September 6, 2022: Chris Heaton-Harris MP Secretary of State for Northern Ireland leaves Downing Street in London, England. Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister, assumed her role at Number 10 Downing Street on September 6 and set about appointing her Cabinet of Ministers.Getty Images

Chris Heaton-Harris MP was appointed as the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on Tuesday, September 6, the same day that Liz Truss became the UK’s new Prime Minister.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland “has overall responsibility for the Northern Ireland Office, advances UK government interests in Northern Ireland and represents Northern Ireland interests in the Cabinet.”

Heaton-Harris said on Tuesday that he is "honoured" to have been appointed, and will answer questions in the House on Wednesday morning.

Heaton-Harris replaces Shailesh Vara, who was only appointed to the position in July after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he would be stepping down, triggering a wave of ministerial resignations, including that of Brandon Lewis, Vara's predecessor.

Vara, who has now become the shortest-serving Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, sent his best wishes to Heaton-Harris on Tuesday.

Truss reportedly offered the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland role to a number of candidates, including Penny Mordaunt and Sajid Javid, who are understood to have turned it down.

Heaton-Harris, a self-described "fierce Eurosceptic," became the UK Conservative Party’s Chief Whip of the House of Commons in February. Previosly, from July 2018 through April 2019, he served as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union.

In January, while serving as Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Heaton-Harris visited Northern Ireland. He said there: "It is clear from what I heard today and previously that the Protocol isn't working and we need to find a solution."

As the Irish Times notes, "the appointment of a staunch Brexiteer to the Northern Ireland brief will be regarded as a sign from Ms. Truss that there will be no softening of her stance on the Northern Ireland Protocol."

Conor Burns MP, who has been Minister of State for Northern Ireland since last September, welcomed the appointment of Harris-Heaton on Tuesday.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, head of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Ireland, also welcomed the appointment. 

Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said he looks forward to working with Heaton-Harris and that his "first job" should be to see to a "functioning Executive for Northern Ireland." 

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