Outgoing Sinn Féin deputy first minister of Northern Ireland announces he will not fight snap election due to health concerns

Martin McGuinness, the outgoing deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, has quit frontline politics to concentrate on recovering from “a very serious illness”.

McGuinness resigned as deputy first minister last week in protest at the handling of a botched energy scheme, forcing a snap election. He has now revealed that after “a lot of thinking” he will not be contesting those elections due to ill health.

McGuinness said: “The question I asked myself was, ‘Are you physically capable of fighting an intensive 5/6 week election and doing it to my full abilities?’ I rapidly came to the conclusion that I am not in any physical state to fight such a campaign. So I have taken the decision that I will not be a candidate in the upcoming election.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest McGuinness meeting the Queen in 2012. Photograph: Paul Faith/PA

During months of crisis at the end of 2016, McGuinness missed a trade mission to China due to illness. It is understood he is gravely ill as a result of a rare condition that attacks the heart, kidneys and other vital organs.



Reports in Dublin, which were later confirmed to the Guardian by Irish government sources, said McGuinness was suffering from amyloidosis, which also attacks the central nervous system.

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The 66-year-old republican veteran, the former chief of staff of the Provisional IRA, has been central to the peace process and power sharing for almost three decades.

But on the political crisis that has put almost a decade of power sharing between Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionists in peril, McGuinness said: “As someone who has worked night and day over the course of 10 years to keep the institutions intact … it was particularly disappointing, having kept up the institutions for almost 10 years, that I found myself with no other alternative but to resign. And of course that has led to an election.”



The first minister, Arlene Foster, thanked McGuinness for his contribution to the peace process. She said: “While the current political situation is not what any of us would wish and there is much work to be done to return stable government to Northern Ireland I nonetheless value the good things achieved by the outgoing executive and the contribution made by Mr McGuinness to it.

“Despite all that has happened I wish Martin McGuinness a speedy recovery and that he and his wife are able to enjoy time with their family away from the relentless focus of public life.”

Gerry Adams paid tribute to his lifelong friend and partner in Sinn Féin’s peace strategy. The Sinn Féin president said: “Martin has said he wants to come back and be part of the process to end partition, build reconciliation, unite our people and achieve Irish unity.

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“So on behalf of Sinn Féin and republicans everywhere I want to send him our best wishes. Give him the space to get better and increase our efforts so that when he returns the process of change has advanced.”

James Brokenshire, Northern Ireland secretary said: “I thank him on behalf of the government for his work in securing a number of significant political agreements, as well as his service as deputy first minister of Northern Ireland.”



McGuinness said: “On medical advice last year I was advised not to travel to China, and in the aftermath of that I underwent a whole series of tests. As a result of those tests, I have been diagnosed with a very serious illness which has taken a toll on me.

“But I am being cared for by wonderful doctors and nurses within our National Health Service and I am very determined to overcome this condition, but it is going to take time.”

He said his political career was not fully over and that he would continue to try to reconcile the two traditions of unionism and nationalism on the island of Ireland.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness in the late 80s. Photograph: PA/PA Archive/PA Images

“I hopefully will overcome this illness through time. I am very determined to be an ambassador for peace, unity and reconciliation,” he said. “Reconciliation, I have always believed, is the next vital stage of the peace process.”

Alongside Adams, his close friend and ally within the Provisionals, Derry-born McGuinness played a central role in pushing the IRA towards a permanent ceasefire and Sinn Féin into a devolved power-sharing government.

Adams added: “I want to express my heartfelt thanks to Martin McGuinness. He and I first met over 45 years ago behind the barricades in Free Derry and we have been friends and comrades since that time.

“I also want to thank Bernie and the entire McGuinness family for the support they have given to Martin over many years and for allowing him to become the leader, the patriot, the peacemaker and poet that he is.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest McGuinness with Tony Blair and Gerry Adams during the Northern Ireland peace talks. Photograph: Richard Pohle/PA

“We were all shocked when we saw his appearance recently. Thank God he is looking a lot better since then and responding well to the treatment he is receiving. However, he does need to take time out to get better, for himself, for his family and for our struggle.”

Adams added: “As we now know, he won’t be standing in the assembly election. That means we have to ensure that the election works for all of the people of the North and that we succeed in building on the progress that has been made since the Good Friday agreement.”

There are now two frontrunners who could replace McGuinness as leader of Sinn Féin in the next assembly at Stormont. They are Conor Murphy, a former IRA prisoner from the republican stronghold of South Armagh, and Michelle O’Neill, the outgoing Sinn Féin minister for health in the collapsed power-sharing coalition.

Theresa May, the prime minister, said in a statement: “Martin McGuinness served the people of Northern Ireland as deputy first minister for nearly a decade.

“We recognise his work over many years securing a number of significant political agreements. He played a key role in moving the Republican movement towards a position of using peaceful and democratic means.

“I want to send him best wishes for his retirement. We will all continue to work to make sure that the people of Northern Ireland are able to live freely and in peace.”