Who is Chris Bryant, the newly appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland?
Chris Bryant has been appointed as the new UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland following a cabinet reshuffle. Bryant expressed the weight of the role and outlined his focus on economic opportunity and legacy legislation, while noting that a border poll is not currently a priority.
Why it matters
The appointment is significant for UK-Ireland relations and the ongoing political management of Northern Ireland's post-Brexit status.
Newly appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Bryant has said the role is “daunting” and comes with “heavy responsibility”.
The Welsh-born politician said he was looking forward “to getting properly stuck in”. “There is serious work ahead, and I am ready to get on with it,” he said on Tuesday.
The MP for the Welsh constituency of Rhondda and Ogmore replaced Hilary Benn in a cabinet reshuffle after Andy Burnham took office as the new UK prime minister on Monday.
In a phone call with Bryant on Tuesday, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee discussed the implementation of commitments made by the Irish and British governments on legacy as well as EU-UK relations and “my desire during our [EU] presidency to build on progress made over the past two years”, she said.
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