Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Incumbent
Hilary Benn
since 4 September 2023
AppointerLeader of the Opposition
Inaugural holderMerlyn Rees
Formation24 March 1972
WebsiteThe Shadow Cabinet

The Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is a member of the British Shadow Cabinet responsible for the scrutiny of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and their department, the Northern Ireland Office. The post is currently held by Hilary Benn.

Until recently there had been a 'bi-partisan' attitude to Northern Ireland affairs in the House of Commons but the role is influenced by the relationship between the main Official Opposition and parties in the country. The Conservative Party, for example, generally supports the unionist cause and in 2008 re-formalised a (since ended) link with the Ulster Unionist Party and relied on the support of the Democratic Unionist Party until the 2019 United Kingdom General Election in the House of Commons, while Labour has traditionally supported Irish nationalism and is loosely allied to the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). The Liberal Democrats are linked with the cross-community Alliance Party.

Shadow Secretaries of State

Name Entered office Left office Length of Term Political party Shadow Cabinet
Merlyn Rees 24 March 1972 4 March 1974 1 year, 345 days Labour Harold Wilson
Francis Pym 4 March 1974 29 October 1974 239 days Conservative  
 
Edward Heath
 
 
Ian Gilmour 29 October 1974 18 February 1975 112 days
 
Airey Neave
 		 18 February 1975 30 March 1979 4 years, 40 days
Edward Heath
Margaret Thatcher
Roy Mason 4 May 1979 14 July 1979 71 days Labour James Callaghan
Brynmor John 14 July 1979 8 December 1980 1 year, 147 days
Don Concannon 8 December 1980 31 October 1983 2 years, 327 days Michael Foot
Peter Archer 31 October 1983 13 July 1987 3 years, 255 days  
Neil Kinnock
 
 
Kevin McNamara
 		 13 July 1987 20 October 1994 7 years, 99 days
John Smith
Margaret Beckett
Mo Mowlam 20 October 1994 2 May 1997 2 years, 194 days Tony Blair
Andrew Mackay 23 June 1997 14 September 2001 4 years, 83 days Conservative William Hague
Quentin Davies 14 September 2001 11 November 2003 2 years, 58 days Iain Duncan Smith
David Lidington 11 November 2003 2 July 2007 3 years, 233 days Michael Howard
David Cameron
Owen Paterson 2 July 2007 11 May 2010 2 years, 313 days
Shaun Woodward 11 May 2010 7 October 2011 1 year, 149 days Labour Harriet Harman
Ed Miliband
Vernon Coaker 7 October 2011 7 October 2013 2 years, 0 days
Ivan Lewis 7 October 2013 13 September 2015 1 year, 341 days
Ed Miliband
Harriet Harman
Vernon Coaker 13 September 2015 26 June 2016 287 days Jeremy Corbyn
Dave Anderson 26 June 2016 14 June 2017 353 days
Owen Smith 14 June 2017 23 March 2018 282 days
Tony Lloyd 23 March 2018 6 April 2020 2 years, 14 days
Louise Haigh 6 April 2020 29 November 2021 1 year, 237 days Sir Keir Starmer
Peter Kyle 29 November 2021 4 September 2023 2 years, 48 days
Hilary Benn 4 September 2023 Incumbent 134 days

See also

References

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