Alex Maskey's mixed emotions as he leaves Speaker role

Stormont speaker Alex Maskey will hand over the role when the Assembly sits on Saturday

Stormont Speaker Alex Maskey has said he feels "a range of mixed emotions" as he prepares to step down after four years in the job.

The Sinn Féin politician was elected as Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly in January 2020.

He will hand over the role when the assembly sits on Saturday, two years exactly since power-sharing collapsed.

"There are a range of mixed emotions, but there's a job to be done," he told BBC NI's Good Morning Ulster.

"I'm very pleased that my last act as speaker will be to oversee the election of a new speaker and the establishment of the institutions once again."

Reflecting on his time in the role, Mr Maskey said he was "delighted to have been able to work with a number of people who have been prepared to walk the walk".

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Representing the wider community

In his time in the job, he met King Charles and also accepted an invite to the coronation in May 2023.

"When [Sinn Féin deputy leader} Michelle O'Neill asked me to take on the role of speaker, I made the point myself that if we wanted to go into senior political office in representative politics we have to represent the wider community," Mr Maskey said.

"There will be times that won't sit comfortably with people, but I had no difficulty on a personal level.

"Whatever my feelings would be, you're in public office then you have to rise to those occasions. I think if we all do that we'll all go a lot further much more quickly."

Michelle O'Neill pictured with Mr Maskey and Alliance leader Naomi Long as they departed from King Charles' coronation at Westminster Abbey

Mr Maskey has been an assembly member since 1998, representing the West and South Belfast constituencies, before announcing his intention to stand down in 2021.

He also served as Sinn Féin's first lord mayor of Belfast from 2002 to 2003, which provided a unique opportunity, he said.

"The unionist parties decided they would not put a deputy up so I was the first mayor who didn't have a deputy," Mr Maskey said.

"I took that as an opportunity rather than a challenge, because I was able to work with unionist councillors and a number of unionist councillors conducted events on my behalf.

"That showed you that behind the scenes, when push comes to shove, a lot of people here are prepared to work together. I'm pleased to have been part of that journey."

'A privilege'

Overall, Mr Maskey said his time in politics has "developed [him] on a whole range of fronts".

"I've had the privilege of working within my own party throughout the negotiations for the Good Friday Agreement. I feel privileged to have been a part of all of that.

"A lot of people have suffered here in our conflict over many years so people like myself have to be able to rise to the occasion."

Mr Maskey has been a member at Stormont since 1998

Looking ahead, he said he was "very pleased" to see Michelle O'Neill become first minister.

"Michelle has done a sterling job and I have no doubt she will maintain the commitment she has made publicly on a number of occasions," he said.

"She will represent everybody and give leadership where it is required."