DUP’s Paul Givan to succeed Arlene Foster as Northern Ireland’s first minister

Paul Givan will be the new first minister of Northern Ireland, DUP leader Edwin Poots has announced.

The Lagan Valley MLA will succeed Arlene Foster, who is resigning at the end of this month following a letter of no-confidence that is said to have been signed by the majority of her party’s MLAs and MPs.

Mr Givan, a creationist who has in the past supported the teaching of alternatives to evolution in schools, will be the first person to hold the role who is not also a party leader.

Under Northern Ireland’s powersharing system, the first minister is joint head of government with the deputy first minister. If the first minister is a unionist the deputy first minister must be a nationalist and vice versa.

Ms Foster is expected to step down formally at the start of this week, but her replacement will not take office until a succesful renomination process involving Sinn Fein has completed.

Deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill will be automatically removed from office at the same time, as set out by the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Givan said: “There is a huge responsibility that comes with this position, particularly in serving the people of Northern Ireland.”

The change comes as the DUP sinks in the polls and loses ground to the harder-line TUV, more moderate UUP, and non-aligned Alliance Party.

The announcement was not welcomed by all corners of Mr Givan’s party. Outgoing DUP economy minister Diane Dodds said it was “regrettable” that “the new team announced today does not match the rhetoric about healing and bringing the party together”.