What is Secretary of State for Northern Ireland?
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox official post | post = Secretary | body = State<br>for Northern Ireland | nativename = | insignia = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg | insigniacaption = [[Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom|Royal Arms]] of [[Government of the United Kingdom|His Majesty's Government]] | image = Hilary Benn Official Cabinet Portrait, July 2024 (crop 1).jpg | incumbent = [[Hilary Benn]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hilary Benn is new Northern Ireland secretary|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx827v8rxzyo.amp|access-date=5 July 2024|website=BBC}}</ref> | incumbentsince = 5 July 2024 | style = Northern Ireland Secretary<br>(informal)<br>[[The Right Honourable]]<br>(within the UK and the Commonwealth) | status = [[Secretary of State (United Kingdom)|Secretary of state]]<br/>[[Minister of the Crown]] | residence = [[Hillsborough Castle]] | nominator = | nominatorpost = | appointer = The [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Monarch]] | appointer_qualified = on advice of the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] | termlength = At [[His Majesty's pleasure]] | first = [[William Whitelaw]] | formation = 24 March 1972 | precursor = [[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland]]<br />[[Governor of Northern Ireland]] | deputy = [[Minister of State for Northern Ireland]] | salary = | website = {{url|www.nio.gov.uk}} }} {{PoliticsUK}} The '''secretary of state for Northern Ireland''' ({{Lang-ga|Rúnaí Stáit Thuaisceart Éireann}}; {{Lang-sco|Secretar o State for Norlin Airlan}}),<ref name=nsmc/><ref name=dfa/> also called the '''Northern Ireland secretary''' or '''SoSNI''', is a [[Secretary of State (United Kingdom)|secretary of state]] in the [[Government of the United Kingdom]]. They are in charge of the [[Northern Ireland Office]].<ref name=govUK/> The Secretary is a member of the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom]]. They are 17th in the [[ministerial ranking]].<ref name=parliament/> The works with the other [[Northern Ireland Office#Current ministers|Northern Irela