Timeline: A life in politics for Peter Robinson

The DUP founding member was first elected as an MP to Westminder in 1979

1971 Was among the founding members of the DUP

1973 Became an Executive member of the DUP

1974 Elected Secretary of the Central Executive Committee

1975 Appointed General Secretary of the DUP

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1977 Elected as councillor for Castlereagh

1978 Served as deputy mayor of Castlereagh Borough Council

1979 First elected East Belfast MP at Westminster seat for the DUP

1980 Becomes deputy leader of the DUP

1986 Served as Mayor of Castlereagh Borough Council

1998 Elected as MLA for East Belfast

2007 Stepped down as Alderman of Castlereagh Borough Council, a position he had held since 1988

2008 Appointed leader of the DUP and First Minister of Northern Ireland 2010 Temporarily stepped aside following the revelation of his wife Iris's (above) affair with 19-year-old Kirk McCambley and allegations regarding financial affairs

2010 Lost the East Belfast seat to Naomi Long of the Alliance Party

May 2015 Suffered a heart attack

September 2015 Stepped aside from Stormont after a bid to suspend Assembly was rejected in the aftermath of the murder of republican Kevin McGuigan and the PSNI assessment that the killing was linked to the IRA. He was also hospitalised for a short time after an adverse reaction to heart medication

November 2015 Announced he is stepping down as First Minister and DUP leader after "stabilising" Stormont with the Fresh Start: The Stormont Agreement and Implementation deal