Keir Starmer Hands Fleur Anderson Ministerial Role

Putney MP to serve at the Northern Ireland Office

Fleur Anderson appointed as a junior Minister in the new government

July 10, 2024

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has appointed Fleur Anderson MP the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office.

This represents a continuation of the role she was given last September when Labour was in opposition. She will work alongside the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, who held the same position in the Shadow Cabinet.

Ms Anderson, who was last week re-elected as MP for Putney on a doubled majority of over 10,000 votes, said, “I am deeply honoured to have been appointed to the role of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Working alongside Secretary of State Hilary Benn MP in our Shadow Ministerial roles has been immensely inspiring, and we are now determined to get to work as quickly as possible to establish a new relationship between the UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive. Our new Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Belfast on the third day of his Premiership illustrates how seriously we as a Labour Government take our relationship with Stormont.”

The Prime Minister flew to Belfast on 8 July to meet with the First and Deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland at Stormont, with discussions said by party leaders to be “constructive”, “productive” and “positive”.

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald described talks with the new Prime Minister, compared to the previous government, as the difference between “daylight and dark”.

This March Ms Anderson led a delegation of 17 MPs on a two-day trip to Northern Ireland following the resumption of power sharing in the local assembly. The group MPs met at Stormont with politicians, before touring Northern Ireland to meet with teachers, dockyard workers and community leaders.

She added, “It has been humbling to be so warmly welcomed by the communities of Northern Ireland on my previous trips as Shadow Minister, and I am delighted to return in my new role. Myself and Secretary of State Hilary Benn MP will continue to work together with all communities to foster economic growth, prosperity and improved public services. Labour is the Party of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, and I am honoured to have the opportunity to serve a Northern Ireland of opportunity, reconciliation and equality.”