First minister to face no-confidence vote over Drumcree row

Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill is to face a no-confidence vote at Stormont over her handling of the Drumcree parading dispute.

The motions against her and three other Sinn Féin ministers are set to be debated after receiving the backing of unionist parties.

But the attempt to oust them will fail as it requires cross-community support from a majority of both unionists and nationalists in the assembly.

It comes amid a major political row over a planned Orange Order march in Portadown, County Armagh.

O'Neill and other senior Sinn Féin politicians have been heavily criticised by unionists for joining protests which have blocked the parade from passing along the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road.

Police are investigating the demonstrations in a "large-scale" criminal inquiry.

O'Neill has defended her actions, saying she was "proud" to stand with the residents and adding that "when the law is wrong I will stand firmly against it".

In the assembly on Monday, the Sinn Féin vice-president described the planned Orange march as "unwanted, sectarian and triumphalist".

The exclusion motions have been submitted against O'Neill and fellow Sinn Féin ministers John O'Dowd, Caoimhe Archibald and Liz Kimmins.

They are expected to be debated as early as next Monday.

The no-confidence motions were tabled by Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) assembly member Timothy Gaston, who has branded O'Neill the "first minister of lawlessness".

A TUV spokesperson told BBC News NI the motions gained the required 30 signatures with the backing of assembly members from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP).

They welcomed the support "from across the unionist family" but acknowledged the motions would not remove Sinn Féin ministers from office.

"The onus still remains on those who sustain them in office," the TUV spokesperson added.

The DUP and Ulster Unionists share power with Sinn Féin in a four-party devolved government alongside the Alliance Party.

TUV leader Jim Allister has been urging the DUP to withdraw Emma Little-Pengelly as deputy first minister to trigger the removal of O'Neill as first minister.

"Sinn Féin needs to be shown there are real consequences for their actions," the North Antrim MP said.

But DUP leader Gavin Robinson has dismissed the idea, arguing that their smaller unionist rivals were "falling into the trap" laid by republicans.

Sinn Féin MLA Sinéad Ennis said: "This is more political circus from unionist politicians who are being led by the nose by Jamie Bryson in a race to the bottom."

She said the party "will continue to stand with the residents" and they "will show up everyday to do our jobs despite the childish antics of political unionism".

Little-Pengelly, who jointly leads the Northern Ireland Executive alongside O'Neill, described Sinn Féín's actions as "disgraceful".

Speaking in the assembly on Monday, Little-Pengelly said the first minister "chose to follow the law of the mob instead of the law of the land".

Drumcree was one of Northern Ireland's most serious parading disputes in the mid-1990s.

Stand-offs over attempts by the Orange Order to march along the Garvaghy Road were accompanied by riots, roadblocks and killings.

In 1998, the newly-established Parades Commission ruled the Orange Order should not march down the road - a decision that was upheld for the past 28 years.

The row re-emerged after a court case in which a ruling by the Parades Commission was overturned, and a fresh application to parade was lodged.

Last month, the commission decided the march could go ahead with restrictions in place.

The decision is being challenged in the courts.