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First Secretary of State








First Secretary of State


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United Kingdom
First Secretary of State

Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg

Royal Arms used by Her Majesty's Government


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Flag of the United Kingdom


Incumbent
Vacant


Government of the United Kingdom
Office of the Prime Minister
Cabinet Office
Style
The Right Honourable
First Secretary of State
Member of
  • Cabinet

  • Privy Council

  • National Security Council


Reports to
The Prime Minister
Residence
None, may use Grace and favour residences
Seat
Westminster, London
Nominator
The Prime Minister
Appointer
The British Monarch
on the advice of the Prime Minister
Term length
No fixed term
Inaugural holder
Rab Butler
Formation
13 July 1962
Salary
£142,467 (annual, including £74,962 MP's salary)[1]
Website
Official website










United Kingdom
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First Secretary of State is an honorary title occasionally used in the Government of the United Kingdom. It implies seniority over all other Secretaries of State,[2] but has no specific powers or authority attached to it beyond that of any other Secretary of State. When no Deputy Prime Minister is in office, the post is de facto second in Government. If no First Secretary of State, the Chancellor of the Exchequer is de facto second in Government.


The title is not always in use, so there have sometimes been extended gaps between successive holders of the title. It was unused the longest in the 25 years between 1970 and 1995. After Damian Green resigned over sexual harassment allegations on 20 December 2017, no Secretary of State was appointed to fill the post.[3][4]




Contents





  • 1 Responsibilities


  • 2 Relationship with Deputy Prime Minister


  • 3 List of First Secretaries of State


  • 4 Timeline


  • 5 See also


  • 6 Notes


  • 7 References




Responsibilities[edit]


The role has had varying responsibilities over time. The most recent responsibilities are:[5]


  • Supporting the Prime Minister in the running of the Government of the United Kingdom.

  • Deputising for the Prime Minister.

  • Advising the Prime Minister on developing and implementing Government policy.

  • Driving forward government business and implementation including through chairing and deputy chairing cabinet committees and taskforces.

  • Overseeing constitutional affairs and maintaining the integrity of the Union.

  • Oversight of all Cabinet Office policies.


Relationship with Deputy Prime Minister[edit]


The post of Deputy Prime Minister had been created in 1942 for Clement Attlee, the leader of the Labour Party in Winston Churchill's wartime coalition ministry. The post indicated that the holder ranked second in government, after the Prime Minister, but did not confer cabinet rank and did not pay a salary. For this reason, the Deputy Prime Minister concurrently held other offices, entitling him to a place in cabinet.


The title First Secretary of State indicated the holder's rank as a Secretary of State, with a place in cabinet. The title was created in 1962 for Deputy Prime Minister R. A. Butler, granting him a place in cabinet despite not holding a specific cabinet portfolio. Michael Heseltine and John Prescott were also relieved of their cabinet portfolios when serving as Deputy Prime Minister, and were therefore additionally appointed First Secretary of State. In 1964, Prime Minister Harold Wilson established the alternative usage, appointing a First Secretary of State among the cabinet without appointing a Deputy Prime Minister.


The two titles have only existed concurrently with different holders in one government: in David Cameron's coalition ministry of 2010–15, Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, was appointed Deputy Prime Minister, while former Conservative leader William Hague was appointed First Secretary of State.



List of First Secretaries of State[edit]


























































































































First Secretary of State
Portrait
Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Other ministerial offices
Party
Ministry

Ref.


Rab Butler.png

R. A. Butler[6]
MP for Saffron Walden
(1902–1982)


13 July
1962

18 October
1963

  • Deputy Prime Minister

Conservative

Macmillan II
[7]

Title not in use
1963–1964




George Brown, 1967.jpg

George Brown
MP for Belper
(1914–1985)


16 October
1964

11 August
1966

  • Secretary of State for Economic Affairs

Labour

Wilson
(I & II)
[7]


Michael Stewart (1966).jpg

Michael Stewart
MP for Fulham
(1906–1990)


11 August
1966

6 April
1968


  • Secretary of State for Economic Affairs[a]


  • Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs[b]


Labour
[7]


Mme Barbara Castle, Ministre britannique du développement outre-mer.jpg

Barbara Castle
MP for Blackburn
(1910–2002)


6 April
1968

19 June
1970

  • Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity

Labour
[7]

Title not in use
1970–1995




Lord Heseltine, Deputy Prime Minister, UK (1995-97) (10559130986).jpg

Michael Heseltine
MP for Henley
(born 1933)


20 July
1995

2 May
1997

  • Deputy Prime Minister

Conservative

Major II
[8]

Title not in use
1997–2001




John Prescott on his last day as Deputy Prime Minister, June 2007.jpg

John Prescott
MP for Hull East
(born 1938)


8 June
2001

27 June
2007


  • Deputy Prime Minister[c]

Labour

Blair
(II & III)
[9]

Title not in use
2007–2009




Peter Mandelson at Politics of Climate Change 3.jpg

Peter Mandelson
Lord Mandelson
(born 1953)


5 June
2009

11 May
2010

  • Lord President of the Council

  • Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills

  • President of the Board of Trade


Labour

Brown



William Hague, Foreign Sec (crop).jpg

William Hague
MP for Richmond (Yorks)
(born 1961)


12 May
2010

8 May
2015


  • Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs[d]


  • Leader of the House of Commons[e]


Conservative

Cameron–Clegg
(Con.–L.D.)
[10]


George osborne hi.jpg

George Osborne
MP for Tatton
(born 1971)


8 May
2015

13 July
2016

  • Chancellor of the Exchequer

Conservative

Cameron II
[11]

Title not in use
2016–2017




Official portrait of Damian Green crop 2.jpg

Damian Green
MP for Ashford
(born 1956)


11 June
2017

20 December
2017

  • Minister for the Cabinet Office

Conservative

May II

[12][13]

Title not in use
2017–present



Timeline[edit]



Damian GreenGeorge OsborneWilliam HaguePeter MandelsonJohn PrescottMichael HeseltineBarbara CastleMichael StewartGeorge BrownRab Butler


See also[edit]


  • Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom


Notes[edit]




  1. ^ Served as Secretary of State for Economic Affairs until August 1967


  2. ^ Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from March 1968


  3. ^ Deputy Prime Minister from May 1997


  4. ^ Served as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs until July 2014.


  5. ^ Served as Leader of the House of Commons from July 2014




References[edit]




  1. ^ https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/561941/ministerial_salaries_july_2016_updated_17_10_16.pdf


  2. ^ Nicholas Watt (8 May 2015). "George Osborne made first secretary of state in cabinet reshuffle". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 May 2015. 


  3. ^ "Damian Green sacked after 'misleading statements' on porn claims". BBC News. 


  4. ^ "Damian Green sacked over porn cover-up as Theresa May suffers third Cabinet departure in two months". The Telegraph. 


  5. ^ "First Secretary of State - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2017-07-25. 


  6. ^ Howard, Anthony (February 7, 2013). "RAB: The Life of R.A. Butler". A&C Black. 


  7. ^ abcd David Butler and Gareth Butler, British Political Facts 1900–1994 (7th edn, Macmillan 1994) 62.


  8. ^ "Lord Heseltine". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 December 2017. 


  9. ^ "Lord Prescott". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 December 2017. 


  10. ^ "Lord Hague of Richmond". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 December 2017. 


  11. ^ "Rt Hon George Osborne". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 December 2017. 


  12. ^ "Rt Hon Damian Green MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 December 2017. 


  13. ^ Stewart, Heather. "Damian Green sacked as first secretary of state after porn allegations". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 December 2017. 











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