Political Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

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Political Secretary to the Prime Minister
Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, lesser arms).svg
Royal Arms as used by His Majesty's Government
Prime Minister's Office
Appointer Prime minister
Formation1964
First holder Marcia Williams
Website 10 Downing Street

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. The role has not been in use since July 2024. In September 2025, the role of Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister was established, which partly covers this role alongside duties of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Contents

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

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

Timeline

James ForsythSophie JarvisDeclan LyonsBenjamin GascoigneDanny KrugerStephen ParkinsonLaurence MannStephen GilbertJoe IrvinJohn McTernanPat McFaddenRobert HillSally Morgan, Baroness Morgan of HuytonHowell JamesJonathan Hill, Baron Hill of OarefordJudith ChaplinJohn WhittingdaleStephen SherbourneDerek HoweRichard Ryder, Baron Ryder of WensumTom McNallyDouglas HurdMarcia WilliamsPolitical Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

See also

References

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