DUP leader Gavin Robinson has announced the party’s deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly is to cease participating in joint engagements with Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill.

Mr Robinson said Ms Little-Pengelly will also not be giving permission for Ms O’Neill to fulfil engagements on her own in the role of First Minister.

His announcement came after DUP party officers convened on Thursday to discuss how they should respond to Ms O’Neill and several of her party colleagues being investigated by police for participating in an allegedly unlawful protest on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown last month.

The protest was staged as part of efforts to prevent a contentious Orange Order parade proceeding down the predominantly nationalist road from nearby Drumcree Church.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill. Liam McBurney/PA Wire

placeholder image — First Minister Michelle O’Neill. Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Ms O’Neill, who last week attended a police station for interview, has defended her presence at the protest as the “right thing to do”.

While stopping short of withdrawing Ms Little-Pengelly from her post – a move that would also force Ms O’Neill from her role and collapse the Stormont Executive – Mr Robinson told reporters on Thursday he could not give an assurance he would not ultimately take that step.

The practical outworking of the move means Ms O’Neill and Ms Little-Pengelly will not attend an economic event in Glasgow on Friday.

Stormont’s leaders were scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Scottish First Minister John Swinney and Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson (centre right) with Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly (centre left) and party colleagues arrive to speak to the media at a press conference at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, where Mr Robinson announced that Ms Little-Pengelly would cease participating in joint engagements with Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill. He also said Ms Little-Pengelly would not give permission for Ms O’Neill to undertake engagements alone in her role as First Minister. Picture date: Thursday October 29, 2026. Photo credit should read: Liam McBurney/Press Association

Ms O’Neill and Ms Little-Pengelly were also due to hold a separate meeting with Mr Burnham in Glasgow to discuss the ongoing impasse over the lack of Stormont budget for the current financial year.

Posting on social media before Mr Robinson officially announced his party’s decision, Ms O’Neill claimed blocking participation in the Glasgow conference was a “reactive stunt, driven by the DUP’s own internal pressures and electoral problems”.

She added: “The Economic Forum is taking place tomorrow in Glasgow, and this reckless and irresponsible approach of Emma Little-Pengelly means the people of the north will not be represented.”

Mr Robinson said his party’s blockade also means an already-postponed meeting between Ms O’Neill and Ms Little-Pengelly and Irish President Catherine Connolly at her official residence at Áras an Uachtaráin in Dublin will not now take place.

“We believe that while she and her colleagues should be punished, that does not include punishing the rest of Northern Ireland, the foundation of democratic principles that hold society together.

“There has to be accountability, but not at the expense of public sector pay or a budget that is there to provide basic and decent public services for the rest of the people of Northern Ireland,” he said.

Earlier First Minister Michelle O’Neill, posting on the social media platform X, said: “The DUP are unable to embrace equality, respect Irish identity and accept that a nationalist and republican now holds the office of First Minister.

“It is for the people to decide who represents them as first minister, not the DUP.

“I have contacted the British Secretary of State and made my position absolutely clear.

“As First Minister, I will continue to protect peace and progress, and to represent all of our people.”

Sinn Féin TDs Pearse Doherty and Matt Carthy were the latest party representatives to attend for voluntary interview with the police in Belfast on Thursday.

Arriving at Musgrave Street in the city centre, Mr Doherty said he and his party were “proud to have stood with the Garvaghy Road community and defended 28 years of peace”.

“Standing up for what is right is always the right thing to do,” he said.

“We believe that it is right to have taken this stand and supported the peace process, supported the progress that we have seen.

“We defend the progress that we have seen over the last number of years, and there is no going back.”

Mr Carthy added: “Just to reiterate, myself and Pearse and other Sinn Féin representatives will be attending voluntarily for an interview with the PSNI.

“The interview will relate to the peaceful protest that we attended on the Garvaghy Road, and our view very strongly is that the parade on the Garvaghy Road was not a tolerable prospect, and that the peace that has been built on very painstakingly over the past 30 years is something to be protected.”