Stormont No-Confidence Motion in Agriculture Minister Fails
Jayne McCormack - Political Correspondent, BBC News NI
Tue, October 6, 2026 at 2:58 PM UTC
A no-confidence motion in Andrew Muir, the Agriculture and Environment Minister, over a controversial cattle cull in County Tyrone has failed. The motion received 32 votes in favor, while 38 MLAs voted against it.
The proposal was brought by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) with support from the Ulster Unionists and Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV). It accused the minister of losing the confidence of farmers, rural communities, and the wider public.
Key Points:
- The no-confidence motion followed a controversial cattle cull in County Tyrone in June.
- The cows were shot on land near Fivemiletown, leading to complaints about the manner of the cull.
- In August, the Ulster Farmers' Union extended a vote of no confidence to include the minister, the permanent secretary, and the chief vet over the handling of the cull.
- Motions of no-confidence in the assembly are not binding.
Opinions:
- Alliance leader Naomi Long: Described the motion as a "pantomime stunt" against her minister, stating that Muir is "going nowhere."
- DUP MLA Deborah Erskine: Accused Muir of prioritizing penalizing farmers over promoting them and of being more concerned with finding fault than providing solutions within his department.