Murphy appointment broadly welcomed in NI

Following Dr Reid's departure to take over as chairman of the Labour Party, Northern Ireland's political parties broadly welcomed the announcement that Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy is the new incumbent at Hillsborough Castle.

Mr Murphy is well known in the province having first served as opposition spokesman on Northern Ireland (1994-1995) and a junior minister in the north from 1997-1999. He chaired the Strand One talks at Stormont which became the platform for the negotiations that brought about the agreement and devolved institutions.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble welcomed the new Secretary of State back to Northern Ireland and said that he hoped Mr Murphy would make a "positive contribution" to the process here.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said he was "not entirely surprised by the appointment," but wished Dr Reid well in his next appointment.

However, Mr Adams said that Dr Reid "did not have a sense of the imperative of the situation" and was concerned largely with the "short-term view".

On the topic of British government ministers, Mr Adams added: "None of them – no matter how benign, far-sighted, visionary or modernising they are – it is impossible for them to do as good a job as people who are elected here and who represent the people who live here."

DUP assembly member, Ian Paisley Jr, said that the move would have wider political ramifications and claimed that the Reid departure pointed to the end of the Belfast Agreement. However, he also accused John Reid of "pushing problems further down the pipe until you have the major problems we have today".

Mr Paisley said he considered the incoming minister to be a "less confrontational person" and felt that Mr Murphy would be more inclined to "cut a deal" with those who are opposed to the agreement – such as the DUP.

Former UUP Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP, Lord Maguinness described the move as "not an unwelcome change". He said that unionists would view Mr Murphy as a man who is straight-forward, patient and means what he says.

Lord Maguinness was also less than sanguine on John Reid, saying that he had a tendency to "vacillate" and opined that Dr Reid was not the success in Northern Ireland that he had been as Armed Forces Minister.

SDLP deputy leader Brig Rodgers said that whilst Dr Reid had had some successes, he was "more of a broadcaster than a listener and listening is very important in Northern Ireland".

She said that Mr Murphy's previous work in the province would lend him the "support and confidence of all the parties"

Alliance leader, David Ford, though surprised that the move had occurred at a crucial point in the peace process, hailed the new Secretary of State as a man whose "track record is excellent".

(GMcG)