Maurice Devenney resigns from the DUP following SDLP support allegations

Derry City and Strabane Councillor Maurice Devenney has resigned from the Democratic Unionist Party after almost 20 years, claiming there has been a campaign of vilification against him since early last year.
In statement, Cllr Devenney says he “totally refutes” his former DUP colleagues’ claim that he had promoted or canvassed votes in favour of the SDLP in preference to his own party, at the last Westminster elections.
Saying he is despondent at the accusation that he had ‘brought the party into disrepute’, Mr Devenney said that he would be continuing his work on Derry City and Strabane District Council in the capacity of an Independent Unionist.