Sir Chris Bryant has been appointed secretary of state for Northern Ireland, following Andy Burnham’s Cabinet reshuffle as prime minister.
The MP for Rhondda and Ogmore has replaced Hilary Benn, who was appointed in 2024.
It is Sir Chris’s first cabinet position, although he held a number of shadow frontbench roles under Sir Keir Starmer and Jeremy Corbyn.
Benn said he wished Sir Chris “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”. He pledged to support Burnham from the back benches.
There may be some surprise at Benn’s exit from government as he had just started talks with the Stormont parties and treasury officials in a bid to agree a multi-year budget after months of stalemate.
Now his successor will have to finish that process.
Sir Chris is a long standing member of the Labour Party.
He joined in 1986 and served as MP in the Welsh constituency of Rhondda and Ogmore since 2001.
During Gordon Brown’s tenure Sir Chris served as deputy leader of the Commons.
He takes up his new post having moved from the Department for Business and Trade.
He is a former Anglican priest but quit the church in 1991 over its stance on homosexuality.
In 2023 he was awarded a knighthood in recognition of his campaigning work around acquired brain injury and melanoma – a type of skin cancer.
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