Northern Ireland MEP Jim Allister resigns from DUP
{{date|March 27, 2007}}
{{missing image|Image:European parliament with flags.jpg|thumb|right|270px|{{w|Strasbourg}} seat of the {{w|European Parliament}}.}}
{{w|Jim Allister}}, the {{w|Democratic Unionist Party}} (DUP) {{w|European Parliament|Member of the European Parliament}} (MEP) for [[Northern Ireland]], resigned because of his party's decision to enter into a power-sharing Government with {{w|Sinn Féin}}. Mr Allister said that party colleagues had been "lured by office" and that he had not returned to politics in 2004 to "help ease Sinn Féin into Government". He acknowledged that although he had fought within the DUP against Sinn Féin being permitted to be members of the {{w|Parliament of Northern Ireland|Stormont Assembly Executive}}, he had failed to persuade the vast majority of the party's ruling executive on the issue. Yesterday, [[Ian Paisley]], DUP leader, and [[Gerry Adams]], Sinn Féin President, agreed to enter into a power sharing executive in May. This is the second time that Jim Allister has resigned from the DUP over disagreements with Ian Paisley entering pacts with other political parties.

==Related news==
*{{wikinews|title=Power sharing to return to Northern Ireland|date=March 26, 2007}}
*{{wikinews|title=DUP and Sinn Féin make gains in Northern Ireland Assembly election|date=March 8, 2007}}

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6499623.stm 
|title=Allister quits power-sharing DUP 
|author= 
|pub=BBC News Online 
|date=March 27, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/politics/article2396828.ece
|title=Allister: why I had to quit 
|author=Noel McAdam 
|pub=The Belfast Telegraph 
|date=March 27, 2007}}

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[[Category:Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Ireland]]
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Gerry Adams]]
[[Category:Ian Paisley]]
[[Category:European Parliament]]
[[Category:Sinn Féin]]
[[Category:Democratic Unionist Party]]
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Northern Ireland, resigned because of his party's decision to enter into a power-sharing Government with Parliament of Northern Ireland|Stormont Assembly Executive, he had failed to persuade the vast majority of the party's ruling executive on the issue. Yesterday, Ian Paisley, DUP leader, and Gerry Adams, Sinn Féin President, agreed to enter into a power sharing executive in May. This is the second time that Jim Allister has resigned from the DUP over disagreements with Ian Paisley entering pacts with other political parties.
Northern Ireland Ireland United Kingdom Europe Politics and conflicts Gerry Adams Ian Paisley European Parliament Sinn Féin Democratic Unionist Party