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Peter Robinson: NI first minister set to quit within weeks Peter Robinson: NI first minister set to quit within weeks
(35 minutes later)
Peter Robinson has said he will step down from his roles as Northern Ireland First Minister and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader within weeks. Peter Robinson will step down from his roles as Northern Ireland First Minister and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader within weeks, his party has confirmed.
He told the Belfast Telegraph there are "massive pressures" involved in his work. In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, he said there are "massive pressures" involved in his work.
The 66-year-old suffered a heart attack in May, but has denied he made his decision to leave for health reasons.The 66-year-old suffered a heart attack in May, but has denied he made his decision to leave for health reasons.
Mr Robinson took over the DUP leadership from Ian Paisley in 2008.Mr Robinson took over the DUP leadership from Ian Paisley in 2008.
The party will hold its annual conference this weekend, and Mr Robinson said it would be disrespectful to members to go through it with the pretence that he would be leading the party into the next election. The party will hold its annual conference this weekend, and Mr Robinson said it would be "disrespectful" to members to give the impression he would be leading the party into the next Northern Ireland Assembly election.
On Wednesday, Mr Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness announced they had struck a political deal with the British and Irish governments to end a near-three-month crisis at Stormont.
He said: "I have told the party officers that I don't intend to fight the next assembly election for a wide range of reasons and not simply because those objectives have been achieved.
"I very much take the two-term view of politics at the top."
If Mr Robinson's two jobs are split, many within the DUP expect North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds to become leader and current Finance Minister Arlene Foster to become first minister.