Emma Little-Pengelly to take Donaldson's MLA seat

Former DUP MP and NI assembly member Emma Little-Pengelly has been co-opted as the new Lagan Valley MLA.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was elected as an MLA last weekend but said he would remain an MP until the Northern Ireland Protocol was resolved.

Under rules that do not allow MLAs to hold more than one role, he had eight days to co-opt a replacement

The Electoral Office has confirmed Mrs Little-Pengelly's appointment.

Mrs Little-Pengelly is a former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP who lost her seat in Belfast South in the 2019 general election.

She subsequently served as a special adviser to former DUP leader and Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster.

The decision to co-opt her into the Lagan Valley seat comes as a surprise after she recently announced her decision to return to life as a barrister.

Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, Sir Jeffrey said he would not leave Parliament until the protocol was dealt with.

The DUP - Northern Ireland's second-largest party by assembly seats after the 5 May election - said it would not nominate ministers to form a new executive until its concerns about the Northern Ireland Protocol - the post Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland - were resolved.

The protocol is an issue under fresh scrutiny following the elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The elections cemented a majority for assembly members who accept the protocol, including the new largest party, the republican party Sinn Féin.

Unionists oppose the protocol as they say it poses a risk to the UK union and damages trade.

Sir Jeffrey said he would not return to Stormont until he could be sure "the political institutions in Northern Ireland have a stable foundation".

Northern Ireland power sharing requires the largest unionist and nationalist parties to share first and deputy first minister posts.