Minister McCausland Quits Belfast Council

Double and sometimes 'multiple-jobbing' by local politicians is back in focus today with news that the DUP Assembly Member Nelson McCausland has stepped down from his long-term role as a councillor for the Oldpark area of Belfast.

Former independent politician and latterly a DUP recruit, Mr McCausland was first elected for the Castle area in 1989 has been a councillor for Oldpark since 2001.

He previously ran the Lord's Day Observance Society - now incorporated as Day One - a Christian organisation that highlighted issues such as respecting the Sabbath before becoming a full time politician.

During his time in the City Hall as a DUP councillor he was High Sheriff of Belfast in 1997 and served on the board of the Ulster Museum, Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and Belfast Education and Library Board.

Nelson McCausland (pictured) will now be replaced by Gareth McKee, who is a DUP constituency caseworker who comes from north Belfast.

Speaking on Monday, the DUP Assembly Member said: "I have enjoyed my 21 years in the City Hall immensely and am grateful to the people of north Belfast who gave me their support in five successive local government elections.

"I am pleased at the immense progress that has been made in the city during that time, with enormous re-development and investment.

"Belfast City Council is like no other local government authority in Northern Ireland, and I am extremely grateful for all the help and support given to me during all those years as a councillor by the hard-working and dedicated staff in the council," he said, noting that "Gareth McKee will be an excellent public representative, and I am sure that he will prove to be so in a very short space of time".

"I will of course continue to work for the people of north Belfast in my capacity as an Assembly Member and will continue to work closely with the whole DUP team in north Belfast to ensure that Unionism advances in the north of the city", said the MLA and Stormont Executive Culture & Leisure Minister.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein's longest serving elected representative and the party's first councillor elected in Belfast lasat night attended his last full Council meeting at Belfast City Hall.

Mr Maskey recently announced his resignation from the Council in line with the party's policy on phasing out dual-mandates and to focus on his role as a South Belfast MLA.

(BMcC/GK)