Iris Robinson scandal

In January 2010, a BBC Northern Ireland documentary revealed that Iris Robinson had been involved in an extramarital affair in 2008 and had procured £50,000 in loans for her lover to finance a start-up restaurant.

[4][1][5] As a result of the restaurant issue, Iris Robinson was expelled from the DUP and she resigned her seats in both Westminster and the Northern Ireland Assembly, retiring from politics.

Peter Robinson also unexpectedly lost his own Westminster seat (Belfast East) in the 2010 general election and some media reports attributed the result to the scandal.

[6][7] Following the airing of an episode of BBC Northern Ireland's Spotlight programme on 8 January, the First Minister faced demands to explain his role in his wife's financial dealings, including from within his own party.

[8] The Spotlight investigation revealed that Iris Robinson had procured two loans totalling £50,000 for her then 19-year-old lover Kirk McCambley to assist him in opening a restaurant.

On 11 January 2010, Peter Robinson announced that he was stepping down from the position of First Minister for a period of six weeks to fight claims over his wife's financial dealings.

He received angry e-mails, saying his wife was "homophobic", and he quipped on his website under the title "I’m Not That Peter Robinson", "I guess people who send rude and insulting emails or push religion at the vulnerable were not, alas, at the front of the queue when the brains were handed out".