Northern Ireland’s first minister, Peter Robinson, has been discharged from hospital as he recovers from a suspected heart attack.  The Democratic Unionist party leader was admitted to the Ulster hospital in Dundonald on Monday, before being moved to Belfast’s Royal Victoria hospital (RVH), where he was fitted with a heart stent.  After leaving the RVH on Friday the 66-year-old paid tribute to the hospital’s staff. “Happy to be discharged and back home. Thanks to the wonderful RVH cardiac team – everyone a star,” he tweeted.  The first minister also thanked all those who wished him well during his five-day stay in hospital. Among those who visited him was the deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, who brought a bowl of fruit to his bedside.  “Many thanks to all who sent messages of support and encouragement in the last week. Your thoughts & prayers have been really appreciated,” he wrote.  As a result of his illness, Robinson missed a crucial vote in the Northern Ireland assembly this week which threatens to destabilise cross-community power sharing in the region.  The DUP attempted to push through a motion in the regional parliament to overhaul the local welfare system and implement austerity measures already in place throughout the rest of the UK.  Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the Green party’s sole assembly member vetoed the bill by triggering a “petition of concert”, which torpedoes any legislation that does not have sufficient cross-community/unionist-nationalist approval.  Unionists and the cross-community Alliance party accused nationalists of refusing to govern Northern Ireland and now claim the failure of the bill has resulted in a £600m hole in the power-sharing government’s budget, which they say the UK Treasury will not be prepared to fill.
Northern Ireland’s first minister, who was taken ill on Monday morning, tweets thank you message to well-wishers and hospital staff