Former Culture Secretary Karen Bradley has been named as James Brokenshire’s successor as Northern Ireland Secretary.

Mr Brokenshire resigned from the Cabinet yesterday to allow him to undergo surgery for a “small lesion” in his right lung.

Ms Bradley said she “would like to pay the warmest tribute to my predecessor and friend, James Brokenshire, who did such an outstanding job”.

She said her top priority in the role would be to restore the Northern Ireland Executive in order to “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”.

She also said she would “continue the work to deliver a Brexit that recognises Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances and avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland while maintaining the economic and constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom”.

Over the next few days, Ms Bradley said she would meet “many different people, parties and other groups as I take on this hugely important and exciting role in the Prime Minister’s Government”.