SIR Chris Bryant has been made Northern Ireland Secretary in Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s newly appointed cabinet.
The MP for the Rhondda and Ogmore constituency in Wales replaces outgoing NI Secretary Hilary Benn who had held the role since 2024.
In a statement issued last night, Mr Benn offered his support for Mr Bryant while adding that it had been a “great privilege” to serve the North.
“I wish my successor all the very best in working with the Executive to protect stability, continuing to generate growth and investment and in taking forward the Troubles Bill which is so important for so many families,” he said.
“The Prime Minister will have my full support from the backbenches,” Mr Benn added.
Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee has issued a statement thanking Mr Benn for his “deep commitment to Northern Ireland” over the years he was Secretary.
“I want to express my sincere thanks to Hilary Benn for his deep commitment to Northern Ireland, and to the UK-Ireland relationship more broadly, in his role as UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland over the last two years,” she said.
“He approached his role with purpose and understanding, and with a clear wish to make things better for all the people of Northern Ireland.”
She added: “That approach was what allowed both our governments to reach agreement last September on the Joint Framework on the Legacy of the Troubles, the first such comprehensive agreement on the issues in more than a decade. The Framework puts victims, survivors and families at its heart.
“Hilary has brought warmth and a constructive approach to all of his relationships here in Ireland, and indeed in Northern Ireland.
“I wish Hilary the very best in the future. I know that whatever he does, he will continue to contribute to building a positive relationship across these islands.
“I look forward to working with his successor in the time ahead.”
SDLP Leader Claire Hanna has also sent her thanks to Mr Benn as he leaves the cabinet.
“I would like to thank Hilary Benn for his service as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and wish him well for the future,” she said.
“While we did not always agree, I found him to be thoughtful, engaged and willing to listen,’ she added.
“That approach stood in marked contrast to some previous Secretaries of State, and I appreciated his willingness to reckon seriously with the challenges facing Northern Ireland.”
Ms Hanna added that there remains much work to be done in the North as Mr Bryant takes up his new position.
“Throughout Mr Benn’s time in office, the SDLP pressed the need for consistent funding for public services, a legacy framework that properly serves victims and survivors, the protection of arrangements that avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, and the importance of strong north-south and east-west relationships,” she said.
“While progress has been made in a number of these areas, there remains significant unfinished business.
“The incoming Secretary of State inherits a full and urgent agenda,” Ms Hanna explained.
“With a Budget crisis threatening public services and Assembly elections on the horizon, there is little time to lose.
“We will be pressing the new Secretary of State to ensure momentum is maintained on institutional reform, sustainable public finances and the long-term stability of Northern Ireland’s political institutions.”
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