Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

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Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is a UK government minister who runs the Northern Ireland Office and represents Northern Ireland in the UK Cabinet. The job is held by a member of the Prime Minister’s team and is based at Hillsborough Castle, with the department assisting in Westminster.

Current officeholder
- Hilary Benn, in office since 5 July 2024

What the role does
- Oversees the Northern Ireland Office and acts on UK-wide matters affecting Northern Ireland.
- Represents Northern Ireland in the UK government and works with local politicians to support the functioning of the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly when powers are devolved.
- Oversees reserved and excepted matters such as security, human rights, certain public inquiries, and elections.

A brief history
- 1972: The position was created after Stormont’s government was suspended and direct rule began.
- 1973-1974: The Sunningdale Agreement briefly created a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive.
- 1985: Anglo-Irish Agreement increased cooperation between the UK and Ireland.
- 1998/1999: The Good Friday Agreement led to devolution returning to Northern Ireland, with powers given to the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive.
- Since then, many powers have been devolved, but some remain with the UK government.
- The secretary’s role has often focused on representing Northern Ireland in the UK government and managing remaining reserved matters, while policing and justice powers were fully devolved in 2010.
- The office has alternated between Conservative and Labour MPs; unlike Scotland and Wales, the secretary for Northern Ireland has not typically represented a Northern Ireland constituency.