ant ▁polit ick ing ▁making ▁his ▁position ▁" un ten able " ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁" sh amb ol ic ▁proceed ings ". ▁Newton ▁also ▁faced ▁calls ▁to ▁res ign ▁from ▁the ▁U UP ▁and ▁SD LP . ▁S inn ▁F é in ▁announced ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁l odge ▁a ▁motion ▁of ▁no ▁confidence ▁in ▁the ▁speaker . ▁Dec lan ▁K ear ney , ▁the ▁party ' s ▁national ▁chair person , ▁called ▁for ▁Newton ▁to ▁res ign ▁with ▁immediate ▁effect . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 6 ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁the ▁D UP ▁launched ▁a ▁pet ition ▁of ▁concern ▁in ▁the ▁Assembly ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁Spe aker ▁from ▁S inn ▁F é in ' s ▁motion ▁of ▁no ▁confidence . ▁ 3 0 ▁ML As ▁are ▁required ▁to ▁sign ▁a ▁pet ition ▁of ▁concern ▁and , ▁when ▁a ▁pet ition ▁of ▁concern ▁is ▁deployed , ▁any ▁votes ▁taken ▁are ▁subject ▁to ▁a ▁cross - community ▁vote . ▁As ▁the ▁D UP ▁hold ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁union ist ▁seats , ▁they ▁effectively ▁blocked ▁the ▁motion ▁from ▁passing . ▁In ▁protest ▁S inn ▁F é in ▁ret ract ed ▁their ▁motion ▁of ▁no ▁confidence ▁calling ▁the ▁ab use ▁of ▁the ▁pet ition ▁of ▁concern ▁" ins ult ing ". ▁ ▁S inn ▁F é in ▁M LA ▁Con or ▁Mur phy ▁alleg ed ▁that ▁the ▁D UP ▁" inv oked ▁the ▁Pet ition ▁of ▁Conc ern ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁Spe aker " ▁and ▁said ▁that ▁" the ▁D UP