Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office

Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office
Royal Arms as used by the Home Office
Incumbent Dame Antonia Romeo since 14 April 2025
Home Office
Reports to	Home Secretary
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
First holder	J. Bell
Website	www.gov.uk

The permanent under-secretary of state at the Home Office ^{[1] [2]} is the permanent secretary at the Home Office, the most senior civil servant in the department, charged with running its affairs on a day-to-day basis.

List of permanent secretaries

• March 1782: J. Bell
• December 1791: John King
• February 1806 – 1817: John Beckett [later Sir John Beckett, Bart.]
• June 1817 – 1827: Henry Hobhouse
• July 1827 – 1848: Samuel March Phillipps ^[3]
• 1848–1867: Horatio Waddington
• 1867–1885: Sir Adolphus Frederick Octavius Liddell ^[4]
• June 1885: Sir H. Maine
• July 1885 – 1895: Sir Godfrey Lushington
• 1895–1903: Sir Kenelm Digby
• 1903–1908: Sir Mackenzie Dalzell Chalmers
• 1908–1922: Sir Edward Troup
• 1922–1932: Sir John Anderson
• 1932–1938: Sir Russell Scott
• 1938–1948: Sir Alexander Maxwell
• 1948–1957: Sir Frank Newsam
• 1957–1966: Sir Charles Cunningham
• 1966–1972: Sir Philip Allen
• 1972–1977: Sir Arthur Peterson
• 1977–1979: Sir Robert Armstrong
• 1979–1988: Sir Brian Cubbon
• 1988–1994: Sir Clive Whitmore
• 1994–1997: Sir Richard Wilson
• 1997–2001: Sir David Omand
• 2001–2005: Sir John Gieve
• 2005–2011: Sir David Normington
• 2011–2012: Dame Helen Ghosh
• 2012–2013: Helen Kilpatrick (acting)
• 2013–2017: Mark Sedwill ^[5]
• 2017–2020: Sir Philip Rutnam
• 2020–2025: Sir Matthew Rycroft ^[6]
• 28 March 2025 – 14 April 2025: Simon Ridley (acting) ^[7]
• Since 14 April 2025: Dame Antonia Romeo ^[8]

See also

• Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
• Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
• Undersecretary

References

1. "William Davidson". The National Archives. Retrieved 26 March 2022. Henry Hobhouse, permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office 1817-1827
2. "MI5 saved royal fascist from jail". BBC News. 5 March 2006. Retrieved 26 March 2022. Sir Alexander Maxwell, then Permanent Under Secretary of State at the Home Office
3. Lee, Sidney, ed. (1896). "Phillipps, Samuel March"  . Dictionary of National Biography . Vol. 45. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
4. Source for Liddell and all his predecessors – Newsam F. (Newsam F (1954) The Home Office (London, Allen and Unwin), p.215)
5. "Home Office boss quits over 'campaign against him'". BBC News. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
6. "Matthew Rycroft CBE appointed Permanent Secretary at the Home Office". Cabinet Office and Home Office. 17 March 2020.
7. "Simon Ridley". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 24 May 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
8. "Antonia Romeo appointed as new Home Office Permanent Secretary". Cabinet Office. 12 March 2025.