Political Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom explained

Post:Political Secretary to the Prime Minister
Insignia:Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, lesser arms).svg
Insigniacaption:Royal Arms as used by His Majesty's Government
Department:Prime Minister's Office
Appointer:Prime minister
Formation:1964
First:Marcia Williams
Website:10 Downing Street
Acting:no

The political secretary to the prime minister of the United Kingdom is a senior official in the United Kingdom Civil Service who advises the prime minister. Established by Harold Wilson, but continued by subsequent prime ministers, the political secretary was originally not a civil servant, but was later incorporated into the Civil Service.

List of political secretaries to the prime minister of the United Kingdom

Political secretaryYearsPrime Minister
Marcia Williams[1] [2] 1964–1970Harold Wilson
Douglas Hurd[3] [4] 1970–1974Edward Heath
Marcia Williams[5] [6] 1974–1976Harold Wilson
Tom McNally[7] [8] [9] 1976–1979James Callaghan
Richard Ryder[10] [11] [12] 1979–1981Margaret Thatcher
Derek Howe[13] 1981–1983
Stephen Sherbourne[14] [15] 1983–1988
John Whittingdale[16] [17] 1988–1990
Judith Chaplin[18] 1990–1992John Major
Jonathan Hill[19] 1992–1994
Howell James[20] [21] [22] 1994–1997
Sally Morgan[23] [24] 1997–2001Tony Blair
Robert Hill[25] 2001–2002
Pat McFadden[26] [27] [28] 2002–2005
John McTernan[29] [30] 2005–2007
Joe Irvin[31] 2007–2010Gordon Brown
Stephen Gilbert[32] [33] 2010–2015David Cameron
Laurence Mann[34] 2015–2016
Stephen Parkinson[35] 2016–2019Theresa May
Danny Kruger[36] [37] [38] 2019–2019Boris Johnson
Benjamin Gascoigne[39] [40] [41] 2019–2021
Declan Lyons[42] 2021–2022
Sophie Jarvis[43] 2022Liz Truss
James Forsyth[44] 2022–2024Rishi Sunak

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: 2019-02-17. Marcia Williams, political secretary, 1932-2019. Financial Times. 2022-02-06.
  2. News: 2019-02-16. Baroness Falkender, Harold Wilson's powerful secretary, dies. en-GB. BBC News. 2022-02-06.
  3. Web site: Douglas Hurd. 2022-02-06. Peters Fraser and Dunlop (PFD) Literary Agents. en-GB.
  4. Web site: Douglas Hurd. 2022-02-06. Oxford Reference. en.
  5. Web site: 2019-02-16. Lady Falkender obituary. 2022-02-06. the Guardian. en.
  6. News: 2019-02-16. Baroness Falkender, Harold Wilson's powerful secretary, dies. en-GB. BBC News. 2022-02-06.
  7. Web site: December 1, 1995. Robert. Gray. Profile: Tom McNally, Shandwick Consultants; Following a noble cause. 2022-02-06. www.prweek.com. en.
  8. News: 2013-10-03. So long, Tom. en-GB. BBC News. 2022-02-06.
  9. Web site: 2005-03-28. Said what he thought, meant what he said. 2022-02-06. the Guardian. en.
  10. Web site: 2004-01-30. Profile: Richard Ryder. 2022-02-06. the Guardian. en.
  11. News: 2001-12-11. The rise of Lord Ryder. en-GB. 2022-02-06.
  12. Web site: 1992-07-17. Profile: When a whip is taking a whipping: Richard Ryder. 2022-02-06. The Independent. en.
  13. Web site: Correspondence and papers collected by Derek Howe (MT's Political Secretary) (2), February 1981-November 1982, 1981-02 - 1982-11 ArchiveSearch. 2022-02-06. archivesearch.lib.cam.ac.uk.
  14. Web site: 2004-03-07. Howard's gang of three take charge. 2022-02-06. The Independent. en.
  15. News: Bennett. Rosemary. Portillo adviser promoted. en. The Sunday Times. 2022-02-06. 0140-0460.
  16. Web site: StackPath. 2022-02-06. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk. 26 October 2016 .
  17. News: Aglionby. John. 2015-05-11. Profiles: David Cameron's ministerial line-up. Financial Times. 2022-02-06.
  18. Web site: BBC News UK Politics Major wanted Thatcher 'destroyed'. 2022-02-06. news.bbc.co.uk.
  19. Haigron. David. Hill. Jonathan. 2004-03-01. Interview with Jonathan Hill, Political Secretary to John Major: "A Journey into Political Communication". Revue LISA/LISA e-journal. Littératures, Histoire des Idées, Images, Sociétés du Monde Anglophone – Literature, History of Ideas, Images and Societies of the English-speaking World. 10.4000/lisa.733 . en. 1762-6153. free.
  20. Web site: 2004-03-25. Profile: Howell James. 2022-02-06. the Guardian. en.
  21. Web site: November 26, 2004. View From The Top: Political PR from Major to Labour. 2022-02-06. www.prweek.com. en.
  22. Web site: The PRCA promotes all aspects of public relations and internal communications work. 2022-02-06. www.prca.org.uk.
  23. Web site: The Baroness Morgan of Huyton. 2022-02-06. www.parliamentonline.co.uk.
  24. Web site: Sally Morgan returns to Blair's circle. 2022-02-06. HeraldScotland. 10 November 2001 . en.
  25. Web site: 2001-11-09. Blair reshuffles No 10 staff. 2022-02-06. the Guardian. en.
  26. Web site: 2007-12-29. Talent issue - the politician: Pat McFadden. 2022-02-06. The Independent. en.
  27. Web site: 2002-11-24. Blair confronts his worst nightmare. 2022-02-06. the Guardian. en.
  28. Web site: Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP. 2022-02-06. www.parliamentonline.co.uk.
  29. Web site: Scotsman columnist McTernan named Australian PM's communications chief. 2022-02-06. www.scotsman.com. en.
  30. Web site: Tony Blair: His legacy will be debated but not forgotten. 2022-02-06. www.telegraph.co.uk. 20 July 2014 .
  31. Web site: Gordon Brown's biggest influences: 40-31. 2021-12-11. www.telegraph.co.uk. 12 February 2008 .
  32. Web site: Dissolution Peerages 2015. 2022-02-06. GOV.UK. en.
  33. Web site: Don't ask, don't tell: how a conspiracy of silence will corrupt Britain's next election. 2022-02-06. openDemocracy. en.
  34. Web site: Steerpike. David Cameron winds his office up . 2022-02-06. www.spectator.co.uk. 29 December 2021 . en.
  35. Web site: 2020-01-14. Inside Number 10 Stephen Parkinson. 2021-03-09. The Critic Magazine. en-GB.
  36. Web site: 2019-08-05. Boris Johnson ushers in radical new era of special advisers. 2021-03-09. the Guardian. en.
  37. Web site: 2021-01-04. Levelling up our communities: proposals for a new covenant. 2022-02-06. UCL Institute for Global Prosperity. en.
  38. Web site: Danny Kruger MP. 2022-02-06. www.parliamentonline.co.uk.
  39. Web site: 2020-11-12. This Is Why The Battle For Control In Number 10 Has Left Boris Johnson More Isolated Than Ever Before. 2021-03-09. Politics Home. en.
  40. Web site: 4 March 2020. Who's in charge inside No 10: the maverick advisers running Britain. 2021-03-09. www.newstatesman.com. en.
  41. Web site: December 19, 2019. Ian. Griggs. Who's in and who's out in the Number 10 comms team following the election?. 2022-02-06. www.prweek.com. en.
  42. Web site: Declan Lyons. 2022-02-06. Mace Magazine. en-GB.
  43. News: 2022-09-06 . New PM installs close allies in top cabinet jobs . Financial Times . 2022-09-06.
  44. Web site: 2022-12-24 . Rishi Sunak hires journalist James Forsyth as political secretary . 2022-12-24 . the Guardian . en.

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