DUP MPs to vacate Stormont seats

The DUP leader and Northern Ireland's first minister, Peter Robinson, has announced that six of the party's leading figures at Stormont will vacate their jobs this summer to give more time to their workload as Westminster MPs.

The DUP currently has nine representatives in London who are also members of Northern Ireland's Assembly.

The DUP reshuffle will leave just two MPs, Peter Robinson and Nigel Dodds or Jeffrey Donaldson, retaining senior positions at Stormont.

Sammy Wilson and Gregory Campbell, who are ministers in the power-sharing executive, and Assembly Committee chairpersons, Willie Mc Crea, Iris Robinson and David Simpson, are expected to vacate their Stormont roles.

Earlier today, Conservative Party leader, David Cameron, said that if he elected British prime minister, he will seek to end the practice of double-jobbing because politicians should serve only one legislature.

Mr Cameron said he would favour preventing Sinn Féin MPs claiming expenses and allowances at Westminster - unless they take their seats in parliament.

David Cameron was in Northern Ireland this afternoon, campaigning for the Ulster Unionist European Parliament election candidate, Jim Nicholson.

Sinn Féin has five Westminster MPs, including Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.

None of the five sits in the Westminster parliament but all claim expenses and allowances that are used to fund party activities.

Mr Cameron is saying he would seek to end that situation unless they take their Westminster seats.

He is also said that he would end the practice of double-jobbing within his own party.

At present 16 of the 18 Northern Ireland Westminster MPs are also members of the Stormont Assembly.

The only exceptions are the Ulster Unionist MP Slyvia Hermon and the SDLP's Eddie McGrady.

Responding to Mr Cameron's views on expenses, Sinn Féin MP Conor Murphy said it was an attempt to divert attention from the scandal involving his and other British MPs that continues to unfold at Westminster.

He said Mr Cameron's time would be better spent dealing with the systematic corruption and abuse of the expenses system within his own party rather than attacking the democratic rights and entitlements of Sinn Féin representatives and the Sinn Féin electorate.

Mr Murphy said his was the only party that published its accounts. He challenged other political parties, including the Conservatives, to do the same.