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Peter Robinson steps aside in Northern Ireland over wife's sex and money scandal

DUP leader steps down for six weeks to sort out personal life

PATRICK ROBERTS,

Irish Central.com

Published Monday, January 11, 2010, 10:16 AM

Updated Monday, January 11, 2010, 10:56 AM

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Peter Robinson: Party leader steps down as First Minister as scandal over wife's affair and money dealings explodes

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The Northern Irish First Minister DUP leader Peter Robinson has stepped down amid a growing outcry over the sex and money scandal which has engulfed his wife Iris.

Robinson has asked Arlene Foster, the current Enterprise Minister, to step in as First Minister for six weeks while he attempts to sort out his personal life.

Robinson has come under mounting pressure to resign since revelations exploded over the past week about his wife, her affair and her secret financial dealings with her lover.

Robinson's shock announcement came just an hour after his colleagues in the DUP decided to back him.

The party members had met in Belfast today to discuss the scandal over the the controversies surrounding Iris Robinson who is now said to be receiving "acute psychiatric treatment."

A TV documentary on BBC alleged that Mrs Robinson received £50,000 from two Belfast property developers which she gave to the then 19-year-old man with whom she was having an affair.

Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly has agreed that Robinson should be allowed time to sort out his personal life.

But he said: "The clock is ticking. This is a partnership government and a coalition government.

"Martin McGuinness said clearly that we are entering into a crisis ... There is a necessity for all the people in the north to have policing and justice sorted out."

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bobfeury | Jan 13, 2010, 04:27 PM EST

Nice to read that this kind of stuff happens in other "civilized" nations.

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pippakin | Jan 12, 2010, 05:58 AM EST

Peter Robinson is in deep trouble, there is no doubt of that, but it is a problem by and of adults. he will survive or not and so what. Gerry Adams has different and far more serious questions to answer. He needs to start telling the truth about the allegations of child abuse. If his father was a child abuser he must have known from the beginning. If his brother is a child abuser he should not have been allowed to be in and campaign for Sinn Fein. Gerry Adams told people not to report child abuse to the RUC and there are claims that Republicans helped child abusers in W Belfast escape from justice. I am not unsympathetic to Gerry Adams on this matter my blog http://pippakin-meiow.blogspot.com goes into greater detail, but he must answer all the questions and make it completely clear that children come first. As for P Robinson as I say he will survive or not, so what.

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barneyjo | Jan 11, 2010, 06:20 PM EST

Dont be fooled by all the blustering and positioning by all sides in this. They all know very well that they will sink or swim together. News reports indicate that there are discussions going on tonight at Stormont relating to the transfer of policing and justice powers

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feliciamaisey | Jan 11, 2010, 03:24 PM EST

ripley838-good point! It is a disgrace what is happening, but this man's career should not be dissolved or breached because his wife is an uncontrolled woman.

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myriamdom | Jan 11, 2010, 12:59 PM EST

Mr. Peterson should not resign over this issue about her wife. That's his wife's affair, not his. He could publicly apologize on his wife's immoral acts to the public but he must stay in his job. He was elected not for his wife but for what he is. The Irish people must instead stand by him at inconceivable turn of events in his family life.

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Rebelforce | Jan 11, 2010, 11:21 AM EST

The northern Ireland power-sharing assembly is a joke. Does anybody seriously doubt that the unionists would immediately collapse the government if a Sinn Feiner were ever elected first minister? The problem with the northern Irish peace process is that while the nationalists want peace, equality and reconciliation, the unionists only want political power and continued division. Afterall, if there is no division between Irish unionists and nationalists, what's the justification for continued partition of the island?

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ripley838 | Jan 11, 2010, 10:43 AM EST

Martin McGuinness for First Minister, Ian Paisley (Sr.) for Second Minister.

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