Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson has said he does not believe Michelle O’Neill is a “first minister for all” after a row over a jobs fair in Londonderry.
The Army was due to attend the event later on Tuesday but pulled out after opposition from nationalist councillors at Derry and Strabane District Council.
Sinn Féin, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and a number of independent councillors said the armed forces would not be welcome at the event at the council-owned Foyle Arena.
Robinson said it was “intolerable” for the first minister’s credibility if her party, Sinn Féin, denied opportunities to the people of the city.
Speaking on the Nolan Show, Robinson added that it was “unsustainable” for O’Neill to “pretend she is a first minister for all if she cannot act in a way that demonstrates that there are more than just people that think like and vote for Sinn Féin”.
“She needs to understand that there’s more than just her own backyard that live in Northern Ireland,” he said.
“I don’t paint her as a first minister for all. I don’t believe she is. I never have, so my view on that won’t change.”
He added that if she “wants to live up to her label then she needs to demonstrate, and her political party needs to demonstrate more grace”.
“They need to demonstrate that they are capable of recognising that there are people in this community who don’t share their outlook and have every right to pursue different job opportunities with the British Army, if that’s what they want to do,” he said.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had registered as an employer for the event in the Foyle Arena leisure centre and the Department for Communities (DFC) had asked the council for its views.
Previously, when describing his opposition to the Army’s participation, Sinn Féin councillor Christopher Jackson said that the British armed forces has had “a negative impact in this island for centuries and they are not welcome on this island”.
“From our perspective, they are not welcome in any council event or venue.”
SDLP councillor Brian Tierney had said there were “ample opportunities” elsewhere for anyone wishing to join the armed forces.
Some unionist councillors defended the armed forces attending the event.
Derry and Strabane Council said the “steer” from elected members of the governance and strategic planning committee last week had been communicated to the DfC and it would be making no further comment.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that while it was disappointed the Army would not be allowed to join other organisation at the Foyle Arena, it accepted the decision.
On Tuesday, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said that “due to the intolerance of others, people interested in a good career in the air force, navy or Army will not get the chance to hear about those opportunities at the job fair”.
