In recent days the First Minister for Northern Ireland and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party Peter Robinson has stated that he will step down from both positions early next year. Ahead of the Assembly elections in May he will not seek re-election as MLA for East Belfast.

A long-standing political disciple of the late Reverend Ian Paisley, Robinson is a fellow founding member of the DUP and the party’s second ever leader.

Emerging from being a marginal group of protest to becoming Northern Ireland’s largest governing party, whereas Paisley may forever be remembered as the DUP leader who agreed to share power with Sinn Féin, Robinson may be known as the ‘steely tactician’ behind the scenes.

More than this, having replaced Paisley as First Minister and DUP leader in 2008 – almost two  years after the signing of the St Andrew’s Agreement – history may also regard Robinson as the DUP First Minister who embedded devolution here.

Robinson’s time as leader has not been without controversy, but in today’s political realm he has shown almost a unique ability to survive and overcome professional and personal adversity.

In 2010 the agreement to devolve policing and justice powers from Westminster marked a significant milestone for Northern Ireland as well as his tenure as First Minister.

Now the signing of last week’s ‘Fresh Start’ inter-party agreement has provided the perfect opportunity for Robinson to exit frontline politics.

Entering the political fray as a Councillor for Castlereagh in 1977, he and Paisley denounced the then political establishment and attempts at facilitating power-sharing between unionists and nationalists. Decades later, together they and the DUP eclipsed the long-dominant Ulster Unionist Party at the polls.

When the DUP and Sinn Féin as Northern Ireland’s largest political parties finally came to a deal to share power, despite subsequent fallouts and other setbacks Robinson has overseen the consolidation of the political institutions.

As his intentions turn to handing over the DUP leadership, with Paisley having done the deal and Robinson having consolidated devolution, on the back of the recent in-out resignation episode and with confidence amongst UUP members of resurgence rising, a huge task for the incoming leadership may be to find their own narrative and strategy for the party.

With recent events and elections the DUP has helped consolidate not just Northern Ireland’s political institutions but also its own position as the province’s largest unionist party.

Questions as to how the DUP can continue to command this share of the vote and expand its electoral appeal and reach are crucial going forward.

No longer a party of protest but one of government, momentum will be important as the party closes one chapter and begins another.