Alex Attwood will be the new social development minister in the Northern Ireland Executive, it was announced today.
The West Belfast SDLP MLA takes over at Stormont from party colleague Margaret Ritchie, who was elected to Westminster last week, a party spokesman said.
Mr Attwood increased his share of the vote by a fraction in the general election in the staunchly nationalist west of the city. Although he lost out,
the promotion could help him defend his seat in next year’s Assembly elections against Sinn Féin.
The SDLP have pledged to end double jobbing between Westminster and the Assembly.
Ms Ritchie’s high profile as social development minister, besides inheriting a large majority from the previous incumbent, helped her win the South Down MP seat convincingly. She was elected SDLP leader last February and is the party’s sole member of the Executive.
Elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in June 1998, Mr Attwood is the SDLP spokesman on policing and was appointed to the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
PA