MP Carla Lockhart quits DUP over Drumcree parade dispute
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has left the Democratic Unionist Party, citing principle over the party’s handling of the Drumcree row.
Background
Carla Lockhart has represented Upper Bann in Westminster since 2019. She announced she is leaving the DUP over the party’s response to the Drumcree parading dispute.
Reason for resignation
Lockhart had been urging the party to withdraw Stormont’s deputy first minister in order to force First Minister Michelle O’Neill from the joint office. In an open letter she called this the only credible option and said any “graduated response” would be “insulting to those who have trusted us.”
Current political context
Unionist anger has risen after Sinn Féin members were involved in protests on Garvaghy Road, which blocked a contentious Orange Order parade in Portadown, County Armagh.
Michelle O’Neill and several senior Sinn Féin figures are being interviewed by police, with unionists accusing the party of unlawful action.
The DUP announced it would block official engagements involving O’Neill in response to the fallout.
The Sinn Féin vice‑president defended the involvement, describing it as “the right thing to do.”
DUP leader Gavin Robinson did not adopt Lockhart’s call to force O’Neill from office.
Lockhart’s statement
In a Facebook post she wrote: My first responsibility remains to the people of Upper Bann. You placed your trust in me, and I will continue to work every bit as hard for you, your family and our community. She added that it was “a sad day and a deeply personal decision” and that she could not stand idly by while Sinn Féin “wilfully ignores the rule of law and the promised profound consequences fail to materialise.”
Parade attempts
Orangemen made numerous attempts to begin their march from Drumcree church, underscoring the tension surrounding the event.
Lockhart’s exit from the DUP is framed as a “point of principle,” and she will continue in the House of Commons as an independent unionist.
