MP Chris Bryant was appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on Monday, July 20, taking over from MP Hilary Benn, who had been in the role since 2024.
As the Secretary of State, Bryant has overall responsibility for the ministerial work of the Northern Ireland Office.
Bryant was appointed late on Monday, the first day of Andy Burnham's tenure as British Prime Minister. Burnham, who was elected as an MP last month, became leader of the UK Labour Party and, in turn, Prime Minister following Keir Starmer's resignation.
Congratulating Bryant, the UK Labour Party's Irish Society said: "We know Chris will serve with dedication, supporting NI’s economy, upholding the Good Friday Agreement and strengthening British–Irish relations. We look forward to working with him."
Congratulations to @RhonddaBryant on his appointment as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
We know Chris will serve with dedication, supporting NI’s economy, upholding the Good Friday Agreement and strengthening British–Irish relations.
We look forward to working with him https://t.co/8pRkTfwC4i
— Labour Party Irish Society (@labourirish) July 21, 2026
Benn's exit
Announcing his departure on Monday, Benn wrote: "It has been a great privilege to serve as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and to work with the many wonderful people I have met over the last 2 years.
"It has been a great privilege to serve as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and to work with the many wonderful people I have met over the last 2 years.
"The Prime Minister will have my full support from the backbenches."
Who is Chris Bryant?
According to a biography provided by Downing Street, Bryant, who was born in Cardiff, was formerly a priest, though he ultimately left the ministry due to feeling that being homosexual and being a priest were incompatible.
After working as the election agent to the Holborn and St Pancras Constituency Labour Party, Bryant was elected to Hackney Borough Council in 1993, representing Leabridge ward, and served until 1998.
From 1998 until his election to British Parliament in 2001, he was the Head of European Affairs for the BBC.
Bryant has held several Government posts, with the most recent being Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade), which he was appointed to in September 2025.
He has published several books on British political and parliamentary history, including "A Life and a Half: The Unexpected Making of a Politician," which was published last year.
Chris Bryant on a border poll
Speaking with the NewsLetter in 2024, Bryant, who was then the Shadow Minister for Creative Industries and Digital, said a border poll in Northern Ireland may "come at some point."
He said: "You can never predict what is going to happen in the future just because of what happened in the past but, yes, that (a border poll) may come at some point, I don't know."
When asked whether there should be a poll, he said: "It is not for me to decide what should happen in Northern Ireland. That's for the people of Northern Ireland.
"That is for the people of Northern Ireland to decide but, as I say, it depends on how the politicians play their hands over the next few years."
As per the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the Secretary of State has the power to call a border poll "if at any time it appears likely to him that a majority of those voting would express a wish that Northern Ireland should cease to be part of the United Kingdom and form part of a united Ireland."
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