NEWLY-APPOINTED secretary of state for Northern Ireland Paul Murphy today promised he would continue to speak up for the people of Gwent.

Even as the Torfaen MP, pictured, was still absorbing his unexpected change of job and location he still had time to reassure his constituents.

He said: "They need have no worry on that score. I've always concentrated, in whatever job I've held, on the people who elected me.

"Having an MP in the cabinet, in whatever job, is an advantage to them in the sense that I am at the heart of government."

Mr Murphy underlined the importance he attaches to representing the people of Gwent by giving his first interview to the South Wales Argus after the prime minister switched him from Wales to Northern Ireland.

Mr Murphy also praised his constituents for the support they gave him when he was a minister of state at the Northern Ireland office between 1997 and 1999.

He said: "The last time that I did this job my constituents were very good to me and understood that by helping to bring peace to Northern Ireland, I was helping to bring peace to them as well, particularly since numbers of them have had their sons go to Northern Ireland as soldiers and some have lost their sons there.

"They realised the importance of the job to the whole of the country, including Torfaen."

Mr Murphy revealed he only heard of his new job at 10.25am yesterday just before the cabinet, after the prime minister persuaded John Reid to become the new Labour Party chairman following the appointment of Charles Clarke as the new English education secretary.

But Mr Murphy's appointment came as no surprise to politicians - the former Welsh secretary played a big part in his previous Northern Ireland job in paving the way for the Good Friday agreement.

He knows all the Northern Ireland politicians and is probably the best man to help restore devolution to Belfast. The suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly will now leave Mr Murphy and his team of ministers having to run Northern Ireland.

As Welsh secretary over the past three years Mr Murphy has been the main link between the National Assembly and the Blair government and has succeeded in preventing any public rift despite some private differences.

He told the Argus: "I'm quite sad in some ways at leaving the job, first because of the people who worked with me, who have been great, both here and in Cardiff, and also because of the job itself.

"It is very challenging, very interesting, to work with Rhodri Morgan and his ministers, with AMs and our own MPs. I hope that I did my part in overseeing devolution and it is very rewarding for me to see the devolution settlement settle down over the past few years."

Mr Murphy was speaking at the Wales Office in Whitehall after welcoming new Welsh secretary Peter Hain. He then briefed Mr Hain before departing for Northern Ireland.

Mr Murphy said: "I've had a long meeting to tell him about the different aspects of the job and I wish him well."

The 53-year-old Catholic with Irish roots, is widely respected throughout Westminster.

Shadow Welsh secretary Nigel Evans told the Argus: "I would like to pay tribute to Paul Murphy who is a decent man and is well liked in parliament."