Robin Swann to step down as health minister before Westminster campaign

Robin Swann was health minister throughout the Covid-19 pandemic

Stormont's health minister has said he will step down from his role once the general election campaign begins.

Robin Swann is also the Ulster Unionist party (UUP) candidate for Westminster in South Antrim.

He told the BBC's Sunday Politics that once the election was called and the election period begins, he would give up his seat at the Stormont Executive.

In 2016, "double-jobbing" - holding seats in both Westminster and Stormont - was banned.

Mr Swann had previously insisted he could remain in the health minister role while campaigning for a seat at Westminster.

He was health minister throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and returned to the role once devolution was restored in February, the same month that he confirmed he would be standing in the general election.

The minister said he was absolutely committed to the job despite intending to run for Westminster, but admitted he would not be staying in the role until polling day.

"My intention would not be to stay right up until polling day because purdah will kick in and there will be other stages as well," he said.

"So that decision will be made long before the election day is called, by my party leader."

His UUP party colleague and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Mike Nesbitt, has been appointed as the private secretary to the health minister and is due to start the role soon.

Mike Nesbitt, seen here in 2023, has been named as a potential new health minister

Mr Swann said it would be for his party leader, Doug Beattie, to decide whether Mr Nesbitt was to replace him.

"It could be the thinking of my party leader, yes," he said.

"It would be a rational approach in regards to that."

'Honest with the people'

He added: "I need to be clear as well when we talk about Westminster candidates and the current executive.

"If you look across other parties and constituencies as well, it's obvious that some of the executive colleagues sitting around the executive table at the minute are also going to be candidates.

"One of the things we've done as a party, one of the things that I've done, we've actually come out and said it and been honest with the people."

• Analysis from Marie-Louise Connolly: What next for health?

The health minister also told the programme the health system needed £1bn of funding "just to stand still".

Mr Swann is attempting to tackle the longest waiting lists in the UK, while also pushing through reform of health and social care services in Northern Ireland.

"To stand still I need an additional £1bn and that's in regard to additional monies to honour the pay settlements that we made this year but also to look at pay settlements for next year," he said.

"To look at the increasing cost of drugs, new treatments but also look at making sure that our workforce is at a living wage level - there is a legal commitment for us to do that as well.

"Those are the sort of pressures we are under."

Mr Swann said he has had a couple of meetings with the Finance Minister, Caoimhe Archibald.

"Her job at this moment in time is going to be far more challenging trying to get a budget that actually recognises challenges across all departments, but also what is realistic to do with the portfolio she has," he said.

Stormont ministers have said they need £2bn more than the amount of funding that is available this year.

The finance minister has previously said she would like the budget to be agreed by the end of April.

'Disappointing but inevitable'

We need strong and stable leadership in health - Liz Kimmins

The chair of Stormont's health committee, Sinn Féin's Liz Kimmins, told Sunday Politics it was "disappointing" that Mr Swann was intending to give up his ministerial role to run in the general election.

"However, it was inevitable we would see this because we would need someone who is completely focused on our health service," she said.

"Particularly during that Westminster campaign, that is going to be a distraction."

You can see Robin Swann's interview with Mark Carruthers in full on Sunday Politics on BBC iPlayer.