Sarah Owen and Baroness Ruth Anderson have joined the Northern Ireland Office as parliamentary under-secretaries of state.
The previous minister at the Northern Ireland Office, Matthew Patrick, has left the government. He congratulated the new NI secretary, Chris Bryant, and the new ministers on social media on Wednesday evening.
Mr Patrick also thanked Hilary Benn, the previous Northern Ireland Secretary, and credited him for ‘learning the art of diplomacy and decision making’.
Congratulations to the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, @RhonddaBryant, and new Minister, Sarah Owen.
— Matthew Patrick MP (@Matthew_Patrick) July 22, 2026
I wish you every success as you take on the crucial work of supporting, championing and advocating for Northern Ireland.
A parliamentary under-secretary of state is the most junior minister in a government department. Some departments also have the mid-level position of minister of state.
Sarah Owen
Sarah Owen is the MP for Luton North and has been in the House of Commons since 2019.
This is her first position in government, having previously served as shadow minister for local government and faith. She has also chaired Parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee, though she will now have to give this up after joining the government payroll.
Before entering politics, she worked in the NHS as a care worker and for the London Fire Brigade in the emergency planning department. She was a political adviser to Alan Sugar.
Owen is the co-chair of Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East.
Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent
Baroness Ruth Anderson was an MP from 2015 until 2019, and in 2022 was appointed to the House of Lords after receiving a life peerage.
Earlier this year she was appointed as a parliamentary secretary for the Cabinet Office.
She has previously worked in public relations roles for the Britain-Israel Communications and Research Centre and Nestlé.
In April 2019, Baroness Anderson was elected parliamentary chair of the Jewish Labour Movement. She is a member of Labour Friends of Israel.
What does the Northern Ireland Office do?
The Northern Ireland Office is the government department responsible for handling Northern Ireland affairs.
Based in London and Belfast, the NIO has specific responsibility for electoral law, human rights & equality, national security and the UK government’s approach to legacy.
