Julian Smith sacked as NI Secretary of State

Julian Smith became the first casualty of Boris Johnson’s government reshuffle after being unceremoniously dumped from the Northern Ireland Office.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Feb 2020, 09:35 BST
Updated 13th Feb 2020, 10:28 BST
Julian Smith has left the governmentJulian Smith has left the government
Julian Smith has left the government

His departure comes just weeks after brokering the deal which restored the powersharing administration in Stormont.

Mr Smith said it had been “the biggest privilege” to serve the people of Northern Ireland and he was “extremely grateful” to have been given the chance to serve “this amazing part of our country”.

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“The warmth & support from people across NI has been incredible,” he said on Twitter.

“Thank you so much.”

Mr Smith was called in to see the Prime Minister in his Commons office as the reshuffle began.

The Prime Minister intends to “promote a generation of talent” in a reshuffle aimed at preparing the Tories for the future.

Speculation about Mr Smith’s position centred on the terms of the Stormont deal, amid Tory concerns it could pave the way for prosecutions of British soldiers.

But allies of the axed minister said it was “absolute crap” to suggest that Mr Johnson and Number 10 had not been kept informed of the process and details of the deal.

Related topics:Boris JohnsonPrime MinisterNorthern IrelandTwitter