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Noel Gallagher and Susan Sarandon sign letter urging mediator as Sinn Féin ministers face no-confidence vote over Drumcree

From the Newshound archive · first published 6 October 2026 · last updated 8 October 2026.

Michelle O'Neill faces a no-confidence motion after refusing Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly's calls to jointly urge calm during the Drumcree standoff.
Michelle O'Neill faces a no-confidence motion after refusing Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly's calls to jointly urge calm during the Drumcree standoff.
Orangemen on Drumcree Road, as Belfast's Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in a legal challenge brought by Garvaghy Road residents against the Parades Commission's handling of the march application.
Orangemen on Drumcree Road, as Belfast's Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in a legal challenge brought by Garvaghy Road residents against the Parades Commission's handling of the march application.

All three main unionist parties have backed no-confidence motions against First Minister Michelle O'Neill and three Sinn Féin ministers, accusing them of joining an unlawful protest that blocked a permitted Orange Order march along the Garvaghy Road in Portadown. The motions, proposed by TUV MLA Timothy Gaston and backed by the DUP and UUP, are set to be debated at Stormont next Monday, though they are expected to fail as cross-community majority support is required. The 11-day deadlock follows the Parades Commission granting the Orange Order permission to complete its traditional route for the first time in almost 30 years.

O'Neill remains defiant, telling the Assembly: 'When the law is wrong, I will stand firmly against it.'

Forty-eight signatories — including Paul Weller, Ken Loach, Johnny Marr, Kneecap and Imelda May — have written to Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant demanding an independent international mediator.

Police are investigating potential offences including obstructing a lawful parade; the Justice Minister warned the standoff is draining policing budgets from other services.

MoreThe GuardianArtists including Noel Gallagher show support for Garvaghy Road residents in Drumcree disputeBBC News - UKNoel Gallagher and Susan Sarandon among celebrities to sign Drumcree march letterEvening StandardDrumcree parading dispute ‘now bigger than Garvaghy Road’Evening StandardDrumcree dispute in a ‘dangerous and lingering limbo’ – McDonaldEvening StandardAgreement between Orange Order and residents the only solutionAOL News UKAgreement between Orange Order and residents the only solution – McEnteeIrish IndependentThree unionist parties back motion of no confidence in First Minister over Drumcree standoff
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