Julian Smith

Background

About Julian Smith

Julian is Member of Parliament (MP) for Skipton and Ripon, a position he has held since 2010. Since his election, Julian has served in a number of roles in the UK government including Government Chief Whip and Northern Ireland Secretary. He has been re elected in 2015,2017, 2019 and 2024. During his time as Northern Ireland Secretary, Julian played a pivotal role in restoring the Northern Ireland Executive after a three-year political impasse through the New Decade, New Approach agreement. His success in these negotiations earned him the title of Minister of the Year by The Spectator. He also oversaw significant reforms, such as the legalisation of same-sex marriage and abortion in Northern Ireland, and the establishment of the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board to provide compensation for victims. His work in these areas highlighted his strengths in diplomacy and conflict resolution. Prior to this, Julian served as Government Chief Whip and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, managing parliamentary processes and party discipline during the critical Brexit period. Julian also advised Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on key issues such as the Windsor Framework, the 2020 restoration of the Northern Ireland executive and mediating industrial disputes, including negotiations with the Royal College of Nurses. Julian is Chair of the International Finance Facility for Education and Chair of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Taskforce on Alternative Dispute Resolution for Electricity Network Infrastructure. In recognition of his political service, Julian was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2019 and Knight Commander of the Order of Bath (KCB) in 2024 for Political and Public Service. Julian was previously an entrepreneur founding and leading executive search businesses in London and Singapore.