‘That’s Life...’ : Arlene Foster due to stand down as First Minister of Northern Ireland today

Mrs Foster’s resignation is expected to make way for Paul Givan to be nominated as the First Minister after he was selected by new DUP Leader Edwin Poots and his party to take on the high profile job at the helm of the NI Executive alongside Deputy First Minister Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill.

Foster seemed in philosophical mood last week in her final public engagement as First Minister after senior figures in her own party banded together to call for a change of leadership.

Having been instated as DUP Leader back in 2015, Arlene Foster has served in various roles within the Northern Ireland Executive.

She was Minister of the Environment from 2007 to 2008, before becoming Minister for Enterprise and Investment from 2008 to 2015 and later Minister for Finance and Personnel from 2015 to 2016.

Foster was elected without challenge to succeed Peter Robinson as leader of the DUP back in December 2015 and became First Minister of NI shortly afterwards in January 2016 with Martin McGuinness as Deputy.

A year later however the Executive collapsed after the resignation of Mr McGuinness in response to the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal, and was reinstated three years later in January 2020 just two months before COVID-19 began to dominate life across the north.

On Friday Arlene Foster drew attention during a British Irish Council press conference in her home native Fermanagh when she started singing Frank Sinatra song, ‘That’s Life’ after a suggestion by a journalist during questions.

Mrs. Foster responded with: “That’s life. That’s what all the people say. You’re riding high in April, shot down in May....”