The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP
Biography
Hilary Benn was appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 5 July 2024. He was elected as the MP for Leeds Central in 1999 and is now the MP for Leeds South.
During the last Labour Government he served as a Minister in the Home Office, as Secretary of State for International Development and as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Since 2010, in Opposition he served as Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, the Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Shadow Foreign Secretary.
From 2016-2021 he was the Chair of the Exiting the European Union Select Committee, and latterly the Select Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union, before his appointment as Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary in September 2023.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State has overall responsibility for the ministerial work of the Northern Ireland Office.
The Secretary of State leads on:
- Engagement with the NI Executive (focusing on the Executive Office, Department of Justice, Department of Finance and Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs);
- Political stability;
- Relationships with other governments;
- Implementation of the Windsor Framework;
- Legacy;
- Economic growth;
- National security;
- Work to ensure that NI is fully engaged in the development and delivery of new government policy, especially the Missions-led approach.
He also has overall responsibility for the NIO’s parliamentary activity.