Dr John Reid was last night appointed Northern Ireland Secretary following the resignation of Mr Peter Mandelson.
Dr Reid (53), who had been Secretary of State for Scotland, agreed to take the position during a 30-minute meeting with the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, at 10 Downing Street. A strong advocate of devolution, Dr Reid is well regarded at Westminster as an able, efficient member of the cabinet.
The Motherwell-North MP, who has held his seat since 1987, is known for his humour and wit.
Formerly armed forces minister, he took over at the Department of Transport in 1998 before going to the Scottish Office the following year. He was born a Catholic and "went through an atheist period", according to his parliamentary profile and he has also formed a Celtic supporters club at Westminster.
In the 60s he played guitar for a band named The Graduates. They never made it. Last night Dr Reid pledged to work towards the full implementation of the Belfast Agreement. He travels to Belfast today to meet the RUC Chief Constable and the head of the British armed forces in Northern Ireland.
He said he looked forward to meeting political leaders "as soon as possible".
"The next few weeks provide an enormous opportunity to put the agreement, and the future of Northern Ireland, on a more stable basis," he added.
Dr Reid's appointment has led to a minor reshuffle to fill the gaps created by Mr Mandelson's departure.
The Energy Minister, Ms Helen Liddell, is to leave the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to replace Dr Reid as Scotland Secretary.