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Claire Sugden surprise appointment clears path for new-look Stormont executive

First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness with new Justice Minister Claire Sugden at Parliament Buildings. Picture by Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye
First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness with new Justice Minister Claire Sugden at Parliament Buildings. Picture by Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness with new Justice Minister Claire Sugden at Parliament Buildings. Picture by Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye

INDEPENDENTunionist Claire Sugden was yesterday unveiled as Stormont's new justice minister in a move which a month ago many commentators would have dismissed as absurd.

The 29-year-old independent unionist, who joined the assembly in April 2014 following the death of her mentor and predecessor David McClarty, said the job represented a "huge challenge" but she was "up for it".

Ms Sugden was first touted for the contentious post last week after Alliance snubbed the offer from the DUP and Sinn Féin. Her courting by the first and deputy first ministers, along with that of the Greens, was initially dismissed as a tactic to scare Alliance. However, the East Derry MLA emerged as a serious contender to succeed David Ford when she returned to Stormont Castle for further talks on Tuesday.

The new-look executive:Opens in new window ]

  •  First Minister – Arlene Foster
  •  Deputy First Minister – Martin McGuinness
  •  Minister for the economy – Simon Hamilton
  •  Minister of Finance – Máirtín Ó Muilleoir
  •  Minister for Education – Peter Weir
  •  Minister for Infrastructure – Chris Hazzard
  •  Minister for Communities – Paul Givan 
  •  Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs – Michelle McIlveen
  •  Minister for Health – Michelle O'Neill 

Her appointment, which has averted another setback for the crisis-prone devolved institutions, was announced just an hour before the assembly convened yesterday to nominate ministers to the executive.

Flanked by Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness in Stormont's Great Hall, the former prison officer's daughter – who has criticised the DUP-Sinn Féin dominated administration in the past – said accepting the justice minister's post was "probably the most difficult decision" of her life.

"It did cause me a lot of anxiety over this last week but it is an opportunity for me, for my constituency and most importantly it's an opportunity for Northern Ireland," she said.

"And I am looking forward to it."

Ms Foster said Ms Sugden would be a minister for "all the people" of Northern Ireland.

"Martin and I are delighted that Claire has agreed to be the new justice minister in the new mandate and we are very much looking forward to working with her," she said.

Mr McGuinness hailed Ms Sugden as "impressive and progressive".

"I am equally as delighted as Arlene that Claire has agreed to take up this onerous responsibility, this very challenging position but we have every confidence in her ability," he said.

UUP leader Mike Nesbitt said giving such a key job to a lone MLA represented a "corruption" of democracy, while his SDLP counterpart Colum Eastwood said it was a "stitch up" to hand the justice ministry to "someone who does not deserve it".

Ms Sugden's controversial appointment, which paved the way for the DUP to get first pick of the executive seats, set the tone for a day which saw an number of unexpected turns. With the Ulster Unionists and SDLP having decided to form an official opposition and Alliance choosing not to re-enter the executive, the remaining seven seats were to taken by DUP and Sinn Féin alone.

But rather than opt for finance, a portfolio widely regarded as the most important in government, Ms Foster broke with party tradition and went first for the new Department of the Economy, which will be headed by former health minister Simon Hamilton.

Sinn Féin's first pick signalled an end to a near-two decade association with the Department of Education as South Belfast MLA Máirtín Ó Muilleoir was chosen to take charge of the Stormont purse strings.

The education portfolio, which Ms Foster identified as a target during the election campaign, fell to DUP chief whip Peter Weir. The DUP's decision to take education is potentially significant given the long-running debate over Sinn Féin's efforts to end post-primary academic selection. The DUP is a firm supporter of selection and has fiercely opposed previous efforts to scrap the controversial test.

Sinn Féin's Chris Hazzard will head up the new, big-spending Department of Infrastructure, with the DUP taking the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs under Michelle McIlveen and the Department of Communities with Paul Givan.

In the last ministry selected, Sinn Féin took health, appointing former agriculture minister Michelle O'Neill.

The DUP's Alastair Ross and Sinn Féin's Megan Fearon were appointed as the administration's two junior ministers.