confidence or, indeed, lack of confidence in the First Minister will be based on substantiated information, not allegations manifested in the media." She said that she supported an independent investigation of the accusation, "judicially led if necessary", and that she had also instructed her permanent secretary to investigate claims that the Department of Justice under her predecessor was privy to the details of the RHI scheme. On 6 January 2017, she reiterated her support for an independent investigation but denied claims that she had unilateral power to call a public inquiry into Foster's actions. She also said that she believed Foster should remain in office while any investigation took place. She said that she would not resign, but that "Martin and Arlene have both let me down. I have not been sold a pup. But, when I took up the job, I did ask them one thing - let me do my job. And increasingly, particularly over the last four weeks, it's been difficult to do my job." On 9 January, McGuinness resigned as Deputy First Minister, and Sinn Féin refused to nominate a replacement, leading to the collapse of the Executive Office and to the calling of new elections, for March 2017. After a suggestion that she might quit politics, Sugden announced that she would stand for re-election in January 2017, saying that "I never envisaged that less than a year into my mandate, I would be defending my seat for East Londonderry." During the campaign, she said that she "would like to finish the job I started" and return to the Executive as justice minister. She formally remained in post as Minister of Justice until election day, despite the Executive Committee being unable to meet. During the election count for the 2017 election, Sugden was the first elected MLA for the constituency of East Londonderry to be declared. In May 2021 Sugden turned down an invitation from Doug Beattie to join the UUP, preferring to remain as an independent, but did not rule out a move to the party in the longer term. She was re-elected to the Assembly in 2022. Personal life Sugden married Andy Anderson at the end of June 2019. References 1986 births Living people People from Coleraine, County Londonderry Members of Coleraine Borough Council Northern Ireland MLAs 2011–2016 Northern Ireland MLAs 2016–2017 Northern Ireland MLAs 2017–2022 Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive (since 1999)