Mark Durkan to resign post as finance minister in North
SDLP leader, Mark Durkan, is expected to announce that he is stepping down as Minister for Finance in the North later today.
It is thought that Mr Durkan, who’s now Deputy First Minister, will name the current Employment Minister, Sean Farren, as his successor at finance.
At the moment, Mark Durkan holds two positions since he took up the post of Deputy First Minister last month but he choose to do so in order to deliver the executive’s annual budget.
His expected successor at finance is Dublin-born Sean Farren, a north Antrim assembly member, who’s currently Minister for Employment and learning.
He has also served as SDLP Chairman and was a senior negotiator in the talks leading up to the signing of the Good Friday agreement.
There is much speculation about who will take up Mr Farren’s portfolio. Party sources suggest the front runners include Joe Byrne, the assembly member for West Tyrone and its member for South Belfast, Carmel Hanna.
