Northern Ireland leader quits as Brexit deal raises tensions

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster laid out her plan to quit, sparking further upheaval at a time when London and Dublin are seeking to calm tensions in the region.

Foster’s exit as head of the Democratic Unionist Party and leader of the province risks amplifying instability in Northern Ireland, which has recently endured some of its worst violence in years. That was fueled in part by a Brexit settlement that essentially created an economic border between the region and mainland Britain.

Elements within her pro-british party believe Foster’s failure to prevent that deal undermines Northern Ireland’s place in the U.K. and could ultimately hasten a united Ireland. More than half of the party’s lawmakers signed a letter calling for her to be replaced, according to local reports.

“The protocol being foisted upon Northern Ireland against the will of unionists has served to destabilize Northern Ireland in more recent times,” Foster said in a statement, as she laid out her plan to step down as DUP leader at the end of May and first minister a month later. “The future of unionism and Northern Ireland will not be found in division.”

Though Foster opposed the so-called Northern Irish protocol, she did little to undermine it in practice. Among the potential contenders to succeed her is Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots, who vehemently opposes the protocol and could seek to undermine its operation. That, in turn, risks heightening tensions with London, Dublin and Brussels, which sees the deal as the foundation for future links between the U.K. and EU.

At one point, Foster held significant power in British politics, as then-prime Minister Theresa May relied on the DUP to stay in office. She lost that role in 2019, when Johnson’s big election win pushed the party into irrelevance in wider U.K. politics.

LIAM MCBURNLEY/PA VIA AP Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster’s exit as leader of the province risks amplifying instability.