Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
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Article ImagesThe 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 Louise Haigh, following the resignation of Tony Lloyd [1]. The holder is assisted by junior shadow ministers in the Commons and in the Lords.
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | |
---|---|
Appointer | Leader of the Opposition |
Inaugural holder | Merlyn Rees |
Formation | 24 March 1972 |
Website | The Shadow Cabinet |
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 | Political party | Shadow Cabinet | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Merlyn Rees | 24 March 1972 | 4 March 1974 | Labour | Harold Wilson | |
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Francis Pym | 4 March 1974 | 29 October 1974 | Conservative | Edward Heath | |
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Ian Gilmour | 29 October 1974 | 18 February 1975 | Conservative | ||
rowspan=2 style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Airey Neave |
18 February 1975 | 30 March 1979 | Conservative | ||
Margaret Thatcher | ||||||
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Roy Mason | 4 May 1979 | 14 July 1979 | Labour | James Callaghan | |
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Brynmor John | 14 July 1979 | 8 December 1980 | Labour | ||
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Don Concannon | 8 December 1980 | 31 October 1983 | Labour | Michael Foot | |
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Peter Archer | 31 October 1983 | 13 July 1987 | Labour | Neil Kinnock | |
rowspan=3 style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Kevin McNamara |
13 July 1987 | 20 October 1994 | Labour | ||
John Smith | ||||||
Margaret Beckett | ||||||
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Mo Mowlam | 20 October 1994 | 2 May 1997 | Labour | Tony Blair | |
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Andrew Mackay | 23 June 1997 | 14 September 2001 | Conservative | William Hague | |
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Quentin Davies | 14 September 2001 | 11 November 2003 | Conservative | Iain Duncan Smith | |
rowspan=2 style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | David Lidington | 11 November 2003 | 2 July 2007 | Conservative | Michael Howard | |
David Cameron | ||||||
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Owen Paterson | 2 July 2007 | 11 May 2010 | Conservative | ||
rowspan=2 style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Shaun Woodward | 11 May 2010 | 7 October 2011 | Labour | Harriet Harman | |
Ed Miliband | ||||||
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Vernon Coaker | 7 October 2011 | 7 October 2013 | Labour | ||
rowspan=2 style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Ivan Lewis | 7 October 2013 | 13 September 2015 | Labour | ||
Harriet Harman | ||||||
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Vernon Coaker | 13 September 2015 | 26 June 2016 | Labour | Jeremy Corbyn | |
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Dave Anderson | 26 June 2016 | 14 June 2017 | Labour | ||
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Owen Smith | 14 June 2017 | 23 March 2018 | Labour | ||
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Tony Lloyd | 23 March 2018 | 6 April 2020 | Labour | ||
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" | | Louise Haigh | 6 April 2020 | Incumbent | Labour | Keir Starmer |
References
- ^ "Rochdale MP Tony Lloyd steps down from frontbench after spell in ICU with coronavirus that left him 'gasping for air'". Manchester Evening News. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.