Paul Givan, The First Minister of Northern Ireland, Has Stated That He Intends To Resign

Paul Givan, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, is to resign later on Thursday.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is protesting the Northern Ireland Protocol with this action.

Northern Ireland is covered by the protocol, which is part of the Brexit agreement.

Sinn Féin's Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill would also lose her job as a result of the change.

The roles of first and deputy first ministers are a joint office shared by the two largest parties at Stormont due to Northern Ireland's power-sharing arrangements.

If one of the leaders resigns, neither can stay in power.

Mr Givan's Democratic Unionist Party has not issued an official comment (DUP).

It's unclear whether Mr Givan will step down immediately or wait until a later date to announce his resignation.

The DUP's Edwin Poots refused to confirm that the resignation would be made public on Thursday on the Nolan Show, simply adding that people would "just have to wait."

If the decision goes through, it will come just hours after Mr Poots declared that, as part of the Northern Ireland Protocol, he would suspend Irish Sea border checks.

The DUP is the largest party in Stormont and hence has the right to be the first minister.

Mr Givan was named first minister in June 2021, just over eight months ago, at a tumultuous moment for the DUP, which saw the party go through three leaders in a matter of weeks.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the party's current leader, has been threatening to remove DUP ministers from Stormont for months in protest at the Northern Ireland Protocol.