DUP leader Edwin Poots appoints Paul Givan as new Prime Minister of Northern Ireland despite concerns within his own party | UK News

DUP leader Edwin Poots officially named Lagan Valley MP Paul Givan as Northern Ireland’s new prime minister at a special session of the Stormont Assembly.

The appointment comes after DUP and Sinn Fein agreed that the The British government will legislate on controversial issues concerning the use of the Irish language.

Arguments over the promised legislation threatened to prevent attempts to resume activities in Stormont.

Sinn Fein called on the UK government to override the heads of the assembly, saying it would not return to power sharing with the DUP without a firm commitment to the legislation.

The DUP had indicated that it would not commit to a specific timetable.

Following the nomination, Sinn Fein’s Conor Murphy proposed his party colleague Michelle O’Neill as Deputy Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.

Sky senior correspondent for Ireland David Blevins said he understood sources at the meeting that “the vote against the appointment of a prime minister was decisive within the DUP group somewhere in the region of 20 deputies and deputies voted against, only about six voted for “.

He added: “So despite the fact that the majority of his own party has told Edwin Poots not to appoint a prime minister at this stage, due to their concerns about how the UK government and Sinn Fein deal with the whole Irish language issue, he went into the boardroom and did it anyway.

“I have no idea what this literally means for the DUP, I suspect there is going to be a serious challenge to his leadership now and even a question on how long he will stay as a leader, just three weeks. after winning the competition to succeed Arlène Foster.

“The Unionist electorate is already very angry with the Brexit protocol imposed by the British government, creating that …