Foster questions existence of "letter" at the centre of internal DUP coup

By Q Radio news

Outgoing DUP leader Arlene Foster has questioned the existence of the letter at the centre of an internal party coup which led to her resignation.

She told reporters during a visit to the Strand Arts Centre in east Belfast that she still hasn’t had the opportunity to see the letter, describing it as “so-called”.

Mrs Foster also said she still has not had the opportunity to speak to Edwin Poots yet, adding she does not feel under any pressure to step down as First Minister earlier than she had planned to at the end of June.

“I’m not under any pressure, I haven’t had the opportunity to speak with Edwin yet but I’m sure when I do, we’ll discuss all of those matters,” she said.

“He hasn’t been speaking to me as yet and actually I still have yet to see the letter, so called, and I’m beginning to wonder is there a letter at all but in any event I look forward to seeing the letter and I look forward to having that conversation whenever Edwin reaches out.”

First Minister Arlene Foster has told Q Radio she’s beginning to doubt if a letter signed by 22 of her DUP colleagues - that led to her downfall - even exists: pic.twitter.com/ozRGQNOagD

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) May 24, 2021

Mrs Foster said the letter which reportedly questions her leadership “was supposed to be signed by 22 of my colleagues”.

“Some of my colleagues are indicating they were told they were number 22, even though a number of them had been told that so I would quite like to see the letter just from my own point of view to see what’s in it, and to see what was told to my colleagues,” she said.

“It’s now been nearly four weeks since I heard about it and I still haven’t seen it.”