Carla Lockhart has resigned from the Democratic Unionist Party with immediate effect, citing the party's handling of the Drumcree parades dispute, according to The Irish Times.
The Upper Bann MP published her resignation letter to party leader Gavin Robinson on social media on Monday evening. The Irish Times reports the departure had been anticipated for several days.
Lockhart, a prominent figure in the party who joined as a teenager, said she was leaving on a point of principle. In her letter she described the DUP as her political home for more than two decades and called the decision painful, saying it followed considerable reflection.
The DUP said it regretted her decision, thanking her for her service and for her work for the people of Upper Bann.
Why it matters
The resignation leaves the DUP with four MPs in the House of Commons, down from 10 in 2017, according to The Irish Times. Sinn Féin holds seven seats but does not take them up at Westminster.
The Irish Times describes the loss of a high-profile representative as a serious blow to the party. It also exposes a split over how unionism should respond to First Minister Michelle O'Neill's conduct during the Drumcree standoff in Portadown.
In its statement, the DUP said further division within unionism only benefits Sinn Féin. The party said it shares the anger felt across unionism at O'Neill's actions, and that the disagreement with Lockhart concerns which course of action would secure accountability and best serve Northern Ireland.
A dispute rooted in Portadown
The rupture follows a two-week standoff at Drumcree. The Garvaghy Road protest in Portadown, involving O'Neill and other Sinn Féin members, prevented Orangemen from walking the mainly nationalist route from Drumcree church for the first time in 28 years, The Irish Times reports.
Lockhart was a constant presence in loyalist areas of the Co Armagh town during the standoff and warned that O'Neill's actions would carry profound consequences. She argued the party should withdraw Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly from Stormont to force O'Neill out of the joint office, a step that would effectively collapse the devolved institutions.
At a rally in Portadown in support of local Orangemen last month, she called for O'Neill's resignation and invoked Margaret Thatcher, telling supporters she would not be for turning.
Robinson declined to adopt that position. The Irish Times reports he chose a "graduated response" instead, under which Little-Pengelly no longer takes part in joint public appearances or official events with O'Neill, including this Sunday's Remembrance ceremonies.
In an open letter to DUP colleagues last week, Lockhart said removing the Deputy First Minister was the only credible option available, and that a graduated approach insulted those who had placed their trust in the party.
Her resignation as a DUP party officer came 10 days before Monday's announcement, in a row over what she described as concerns about the party's strategy on the Drumcree fallout.
Wider pressure on the party
The departure comes amid broader tension in Northern Ireland politics. The Journal reports that O'Neill criticised what she called an undemocratic DUP block on engagements, including a meeting with Catherine Connolly. The BBC reported comments from the DUP leader about unionist parties needing to set aside egos.
Lockhart held a majority of more than 7,000 over her nearest Sinn Féin rival at the 2024 Westminster election, according to The Irish Times.
What to watch next is whether other DUP representatives follow Lockhart, and whether Robinson's graduated approach survives scrutiny now that it has cost the party one of its most visible MPs.
