THE NEW Secretary for Northern Ireland Karen Bradley has said forming an Executive is a 'top priority.'
The former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport was appointed to the new role yesterday following the departure of James Brokenshire due to ill-health.
In a statement, Secretary Bradley said: "Northern Ireland is a very special part of our United Kingdom and has huge potential.
"A key part of my role will be to help build a Northern Ireland that is fit for the future and works for everyone.
"In seeking to achieve that I want to work closely with all parties, the Irish government as appropriate, and with all sections of the community.
"Be assured the UK Government remains fully committed to the Belfast Agreement, its principles and institutions," she added.
However, she said there are immediate challenges to Northern Ireland.
"It is now a year since Northern Ireland has had an effective, functioning power-sharing administration, and forming a Northern Ireland Executive, to deliver for the benefit of all, is my top priority.
"I believe a devolved Government in Belfast is best placed to address these issues and take the key decisions which affect people’s day to day lives - whether these relate to the economy, public services or issues of policing and justice."
Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley begins her first full day in office today, a year to the day since the collapse of power-sharing at Stormont.
Last January, Sinn Féin's late deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned from the governing coalition in protest against the Democratic Unionist Party's handling of a green energy scheme.
Several rounds of negotiations between the two main parties since then have failed to break the deadlock.
She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Staffordshire Moorlands since the 2010 general election.
In Theresa May's first cabinet reshuffle in July 2016, Bradley was appointed as the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
Before then, since February 2014, she had served as a junior Home Office minister.
Earlier she had served in the Government Whips' Office since September 2012, initially as an Assistant Government Whip and, after a subsequent promotion in 2013, as a Government Whip (Junior Lord of the Treasury).
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