McGimpsey 'best man for the job'

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Sir Reg Empey has said the Ulster Unionists chose Michael McGimpsey as health minister because he is the best man for the job.

Sir Reg is to take the department of employment and learning portfolio when the Stormont assembly returns on 8 May.

Alan McFarland and Danny Kennedy had been thought likely candidates to take ministerial positions.

But party leader Sir Reg said Mr McGimpsey's 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."

Michael McGimpsey is to be the new health ministerMr McGimpsey has kept a low profile since failing to hold the South Belfast seat for the UUP at the last general election.

He did not even run for the party leadership vacated by David Trimble, nor did he openly back the candidacy of Sir Reg.

At least one ministerial post was expected to go to Alan McFarland who challenged Sir Reg for the leadership or Danny Kennedy, who is the party's number two in the Assembly.

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.

Sir 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.

Departments picked

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.