´óÏó´«Ã½

Veteran Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) MLA Alban Maginness has said he will not stand for re-election to the Northern Ireland Assembly in May.

The North Belfast representative has been an assembly member since 1998.

He said his decision to retire from politics "was entirely my own".

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said Mr Maginness had been a "pillar of honesty and decency in local politics for over 30 years".

Mr Eastwood said he was preparing for a "generational shift" across the SDLP.

But Mr Maginness said he "certainly wasn't pushed" and discussed his decision "in detail" with Mr Eastwood.

"He gave me full support for whatever I wanted to do, and I decided it was an opportune time for the party to change its MLA in North Belfast," Mr Maginness said.

"The party is renewing itself at many different levels and I think that's a very positive change.

"We're entering into a new mandate and I think a new person would give new leadership to the party in North Belfast."

A former barrister, Mr Maginness became the first nationalist mayor of Belfast in 1997.

He said the SDLP "broke the political mould" when he was elected to the role.

"It was a moment of great change in the city, a very important political event for the city and for the politics of Belfast."

His election to the role was "an honour and a political breakthrough that could have gone to no better man", Mr Eastwood said.

"Alban's place in our history has been secured by his unflinching political opposition to violence and attempts to reconcile all communities in north Belfast," he added.

"As the chair of the SDLP parliamentary and assembly group, Alban's counsel has been invaluable in our day-to-day business.

"We'll continue to value that advice as Alban remains a close friend of the party."

The party's members in North Belfast, Mr Maginness's constituency, will select a candidate on 14 January for the assembly election.