Little-Pengelly to take Donaldson's assembly seat

Former DUP MP and Northern Ireland assembly member Emma Little-Pengelly has been co-opted as the new Lagan Valley MLA.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was elected as an MLA last weekend but said he would remain an MP until the Northern Ireland Protocol was resolved.

Under rules that do not allow MLAs to hold more than one role, he had eight days to co-opt a replacement

The Electoral Office has confirmed Mrs Little-Pengelly's appointment.

Mrs Little-Pengelly is a former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP who lost her seat in Belfast South in the 2019 general election.

She subsequently served as a special adviser to former DUP leader and Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster.

The decision to co-opt her into the Lagan Valley seat comes as a surprise after she recently announced her decision to return to life as a barrister.

Sir Jeffrey said it was important that the protocol was replaced with "new arrangements that respect Northern Ireland's place within the United Kingdom, and as the leader of unionism that work is in London".

He said he would continue as an MP for Lagan Valley until the protocol issues were resolved.

"Emma will be a first class advocate for people and will work hard to advance the issues that matter to everyone in Lagan Valley

The DUP - Northern Ireland's second-largest party by assembly seats after the 5 May election - said it would not nominate ministers to form a new executive until its concerns about the Northern Ireland Protocol - the post Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland - were resolved.

The protocol is an issue under fresh scrutiny following the elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The elections cemented a majority for assembly members who accept the protocol, including the new largest party, the republican party Sinn Féin.

Unionists oppose the protocol as they say it poses a risk to the UK union and damages trade.

Mrs Little-Pengelly said it was "a privilege to be asked to fulfil this role at this important time for unionism and for Northern Ireland".

Sir Jeffrey has said he would not return to Stormont until he could be sure "the political institutions in Northern Ireland have a stable foundation".

Northern Ireland power sharing requires the largest unionist and nationalist parties to share first and deputy first minister posts.

DUP MP Sammy Wilson has also said that the party would wait to hear government proposals on post-Brexit trading arrangements before entering Stormont.

He argued the Northern Ireland Protocol had undermined Northern Ireland's place in the UK.

On Thursday, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the UK would have "no choice but to act" if the EU does not show enough "flexibility" over post-Brexit checks on goods going from Britain to Northern Ireland.

It comes after the UK attorney general said it would be lawful for the government to override parts of the agreement.

This was a change to previous advice because, the office said, the protocol had caused social unrest.

I would love to say I saw this coming, but I did not and nobody else that I know did either.

It was an absolute bolt from the blue.

Mrs Little-Pengelly will be an interesting addition to the DUP slate of MLAs.

We don't know how long Sir Jeffrey Donaldson will remain as an MP, it could be weeks, it could be months, or it could be years. It depends how long it takes for the protocol issue to be resolved.

The only rationale I can come up with, is that whenever, if ever, he decides to give up his Westminster seat and come home to reclaim the seat that he won, there will be a by-election for his Westminster seat, and it's not a by-election the DUP will relish.

One has to imagine that Emma Little-Pengelly is now being groomed to be the candidate when that happens.