Secretary of State for Northern Ireland - wikipedia Secretary of State for Northern Ireland This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( August 2008 ) Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Royal Arms as used by Her Majesty 's Government Incumbent Karen Bradley since 8 January 2018 Northern Ireland Office Style The Right Honourable ( Formal prefix ) Northern Ireland Secretary Residence Hillsborough Castle Appointer Elizabeth II Precursor Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Governor of Northern Ireland Inaugural holder William Whitelaw Formation 24 March 1972 Website www.nio.gov.uk/ Northern Ireland This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Northern Ireland Executive Executive Committee First Minister Vacant deputy First Minister Vacant Civil Service Government departments Lowercase `` d '' per here. Assembly Speaker Robin Newton MLA Acts Committees Statutory rules Members ( MLA ) Law Supreme Court ( UK ) Courts of Northern Ireland Northern Ireland in the UK Her Majesty 's Government Northern Ireland Office Secretary of State Rt. Hon. James Brokenshire MP Parliament of the United Kingdom Direct rule Grand Committee Select Committee Elections Current MPs for Westminster Northern Ireland in the EU European Parliament elections Constituency Local government Administrative divisions Counties Districts Other countries Atlas United Kingdom This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the United Kingdom Constitution Constitution Cabinet Manual Erskine May Taxation The Crown British Monarchy Monarch Queen Elizabeth II Heir apparent The Prince of Wales Royal family Succession to the British throne Royal prerogative Executive HM Government Prime Minister Theresa May Cabinet Current ministry Her Majesty 's Civil Service Departments Executive agencies Public bodies Privy Council Crown - in - Council Queen Elizabeth II Legislature Parliament ( 56th Parliament ) Crown - in - Parliament Queen Elizabeth II House of Lords Lord Speaker The Lord Fowler House of Commons Speaker John Bercow Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn Her Majesty 's Loyal Opposition Shadow Cabinet State Opening of Parliament Prime Minister 's Questions Act of Parliament Statutory Instruments Judiciary Supreme Court President The Baroness Hale of Richmond Deputy President The Lord Mance Judges of the Supreme Court Courts of the United Kingdom Courts of England and Wales Courts of Scotland Courts of Northern Ireland Devolution Joint Ministerial Committee Scotland Government Parliament Wales Government National Assembly Reserved matters Northern Ireland Executive Assembly Administrative geography England Subdivisions of England Local government in England Scotland Subdivisions of Scotland Local government in Scotland Wales Local government in Wales Northern Ireland Local government in Northern Ireland Elections Parliament constituencies Political parties Last election Next election Referendums Foreign relations History Foreign policy UK and the United Nations Politics of the European Union Commonwealth of Nations United Kingdom portal Other countries Atlas Her Majesty 's Principal Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally known as the Northern Ireland Secretary ( Irish : Rúnaí Stáit Thuaisceart Éireann ), is the principal secretary of state in Her Majesty 's Government with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is the chief minister in the Northern Ireland Office. As with other ministers, the position is appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister. The position is normally described simply as ' the Secretary of State ' by residents of Northern Ireland. Formerly holding a large portfolio over home affairs in Northern Ireland, the current devolution settlement has lessened the Secretary of State 's role, granting many of the former powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive. The Secretary of State is now generally limited to representing Northern Ireland in the UK cabinet, overseeing the operation of the devolved administration and a number of reserved and excepted matters which remain the sole competence of the UK Government e.g. security, human rights, certain public inquiries and the administration of elections. Created in 1972, the position has switched between Members of Parliament from the Conservative Party and Labour Party. As Labour has not fielded candidates in Northern Ireland and the Conservatives have not had candidates elected to Northern Ireland Assembly or for House of Commons seats in the province, those appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland have not represented a constituency in Northern Ireland. This contrasts with the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Wales. The Secretary of State resides in Hillsborough Castle, the previous residence of the Governor and the official government and royal residence in Northern Ireland, and exercises their duties through the Northern Ireland Office. Contents 1 History 2 List of office holders 3 See also 4 Notes History Historically, the principal ministers for Irish ( and subsequently Northern Ireland ) affairs in the UK Government and its predecessors were : the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland ( c. 1171 -- 1922 ) ; the Chief Secretary for Ireland ( 1560 -- 1922 ) ; and the Home Secretary ( 1922 -- 1972 ). In August 1969, for example, Home Secretary James Callaghan approved the sending of British Army soldiers to Northern Ireland. Scotland and Wales were represented by the Secretary of State for Scotland and Secretary of State for Wales from 1885 and 1965 respectively but Northern Ireland remained separate, due to the devolved Northern Ireland Government and Northern Ireland Parliament. The office of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland was created after the Northern Ireland government ( at Stormont ) was first suspended and then abolished following widespread civil strife. The British government was increasingly concerned that Stormont was losing control of the situation. On 30 March 1972, direct rule from Westminster was introduced. The Secretary of State filled three roles which existed under the previous Stormont regime : the Governor of Northern Ireland ( the nominal head of the executive and representative of the British monarch ) the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland ( now filled by the First Minister of Northern Ireland and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland acting jointly ) the Minister of Home Affairs ( now filled by the Minister of Justice ). Direct rule was seen as a temporary measure, with a power - sharing devolution preferred as the solution, and was annually renewed by a vote in Parliament. The Sunningdale Agreement in 1973 resulted in a brief, power - sharing Northern Ireland Executive, from 1 January 1974, which was ended by the loyalist Ulster Workers ' Council strike on 28 May 1974. The strikers opposed the power - sharing and all - Ireland aspects of the new administration. The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention ( 1975 -- 1976 ) and Northern Ireland Assembly ( 1982 -- 1986 ) were unsuccessful in restoring devolved government. After the Anglo - Irish Agreement on 15 November 1985, the UK Government and Irish Government co-operated more closely on security and political matters. Following the Belfast Agreement ( also known as the Good Friday Agreement ) on 10 April 1998, devolution returned to Northern Ireland on 2 December 1999. This removed many of the duties of the Secretary of State and his Northern Ireland Office colleagues and devolved them to locally elected politicians, constituting the Northern Ireland Executive. The devolved administration was suspended several times ( especially between 15 October 2002 and 8 May 2007 ) because the Ulster Unionist Party and Democratic Unionist Party were uncomfortable being in government with Sinn Féin when the Provisional Irish Republican Army had failed to decommission its arms fully and continued its criminal activities. On each of these occasions, the responsibilities of the ministers in the Executive then returned to the Secretary of State and his ministers. During these periods, in addition to administration of the region, the Secretary of State was also heavily involved in the negotiations with all parties to restore devolved government. Power was again devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 8 May 2007. The Secretary of State retained responsibility for policing and justice until most of those powers were devolved on 12 April 2010. List of office holders Colour key Conservative Labour Name Portrait Term of office Political party Prime Minister William Whitelaw 24 March 1972 2 December 1973 Conservative Edward Heath Francis Pym 2 December 1973 4 March 1974 Conservative Merlyn Rees 5 March 1974 10 September 1976 Labour Harold Wilson Roy Mason 10 September 1976 4 May 1979 Labour James Callaghan Humphrey Atkins 5 May 1979 14 September 1981 Conservative Margaret Thatcher James Prior 14 September 1981 11 September 1984 Conservative Douglas Hurd 11 September 1984 3 September 1985 Conservative Tom King 3 September 1985 24 July 1989 Conservative Peter Brooke 24 July 1989 10 April 1992 Conservative John Major Sir Patrick Mayhew 10 April 1992 2 May 1997 Conservative Mo Mowlam 3 May 1997 11 October 1999 Labour Tony Blair Peter Mandelson 11 October 1999 24 January 2001 Labour John Reid 25 January 2001 24 October 2002 Labour Paul Murphy 24 October 2002 6 May 2005 Labour Peter Hain ( also Welsh Secretary ) 6 May 2005 27 June 2007 Labour Shaun Woodward 28 June 2007 11 May 2010 Labour Gordon Brown Owen Paterson 12 May 2010 4 September 2012 Conservative David Cameron ( Coalition ) Theresa Villiers 4 September 2012 14 July 2016 Conservative David Cameron ( II ) James Brokenshire 14 July 2016 8 January 2018 Conservative Theresa May Karen Bradley 8 January 2018 Incumbent Conservative See also First Minister of Northern Ireland Great Seal of Northern Ireland Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Secretary of State ( United Kingdom ) Secretary of State for Scotland Secretary of State for Wales Notes Jump up ^ Affairs, Department of Foreign. `` Buaileann an Tánaiste le Rúnaí Stáit Thuaisceart Éireann - An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha agus Trádála ''. www.dfa.ie. Jump up ^ `` ' Níl sé de cheart ag Brokenshire an Riail Dhíreach a thabhairt ar ais agus ní ghlacfaimis léi ' -- Sinn Féin ''. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2010. Jump up ^ `` Home Office ''. National Archives Catalogue. National Archives. Retrieved 15 October 2011. Jump up ^ Melaugh, Martin. `` The Deployment of British Troops -- 14 August 1969 ''. Conflict Archive on the Internet ( CAIN ). University of Ulster. Retrieved 15 October 2011. Jump up ^ Melaugh, Martin. `` A Chronology of the Conflict -- 1972 ''. Conflict Archive on the Internet ( CAIN ). University of Ulster. Retrieved 15 October 2011. Jump up ^ `` Northern Ireland ( Temporary Provisions ) Act 1972 '' ( PDF ). legislation.gov.uk. Jump up ^ Mark Simpson ( 12 April 2010 ). `` New era for policing and justice in Northern Ireland ''. BBC News. Retrieved 11 April 2010. Northern Ireland Office Headquarters : 11 Millbank, London and Stormont House, Belfast Secretary of State Karen Bradley Under - Secretary of State Shailesh Vara Lord Duncan of Springbank Advocate General Jeremy Wright Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Office Whitelaw Pym Rees Mason Atkins Prior Hurd King Brooke Mayhew Mowlam Mandelson Reid Murphy Hain Woodward Paterson Villiers Brokenshire Bradley Also held Secretary of State for Wales Opposition Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Cabinet of the United Kingdom Great Offices of State Prime Minister / First Lord of the Treasury Chancellor of the Exchequer / Second Lord of the Treasury Foreign & Commonwealth Home Other Cabinet posts Leader of the House of Lords / Lord Privy Seal Minister for the Cabinet Office / Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Minister without portfolio Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Housing, Communities & Local Government Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Defence Education Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Exiting the European Union Health & Social Care International Development International Trade / President of the Board of Trade Lord Chancellor / Secretary of State for Justice Northern Ireland Scotland Transport Wales Work & Pensions Also attend Cabinet Attorney General Chief Secretary to the Treasury Chief Whip Leader of the House of Commons / Lord President of the Council Minister of State for Climate Change and Industry Minister of State for Immigration Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Secretary_of_State_for_Northern_Ireland&oldid=837957037 '' Categories : Lists of government ministers of the United Kingdom Government of Northern Ireland Ministerial offices in the United Kingdom 1972 establishments in the United Kingdom Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from September 2012 Articles needing additional references from August 2008 All articles needing additional references Articles containing Irish - language text Talk Contents About Wikipedia Cymraeg Deutsch Français 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Polski Svenska ไทย Edit links This page was last edited on 24 April 2018, at 01 : 37. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who is the secretary of state for northern ireland
Answer: Karen Bradley; Karen Bradley; Karen Bradley; Karen Bradley; Karen Bradley