David Ford resigns as leader of Alliance Party

David Ford has led Alliance for 15 years

David Ford is resigning as leader of the Alliance Party.

The South Antrim MLA led the cross-community party since 2001 and was the party's longest serving leader.

He also held the post of Northern Ireland justice minister between 2010 and 2016 - the first local minister in that role for nearly 40 years.

The married father-of-four, who is 65, has represented South Antrim as an MLA since 1998.

Profile: David Ford

The current deputy leader, Naomi Long, will take over as leader in an acting capacity, and party insiders are predicting she may be the only leadership candidate.

"Tomorrow is actually the 15th anniversary of my election as party leader and I think that's an interesting milestone to reflect on," Mr Ford told the BBC.

"The team is working well and I think it's an appropriate time to hand over to a new leader who will lead the party forward in the next stage of its development and growth."

On his tenure as justice minister, Mr Ford said the key was proving that it was possible to devolve justice.

Mr Ford has been an MLA for South Antrim since 1998

"We were able to devolve it and indeed there was one DUP MLA who said 'David has made justice boring'," he said.

"I think that is actually quite an achievement.

"But it wasn't just boring, [there were] significant issues about reform to prisons, to legal aid, support for transformation within youth justice, major issues which have made changes to the way in which the system works for the good of the people of Northern Ireland."

Mr Ford said that attacks on party members during loyalist flag protests represented a low point of his time as leader, but in another way a high.

"When Naomi Long in particular was seriously threatened and other party representatives were threatened and had offices attacked over the flags protests it was clearly a low point at one level," he said.

"But it really was a high point to see the way in which my colleagues stood together, supported each other, stood absolutely firm by our principals."

Naomi Long will take over as acting leader of the party

"I think that shows the kind of strength we have in Alliance. We may not have vast numbers, compared to some other parties, but we have a cohesion, and we work together and we support each other well."

Any contenders for the party leadership have to be either MPs or MLAs.

The party no longer has a Westminster seat, so that means only Mr Ford's seven Stormont colleagues are entitled to stand.