Foster ‘seriously misjudged the public anger’, says former Assembly colleague

A former Assembly colleague of Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster has broken ranks to heavily criticise her handling of a botched green energy scheme.

Democratic Unionist David McIlveen, an ex-Assembly member, said his party leader had “seriously misjudged the public anger” over an initiative that has left the powersharing administration facing a £490 million (€573m) overspend.

He branded the scandal an “omnishambles” and claimed an internal storm was brewing within the ranks of the party about Mrs Foster’s leadership.

His comments came as Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams again warned Mrs Foster that if she wanted to remain as First Minister she must temporarily step aside to facilitate an independent probe into the renewable heat incentive (RHI).

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Mr McIlveen questioned whether Ms Foster had become an “electoral liability” for the party and expressed doubt she would be leader in the long term.

“Whilst the view in public is that ‘Arlene’s team’ are as loyal and happy as ever, the reality in private is something very different,” he said.

Writing in the News Letter, he added: “Does a party obsessed with winning elections want to move forward with a leader who appears incapable of facing up to their mistakes, and attacks on a personal level their critics even if they are members of their own party?

“I think the answer to that question is fairly obvious and therefore believe it is highly unlikely that 2020 Westminster elections will be fought under the existing DUP leadership.”

DUP veteran Sammy Wilson, MP for East Antrim, said Mr McIlveen was "totally wrong" and claimed resentment at losing his Assembly seat in the last election had motivated his attack.

“I don’t think that it is representative,” he said. “I think you have got to remember David probably has some motivation here because he is still feeling sore after having lost the election.”

Mr Adams said the devolved institutions had reached a “defining point”.

“Neither the public nor Sinn Féin can continue to countenance the manner in which the DUP conduct business within the Executive and the Assembly,” he said.

"Can this be sorted out? Of course it can. That would require Arlene Foster to do what (former DUP first minister) Peter Robinson did.

“She should step aside to facilitate an independent process which gets to the facts of the RHI scandal effectively and quickly. This is a straightforward case. The First Minister has been in office for a relatively short time. If she wants to continue in that office she needs to do the right thing.”

Mrs Foster has been under intense pressure for weeks over her handling of the RHI scandal.

Stand aside

All rival parties at Stormont have demanded she stand aside while her role in the affair is investigated.

Ms Foster oversaw the inception of the RHI scheme during her time as economy minister. She has steadfastly refused to step aside and has claimed some of those calling for her head are motivated by misogyny.

The state-funded RHI was supposed to offer a proportion of the cost businesses had to pay to run eco-friendly boilers, but the subsidy tariffs were set too high, and without a cap, so it ended up paying out significantly more than the price of fuel.

This enabled applicants to “burn to earn” - getting free heat and making a profit as they did it.

Claims of widespread abuse include a farmer allegedly set to pocket around £1 million in the next two decades for heating an empty shed.

Senior members of Sinn Féin have warned they will exercise their power to collapse the power-sharing Executive if Ms Foster does not temporarily stand down to facilitate an inquiry.

- PA