Chris Bryant has been appointed to serve as the new Northern Ireland Secretary. Chris Bryant has been appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland @niogov. In a statement Ms McEntee thanked Mr Benn for his “deep commitment to Northern Ireland, and to the UK-Ireland relationship more broadly”. Mr Robinson also said he looked forward to engaging with the next Northern Ireland Secretary. “The Democratic Unionist Party looks forward to engaging positively with the incoming Secretary of State in the interests of all the people of Northern Ireland.”