Hilary Benn


Hilary Benn

MP
Official portrait, 2024
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Assumed office
5 July 2024
Prime MinisterKeir Starmer
Preceded byChris Heaton-Harris
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
In office
4 September 2023 – 5 July 2024
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byPeter Kyle
Chair of the Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union[a]
In office
19 October 2016 – 16 January 2021
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
In office
28 June 2007 – 11 May 2010
Prime MinisterGordon Brown
Preceded byDavid Miliband
Succeeded byCaroline Spelman
Secretary of State for International Development
In office
6 October 2003 – 28 June 2007
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byThe Baroness Amos
Succeeded byDouglas Alexander
Shadow Cabinet portfolios
Shadow Foreign Secretary
Acting
11 May 2015 – 26 June 2016
LeaderHarriet Harman (Acting)
Jeremy Corbyn
Preceded byDouglas Alexander
Succeeded byEmily Thornberry
Shadow First Secretary of State
In office
11 May 2015 – 13 September 2015
LeaderHarriet Harman (Acting)
Preceded byHarriet Harman (Shadow Deputy Prime Minister)
Succeeded byAngela Eagle
Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
In office
7 October 2011 – 11 May 2015
LeaderEd Miliband
Preceded byCaroline Flint
Succeeded byEmma Reynolds
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
In office
8 October 2010 – 7 October 2011
LeaderEd Miliband
Preceded byRosie Winterton
Succeeded byAngela Eagle
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
In office
11 May 2010 – 8 October 2010
LeaderHarriet Harman (Acting)
Ed Miliband
Preceded byNick Herbert
Succeeded byMary Creagh
Junior ministerial offices
Minister of State for International Development
In office
13 May 2003 – 6 October 2003
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded bySally Keeble
Succeeded byGareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prisons and Probations
In office
29 May 2002 – 13 May 2003
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byKeith Bradley
Succeeded byFiona Mactaggart
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development
In office
11 June 2001 – 28 May 2002
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded byChris Mullin
Succeeded bySally Keeble
Member of Parliament
for Leeds Central
In office
10 June 1999 – 30 June 2024
Preceded byDerek Fatchett
Succeeded byAlex Sobel
Majority19,270 (39.1%)
Member of Parliament
for Leeds South
Assumed office
5 July 2024
Preceded byConstituency Established
Majority11,279 (54.0%)
Personal details
Born
Hilary James Wedgwood Benn

(1953-11-26) 26 November 1953 (age 71)
Hammersmith, London, England
Political partyLabour
Spouse(s)
  • Rosalind Retey
    (m. 1973; died 1979)
  • Sally Clark
    (m. 1982)
Children4
Parents
Alma materUniversity of Sussex

Hilary James Wedgwood Benn (born 26 November 1953) is an English politician. He was born in Hammersmith, west London. He previously held the position of Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. He has been serving as the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland since 2024.[1][2] He is the Member of Parliament for the Leeds Central constituency in the United Kingdom. He was first elected in 1999 in a by-election. He is a member of the Labour Party. He is the middle son of Tony Benn (1925-2014) and Caroline Benn (1926-2000).

Notes

  1. Exiting the European Union (2016–2020)

References

  1. "Hilary Benn is new Northern Ireland secretary". BBC. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  2. "Hilary Benn MP".