SF to take speaker's chair in Stormont

A Sinn Féin member will take up the symbolic role of Stormont Assembly speaker in three years after the party struck a deal with the DUP to share the post.

The outgoing speaker, the DUP’s William Hay, was unanimously re-elected to the position during the first plenary session of the new term at Stormont.

He will occupy the speaker’s chair until 2014, when a Sinn Féin MLA will replace him for the remainder of the Assembly mandate.

Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness nominated Foyle MLA Mr Hay, with DUP leader Peter Robinson seconding.