Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw has called for Ian Paisley MP to consider his position after he was told he was facing a 30-day suspension for breaching parliamentary rules.
The House of Commons Committee on Standards found Mr Paisley lobbied against a UN resolution on Sri Lanka without disclosing two family holidays paid for by the Sri Lankan Government. He admitted receiving over £50,000 in hospitality for the trips, which he did not register with Parliament.
“Public trust in politics in Northern Ireland has never been at a lower ebb thanks to the ongoing impasse at Stormont and a series of scandals. If we are to regain that trust and confidence, each of us need to demonstrate an active commitment to transparency,” said Ms Bradshaw.
“Mr Paisley has let both himself and his constituents down, calling into question his personal integrity and the ability of voters to trust him. Therefore he needs to take on board the overwhelming public response to this matter and consider his position as MP for North Antrim.
“In the past few days, a number of key matters relating to Brexit have scraped through the House of Commons thanks to a handful of DUP votes. Potentially losing one of those DUP MPs ahead of other important votes in the near future could be of vital importance, but the party needs to look at the bigger picture and decide whether it can continue to back Mr Paisley.
“It will only need just over 7,500 constituents in North Antrim to sign a petition calling for their MP to step down. If he does not make that decision himself, I’m sure there will be enough voters to make it for him.”