I will stand firmly against it”. She told MLAs she is “fully committed to the Good Friday Agreement, including the ministerial code and pledge of office”.
“I stand resolutely with the residents of the Garvaghy Road… they have suffered generations of sectarianism and generations of domination, of intimidation and of violence… as a result of a reckless demand for an unwanted sectarian march through this peaceful community,” she said.
No confidence motions must be backed by a majority of both unionist and nationalist members of the Stormont Assembly to succeed.
