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LONDON — Arlene Foster will quit as first minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party.
In a statement, Foster said it had been “the privilege of my life” to serve, adding: “I am the first to recognise there have been ups and downs over the last five and a half years.”
Foster quit before being pushed, after an effective letter of no confidence won substantial support from DUP politicians.
The DUP has been under pressure since the Brexit agreement came into force, because it imposes fresh customs barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Foster he would not implement such a plan — then did so following the 2019 general election that ended the confidence and supply arrangement between the DUP and the Conservatives at Westminster.
Foster will step down as leader of the unionist group on May 28 and as first minister at the end of June.
The crisis risks collapsing Northern Ireland’s five-party administration, a fragile achievement of the 1998 Good Friday peace accord that sought lasting compromise following three decades of sectarian bloodshed that left 3,700 dead.
Shawn Pogatchnik contributed reporting
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