RHI scandal: DUP's David McIlveen criticises Foster over RHI 'omni-shambles'

A former DUP MLA has broken ranks and criticised his leader Arlene Foster, saying the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme is an "omni-shambles".

David McIlveen, who is still a member of the party, said the DUP leader had "seriously misjudged" public anger.
Mrs Foster set up the RHI scheme in 2012, but its lack of cost controls has left NI taxpayers with a £490m bill.
A DUP spokesperson said she continued to receive "overwhelming support" within the party and beyond.

He suggested Mrs Foster will come under increased pressure from her own party, and drew comparisons with the treatment of the late Ian Paisley, who resigned in 2008.
Mr McIveen, who is the son of Rev David McIlveen, Free Presbyterian Minister and close friend of DUP founder, Ian Paisley, wrote that Mrs Foster was now "deeply damaged" and unlikely to lead the party into the next assembly election.
He described the DUP leader as an "electoral liability".
He also criticised Mrs Foster's treatment of former DUP minister Jonathan Bell, who in December, made a series of allegations about the DUP's involvement in the scheme.
"When one of her own party members broke rank to express their concern about the scheme, rather than approach the issues raised with a listening ear, the default position was to attack the personal integrity of the individual raising the concerns," he wrote.
"In any other context, Jonathan Bell MLA would be called a whistleblower and upon witnessing the way in which he was treated by the leadership of the party I do not see how any member of the public who sees something going wrong in the civil service would feel inspired to raise issues with a DUP-run department, upon witnessing how their own people are treated."
Last month, Mrs Foster said she had "felt intimidated by Jonathan Bell" during an RHI meeting, claiming he had "used his physical bulk to stand over me in quite an aggressive way".
Mr Bell had claimed that Mrs Foster was verbally "abusive" and angrily "overruled" him when he tried to close the scheme.
Mr McIlveen also criticised Mrs Foster for branding some of her RHI critics as "misogynist", saying that "rather than facing critics on the level of their political arguments yet again it descends to the personal".
Mr McIlveen, who lost his seat in last May's election, claimed the DUP was "obsessed with election