UUP pick McGimpsey for health job

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Michael McGimpsey is the Ulster Unionist Party's choice for health minister when the Stormont Assembly returns on 8 May.

Party leader Sir Reg Empey is to take the department of employment and learning portfolio.

The UUP overlooked hotly-tipped Alan McFarland, who came a close second in its leadership election two years ago.

But Sir Reg said Mr McGimpsey's previous ministerial experience meant he was not a surprise choice.

"He is one of the few people who has experience of running a department - this is a colossal undertaking, so having somebody with experience doing that job doesn't strike me as being a shock," he said.

"At the end of the day, I've made my choices - we will have to see how it goes, and I've no doubt he's relishing the role and looking forward to see if we can improve things."

South Belfast assembly member Michael McGimpsey was minister for culture, arts and leisure in the last power-sharing executive, before it was suspended in October 2002.

UUP leader Sir Reg Empey is to be employment and learning ministerSir Reg Empey, an MLA for East Belfast, also has prior cabinet experience as he was minister for enterprise, trade and investment from 1999 to 2002.

The power-sharing executive will also have four DUP ministers, three from Sinn Fein and one from the SDLP.

Earlier this month, the parties picked what departments they wanted to control under the d'Hondt formula, which uses assembly seats won by parties to calculate ministerial entitlement.

Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams agreed in a ground-breaking meeting at Stormont last month to share power in a restored Northern Ireland Assembly on 8 May.

For Sinn Fein, Conor Murphy will be the new minister for regional development, while Michelle Gildernew is the new minister for agriculture.

Caitriona Ruane is following in Martin McGuinness's footsteps as the new minister for education.

The SDLP named Margaret Ritchie as their choice to head up the department for social development.

The DUP have not yet revealed who will fill the posts of finance, economy, environment and culture.