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In Yes, Prime Minister, the timeless TV satire of British politics, prime minister Jim Hacker defined his job as “the only member of the Government who can’t be sent to Northern Ireland next week”.
The line got laughs because it reflected perfectly then, as now, how the post of Northern Ireland secretary is seen in politics: the lowest of the low. In one sense, the reasons are obvious: Northern Ireland represents less than 3% of the UK population and the Northern Ireland Office has scant political power and few officials; it now has about 150 staff, compared with 50,000 for the home secretary.