DUP leader brands Sinn Fein boycott ‘reckless’ and ‘short-sighted’

The DUP leader has branded Sinn Fein’s White House boycott as “reckless” as the party confirmed its Stormont deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly will attend St Patrick’s events in Washington DC if invited.

Gavin Robinson questioned how Sinn Fein First Minister Michelle O’Neill’s decision to stay away from the US capital matched in with her oft-repeated pledge to be a ‘First Minister for all’.

Ms O’Neill and Ms Little-Pengelly were lauded in Washington last March as they travelled together to attend St Patrick’s events only weeks after the powersharing institutions at Stormont were restored.

The Sinn Fein vice president informed her DUP partner in government on Friday morning that she would be declining any invitation this year in protest at US President Donald Trump’s stance on the Gaza conflict.

Mr Robinson said the fact Ms O’Neill went to Dublin to make the announcement alongside her party leader Mary Lou McDonald “speaks volumes about where Northern Ireland sits as a priority for Sinn Fein”.

“The DUP will be represented in DC for St Patrick’s events,” he added.

“We always use the opportunity to strengthen Northern Ireland’s economic and political ties with the United States, regardless of who occupies the White House. We will continue to engage with our partners in Washington, promoting Northern Ireland as a place to invest, work, and do business.

“While there will always be differences of opinion on policy matters, Sinn Fein’s decision to disengage from an important diplomatic and economic opportunity is both short-sighted and counterproductive. It also doesn’t align with being a so-called ‘First Minister for all’.

“The United States is a key economic partner for Northern Ireland. Turning away from that relationship, particularly at a time when we need continued international support, is a reckless move that does nothing to advance the interests of people and businesses in Northern Ireland.”