Allister Quits DUP In Protest Of Power-Sharing Agreement

Democratic Unionist Party MEP Jim Allister resigned from his party on Tuesday as a protest of the previous day's power-sharing agreement between his party and Sinn Féin.

Announcing his resignation at a meeting called in Belfast, the MEP, who also resigned from the party in the 1980s, said "To continue as the DUP's MEP, it would be my obligation to accept the party executive policy decision to usher Sinn Fein into government in a few short weeks.

"This, in conscience, I cannot do. Thus, I must resign from the DUP.

"Sinn Fein, in my view, is not fit for government. Nor can it be in a few weeks."

He added: "I have fought a protracted battle within the party over recent months against a premature DUP/Sinn Fein government.

"I now have to accept that this battle is lost."