Sir Chris Bryant has taken on the role of Northern Ireland secretary, adding a new cabinet post to a career that has already included work as an Anglican priest, author, and the first MP to have a same-sex civil partnership ceremony in Westminster. He admitted the job was "daunting" when asked by the BBC on Tuesday how he had got it, and now faces the challenge of navigating Stormont politics and the Northern Ireland Office.
His appointment marks the first time the 64-year-old MP has held a cabinet position. It also places him in one of the most politically sensitive roles in government, with questions over his style, his relationships in Northern Ireland, and the scale of the problems he must tackle first.
Born in Cardiff, Sir Chris joined the Labour Party in 1986 while studying to become a priest. By 1991, he had left the ordained ministry after deciding that being gay was incompatible with being a priest.
A quick look at his LinkedIn profile shows some of the jobs he held before entering Parliament, including serving as head of European Affairs for the BBC from 1998 until he was elected as MP for Rhondda in South Wales three years later.
He was briefly a Europe minister in the Brown government and held a number of junior minister roles when Labour returned to power under Sir Keir Starmer in 2024, most recently in the Department for Business and Trade. Speaking to the BBC's Political Thinking in 2021, he joked that he had "careered from career to career" before finding politics and sticking at it.
That background may help explain his confidence, but it also underlines why the Northern Ireland job is a step up. Although he has served in government before, this is his first cabinet role, and the responsibilities in Belfast are likely to test him quickly.
How is he being viewed in Westminster?
Some in Westminster circles have already compared him to the late Mo Mowlam, Labour's no-nonsense Northern Ireland secretary during the talks leading to the Good Friday Agreement. Her reputation for straight talking was matched by sharp one-liners in the media, and some think Bryant may bring a similar directness.
Kitty Donaldson, chief political commentator at The i Paper, said he could be a "sarcastic" character but also a very "positive" person who is comfortable sharing his personal life with the public. Sir Chris has spoken many times about growing up with an alcoholic mother and, several years ago, revealed he had been diagnosed with skin cancer. In 2025, he said he was now in remission after several bouts of treatment.
"He sees injustice as the big campaign structure of his life, and I think he'll be a breath of fresh air. Hilary Benn was a lovely bloke but by no means as combative as Chris Bryant so I think you're in for some fun,"
"He wears his heart on his sleeve. That is refreshing, what you see is what you get. People who have been acerbic and put their cards on the table, people like Mo Mowlam have done quite well in Northern Irish politics as people there do appreciate honesty."
But this is not 1998, and the challenges Northern Ireland faces now are different in many ways from the ones Mowlam dealt with.
Will his style cause problems with Stormont?
One Stormont source remarked that Bryant would probably "fall out with everybody", pointing to the reputation he has developed during his 25 years as an MP. Another MP described him as "surprisingly sincere" and said he might have the right skillset for Northern Ireland, including "not tolerating the same old failing" approach.
Even so, he may need to rebuild bridges with some in the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). They may not have forgotten that in 2017 Sir Chris was among LGBT Labour MPs who came out against the confidence and supply deal between the DUP and Theresa May's Conservative government, because of the DUP's opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion.
During the turbulent years of Brexit negotiations, Sir Chris also made his pro-EU views clear. At one point he said in a Commons speech that Brexit would not be done in his name, adding:
"Never, never, never."
Brexit did happen, and he now serves in a government dealing with the consequences of those arrangements. That has not gone unnoticed by Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister, who posted his verdict on social media.
"As an EU fanatic I'd have little expectation of Chris Bryant standing up for NI against EU colonialism in this part of the UK,"
To the surprise of many, Sir Chris replied shortly afterwards:
"Jim, I look forward to working with you for a strong Northern Ireland in a strong United Kingdom."
He, like the prime minister, wants to focus on putting money into people's pockets and power back into communities, rather than calling border polls. But as the person with the power to call a referendum on Irish unity, that position will be closely scrutinised, especially by Stormont's nationalist parties, who say that a change of name plate in the Northern Ireland Office means little unless policy changes too.
What are his first priorities?
For Sir Chris, the immediate challenges are sorting out Stormont's finances and finding a way through long-delayed legislation dealing with Troubles legacy issues.
His predecessor Hilary Benn was described by former NIO special adviser Peter Cardwell as a "civil servant's dream, and a journalist's nightmare". Bryant's first interview since taking the job suggested a different style, as he set out his approach with a quote from the US actress and singer Bette Midler.
"In the words of Bette Midler, you've got to give a little, take a little, let your poor heart break a little, and that is the process of negotiation, isn't it?"
If the Midler reference was meant as a political metaphor, the singer also recorded "You Don't Own Me", and the executive parties are likely to push back if they dislike what they hear from him.
The Northern Ireland Office is also expected to see a shake-up when he arrives in Belfast for his first visit next week. Bryant represents a clear break from his predecessor, but it remains to be seen whether that difference will help Labour get its unfinished business in Northern Ireland done.
The contrast was highlighted by Peter Cardwell, who said Benn was a "civil servant's dream, and a journalist's nightmare". With Bryant now in charge, the Northern Ireland Office is likely to sound and look very different.
Whether he proves to be the figure who can move Labour's Northern Ireland agenda forward will depend on how he handles Stormont, the DUP, nationalists and the many competing pressures that come with the job.
Key Facts
- Sir Chris Bryant is the new Northern Ireland secretary.
- He is 64 and was born in Cardiff.
- He joined Labour in 1986 while training to become an Anglican priest.
- He said in 2025 he was in remission from skin cancer.
- He will make his first visit to Belfast next week.
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