Alderdice to retire as Northern Assembly Speaker

The Speaker of the Northern Assembly, John Alderdice, has announced his intention to retire at the end of this month.

In a letter to Northern Secretary Paul Murphy, Lord Alderdice said he decided to step down to focus on his job with the Independent Monitoring Commission established to oversee paramilitary ceasefires in the North.

Lord Alderdice, a former leader of the cross-community Alliance Party, was appointed Speaker of the Assembly in July 1998, shortly after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.