About Julian
Julian has been the MP for Skipton and Ripon since 2010. He served as a Ministerial aide in the Department for International Development from 2010 to 2015. From 2017 to 2019, he was the Government Chief Whip during the Brexit period, working to resolve parliamentary deadlock.
In July 2019, Julian was appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, where he led negotiations that restored devolved government through the “New Decade, New Approach” agreement, earning him Spectator magazine’s Minister of the Year award in 2020.
As Secretary of State, he introduced same-sex marriage and abortion legislation in Northern Ireland and established the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board to compensate victims of child abuse.
Recently, Julian advised Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on various issues, including the Windsor Framework and the restoration of government in Northern Ireland. He mediated between the Royal College of Nurses and the Government during a recent nurses’ strike and has addressed other industrial disputes..
Currently, Julian chairs the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero Taskforce on Alternative Dispute Resolution for Electricity Network Infrastructure.
He was also appointed Commander of British Empire in 2019 for political service and Knight Commander of the Order of Bath in 2024 for political and public service.