Karen Bradley removed as NI Secretary

Author: Sasha WyliePublished 24th Jul 2019

Karen Bradley has been removed as Northern Ireland Secretary of State.

It's part of a cabinet reshuffle, as the new Prime Minister Boris Johnson selects his top team.

In a statement, Ms Bradley said: "It has been an enormous privilege to serve as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and represent this special nation and integral part of our precious union.

"I would like to pay tribute to Theresa May for her continued support and commitment to ensuring the unique needs of Northern Ireland were met and respected in full.

"I would also like to thank the whole team at the Northern Ireland Office who work tirelessly to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland.''

She said she was proud of the achievements over the past 18 months, and said: "I personally regret that I will not conclude the current talks process but I am honoured to have led the process over the past 12 weeks.

"The political parties in Northern Ireland have made important progress and shown a new determination to overcome their differences and reach an agreement.

"I now pass this tremendous responsibility over to my successor with every best wish and my full support to conclude the process."