Hain 'delighted' to stay as NI secretary

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain today said he was delighted to be given an opportunity to finish the job of delivering devolution.

After a dramatic cabinet reshuffle in the wake of Labour’s disastrous Local Government election results, Mr Hain was told by British Prime Minister Tony Blair he would be remaining at the helm in the Northern Ireland Office and the Welsh Office.

His decision to keep Mr Hain at Stormont came ahead of the summoning of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s 108 members for a sitting on May 15.

The North’s Assembly members will have until November 24 to form a power-sharing Government.

After meeting Mr Blair the Northern Ireland Secretary said: “I am delighted the Prime Minister has asked me to stay to finish the job.

“I underlines that we are at a crucial point in the political progress and that the government is determined to make progress.

“We are in the end game. Parties face tough decisions within the Assembly when it meets again on May 15.”