Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is a member of the UK Shadow Cabinet responsible for the scrutiny of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and her department, the Northern Ireland Office. The post is currently held by Vernon Coaker, following Ivan Lewis's sacking by new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. The holder is assisted by shadow ministers in the Commons and in the Lords.

Until recently there has 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 province. Conservatives, for example, generally support the unionist cause and in 2008 reformalised a link with the Ulster Unionist Party, 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
	Merlyn Rees		24 March 1972	4 March 1974	Labour	Harold Wilson
	Francis Pym	60px	4 March 1974	29 October 1974	Conservative	Edward Heath
	Ian Gilmour		29 October 1974	18 February 1975	Conservative
	Airey Neave		18 February 1975	30 March 1979	Conservative
						Margaret Thatcher
	Roy Mason		4 May 1979	14 July 1979	Labour	James Callaghan
	Brynmor John		14 July 1979	8 December 1980	Labour
	Don Concannon		8 December 1980	31 October 1983	Labour	Michael Foot
	Peter Archer		31 October 1983	13 July 1987	Labour	Neil Kinnock
	Kevin McNamara		13 July 1987	20 October 1994	Labour
						John Smith
						Margaret Beckett
	Mo Mowlam		20 October 1994	2 May 1997	Labour	Tony Blair
	Andrew Mackay		23 June 1997	14 September 2001	Conservative	William Hague
	Quentin Davies		14 September 2001	11 November 2003	Conservative	Iain Duncan Smith
	David Lidington	60px	11 November 2003	2 July 2007	Conservative	Michael Howard
						David Cameron
	Owen Paterson		2 July 2007	11 May 2010	Conservative
	Shaun Woodward	60px	11 May 2010	7 October 2011	Labour	Harriet Harman
						Ed Miliband
	Vernon Coaker	60px	7 October 2011	7 October 2013	Labour
	Ivan Lewis	60px	7 October 2013	13 September 2015	Labour
						Harriet Harman
	Vernon Coaker	60px	13 September 2015	Incumbent	Labour	Jeremy Corbyn

See also

• Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
• Northern Ireland Office
• UK Shadow Cabinet
• Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team
• Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
• Northern Ireland Grand Committee

External links

• Conservative Northern Ireland branch
• Conservative Northern Ireland news
• Conservative Northern Ireland Education Spokesman
• David Lidington MP
• Lembit Öpik MP