Dispute About Brexit Leads Northern Ireland’s Arlene Foster to Announce Resignation

Dispute About Brexit Leads Northern Ireland’s Arlene Foster to Announce Resignation

Arlene Foster, the leader of Northern Ireland, announced her resignation on Wednesday after facing growing pressure from members of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to leave her role over disputes related to Brexit.

Foster said she would step down as leader of the Unionist Party on May 28, and as Northern Ireland's first minister at the end of June, the Associated Press reported.

The announcement came after several lawmakers in her party signed a letter of no-confidence in her over her support for Brexit, which resulted in controversial post-exit trade rules in the region. Other conservative members of the DUP have recently criticized Foster for taking too liberal a stance on social issues, including gay rights.