Secretary of State for Defence

United Kingdom
Secretary of State for Defence
United Kingdom; Secretary of State for Defence
	Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
	Flag of the Secretary of State for Defence
	Incumbent; John Healey; since 5 July 2024
	Ministry of Defence
Style	Defence Secretary; (informal); The Right Honourable; (within the UK and Commonwealth); His Excellency; (diplomatic);
Type	Minister of the Crown
Status	Secretary of State
Member of	Cabinet; Privy Council; National Security Council; Defence Council; Admiralty Board; Army Board; Air Force Board;
Reports to	The Prime Minister
Seat	Westminster
Nominator	The Prime Minister
Appointer	The Monarch; (on the advice of the Prime Minister)
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
Constituting instrument	Defence (Transfer of Functions) Act 1964 section 1(1)(a)
Precursor	Minister of Defence; Secretary of State for War; Secretary of State for Air; First Lord of the Admiralty;
Formation	1 April 1964
First holder	Peter Thorneycroft
Salary	£159,038 per annum (2022); (including £86,584 MP salary)
Website	Defence Secretary

The secretary of state for defence, also known as the defence secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Ministry of Defence.^[3] As a senior minister, the incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.

The post of secretary of state for defence was created on 1 April 1964, replacing the positions of minister of defence, first lord of the admiralty, secretary of state for war, and secretary of state for air, while the individual offices of the British Armed Forces were abolished and their functions transferred to the Ministry of Defence. In 2019, Penny Mordaunt became the UK's first female defence secretary.^[4]

The secretary of state is supported by the other ministers in the Defence Ministerial Team and the MOD permanent secretary. The corresponding shadow minister is the shadow secretary of state for defence, and the secretary of state is also scrutinised by the Defence Select Committee.^[5]

The current secretary of state for defence is John Healey, who was appointed on 5 July 2024 following the 2024 United Kingdom general election.^[6]

Responsibilities

In contrast to what is generally known as a defence minister in many other countries, the Defence Secretary's remit includes:

Strategic military and defensive operations. The postholder is a member of the National Security Council, and chair of the Defence Council, to which the monarch has given the power to command the Armed Forces.
Oversight of Defence Intelligence
Relations with international partnerships, including NATO
Defence policy (Trident nuclear weapons programme), resourcing and planning
Communications on defence^[7]

History

Principal political leaders of the English/British Armed Forces:
	Royal Navy	British Army	Royal Air Force	Co-ordination
1628	First Lord of the Admiralty (1628–1964)
1794		Secretary of State for War (1794–1801)
1801		Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (1801–1854)
1854		Secretary of State for War (1854–1964)
1919			Secretary of State for Air (1919–1964)
1936				Minister for Co-ordination of Defence (1936–1940)
1940				Minister of Defence (1940–1964)
1964	Secretary of State for Defence (1964–present)

Minister for Co-ordination of Defence (1936–1940)

The position of minister for co-ordination of defence was a British Cabinet-level position established in 1936 to oversee and co-ordinate the rearmament of Britain's defences. It was established by the prime minister, Stanley Baldwin, in response to criticism that Britain's armed forces were understrength compared to those of Nazi Germany. When the Second World War broke out, the new prime minister Neville Chamberlain formed a small War Cabinet and it was expected that the minister would serve as a spokesperson for the three service ministers, the secretary of state for war, the first lord of the admiralty and the secretary of state for air; however, political considerations resulted in all three posts being included in the Cabinet, and this role proved increasingly redundant. In April 1940 the position was formally wound up and the functions transferred to other ministers.

	Term of office		Party	Ministry
Thomas Inskip MP for Fareham (1876–1947)	13 March 1936	29 January 1939	Conservative	Baldwin III
Thomas Inskip MP for Fareham (1876–1947)	13 March 1936	29 January 1939	Conservative	Chamberlain I
Ernle Chatfield 1st Baron Chatfield (1873–1967)	29 January 1939	3 April 1940	Independent (National)	Chamberlain I
Ernle Chatfield 1st Baron Chatfield (1873–1967)	29 January 1939	3 April 1940	Independent (National)	Chamberlain War

Minister of Defence (1940–1964)

The post of minister of defence was responsible for co-ordination of defence and security from its creation in 1940 until its abolition in 1964. The post was a Cabinet level post and generally ranked above the three service ministers, some of whom, however, continued to also serve in Cabinet.

On his appointment as prime minister in May 1940, Winston Churchill created for himself the new post of minister of defence. The post was created in response to previous criticism that there had been no clear single minister in charge of the prosecution of World War II. In 1946, the post became the only cabinet-level post representing the military, with the three service ministers – the secretary of state for war, the first lord of the admiralty, and the secretary of state for air, now formally subordinated to the minister of defence.

Portrait	Name (birth–death)	Term of office		Tenure	Political party	Ministry
Portrait	Name (birth–death)	Took office	Left office	Tenure	Political party	Ministry
	Winston Churchill MP for Epping (1874–1965)	10 May 1940	27 July 1945	5 years, 78 days	Conservative	Churchill War
	Winston Churchill MP for Epping (1874–1965)	10 May 1940	27 July 1945	5 years, 78 days	Conservative	Churchill Caretaker
	Clement Attlee MP for Limehouse (1883–1967)	27 July 1945	20 December 1946	1 year, 146 days	Labour	Attlee I
	A. V. Alexander MP for Sheffield Hillsborough (1885–1965)	20 December 1946	28 February 1950	3 years, 70 days	Labour Co-op	Attlee I
	Emanuel Shinwell MP for Easington (1884–1986)	28 February 1950	26 October 1951	1 year, 240 days	Labour	Attlee II
	Winston Churchill MP for Woodford (1874–1965)	28 October 1951	1 March 1952	127 days	Conservative	Churchill III
	Harold Alexander 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis (1891–1969)	1 March 1952	18 October 1954	2 years, 231 days	Independent
	Harold Macmillan MP for Bromley (1894–1986)	18 October 1954	7 April 1955	171 days	Conservative
	Selwyn Lloyd MP for The Wirral (1904–1978)	7 April 1955	20 December 1955	257 days	Conservative	Eden
	Walter Monckton MP for Bristol West (1891–1965)	20 December 1955	18 October 1956	303 days	Conservative
	Antony Head MP for Carshalton (1906–1983)	18 October 1956	9 January 1957	83 days	Conservative
	Duncan Sandys MP for Streatham (1906–1987)	13 January 1957	14 October 1959	2 years, 274 days	Conservative	Macmillan I
	Harold Watkinson MP for Woking (1910–1995)	14 October 1959	13 July 1962	2 years, 272 days	Conservative	Macmillan II
	Peter Thorneycroft MP for Monmouth (1909–1994)	13 July 1962	1 April 1964	1 year, 263 days	Conservative	Macmillan II
	Peter Thorneycroft MP for Monmouth (1909–1994)	13 July 1962	1 April 1964	1 year, 263 days	Conservative	Douglas-Home

Secretary of State for Defence (1964–present)

The post was created in 1964 as successor to the posts of minister for coordination of defence and minister of defence. It replaced the positions of first lord of the admiralty, secretary of state for war and secretary of state for air, as the Admiralty, War Office and Air Ministry were merged into the Ministry of Defence (the secretary of state for war had already ceased to be a cabinet position in 1946, with the creation of the cabinet-level minister of defence).

Secretaries of state for defence (1964–present)

Secretary of State for Defence
Name (birth–death)	Term of office		Tenure	Party	Ministry
Peter Thorneycroft MP for Monmouth (1909–1994)^[8]	1 April 1964	16 October 1964	198 days	Conservative	Douglas-Home
Denis Healey MP for Leeds East (1917–2015)^[9]	16 October 1964	19 June 1970	5 years, 246 days	Labour	Wilson (I & II)
Peter Carrington 6th Baron Carrington (1919–2018)	20 June 1970	8 January 1974	3 years, 202 days	Conservative	Heath
Ian Gilmour MP for Central Norfolk (1926–2007)^[10]	8 January 1974	4 March 1974	55 days	Conservative	Heath
Roy Mason MP for Barnsley (1924–2015)^[11]	5 March 1974	9 September 1976	2 years, 188 days	Labour	Wilson (III & IV)
Fred Mulley MP for Sheffield Park (1918–1995)^[12]	10 September 1976	4 May 1979	2 years, 236 days	Labour	Callaghan
Francis Pym MP for Cambridgeshire (1922–2008)^[13]	5 May 1979	4 January 1981	1 year, 244 days	Conservative	Thatcher I
John Nott MP for St Ives (1932–2024)^[14]	5 January 1981	5 January 1983	2 years, 0 days	Conservative	Thatcher I
Michael Heseltine MP for Henley (born 1933)^[15]	6 January 1983	8 January 1986	3 years, 2 days	Conservative	Thatcher II
George Younger MP for Ayr (1931–2003)^[16]^[17]	9 January 1986	23 July 1989	3 years, 195 days	Conservative	Thatcher II
George Younger MP for Ayr (1931–2003)^[16]^[17]	9 January 1986	23 July 1989	3 years, 195 days	Conservative	Thatcher III
Tom King MP for Bridgwater (born 1933)^[18]	28 July 1989	9 April 1992	2 years, 256 days	Conservative	Thatcher III
Tom King MP for Bridgwater (born 1933)^[18]	28 July 1989	9 April 1992	2 years, 256 days	Conservative	Major I
Malcolm Rifkind MP for Edinburgh Pentlands (born 1946)^[19]	10 April 1992	4 July 1995	3 years, 85 days	Conservative	Major II
Michael Portillo MP for Enfield Southgate (born 1953)^[20]	5 July 1995	2 May 1997	1 year, 301 days	Conservative	Major II
George Robertson MP for Hamilton South (born 1946)^[21]	3 May 1997	11 October 1999	2 years, 161 days	Labour	Blair I
Geoff Hoon MP for Ashfield (born 1953)^[22]	11 October 1999	6 May 2005	5 years, 207 days	Labour	Blair I
Geoff Hoon MP for Ashfield (born 1953)^[22]	11 October 1999	6 May 2005	5 years, 207 days	Labour	Blair II
John Reid MP for Airdrie and Shotts (born 1947)^[23]	6 May 2005	5 May 2006	364 days	Labour	Blair III
Des Browne MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (born 1952)^[24]	5 May 2006	3 October 2008	2 years, 151 days	Labour	Blair III
	5 May 2006	3 October 2008	2 years, 151 days	Labour	Brown
John Hutton MP for Barrow and Furness (born 1955)^[25]	3 October 2008	5 June 2009	245 days	Labour
Bob Ainsworth MP for Coventry North East (born 1952)^[26]	5 June 2009	11 May 2010	340 days	Labour
Liam Fox MP for North Somerset (born 1961)^[27]^[28]	12 May 2010	14 October 2011	1 year, 156 days	Conservative	Cameron–Clegg (Con.–L.D.)
Philip Hammond MP for Runnymede and Weybridge (born 1955)^[29]^[30]	14 October 2011	15 July 2014	2 years, 274 days	Conservative
Michael Fallon MP for Sevenoaks (born 1952)^[31]^[32]	15 July 2014	1 November 2017	3 years, 109 days	Conservative
					Cameron II
					May I
					May II
Gavin Williamson MP for South Staffordshire (born 1976)^[33]^[34]	2 November 2017	1 May 2019	1 year, 180 days	Conservative
Penny Mordaunt MP for Portsmouth North (born 1973)^[35]^[36]	1 May 2019	24 July 2019	84 days	Conservative
Ben Wallace MP for Wyre and Preston North (born 1970)^[37]^[38]	24 July 2019	31 August 2023	4 years, 38 days	Conservative	Johnson I
					Johnson II
					Truss
					Sunak
Grant Shapps MP for Welwyn Hatfield (born 1968)^[39]	31 August 2023	5 July 2024	309 days	Conservative	Sunak
John Healey MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough (born 1960)	5 July 2024	Incumbent	145 days	Labour	Starmer

Timeline

References

^ "Salaries of Members of His Majesty's Government – Financial Year 2022–23" (PDF). 15 December 2022.
^ "Pay and expenses for MPs". parliament.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
^ "Secretary of State for Defence". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
^ "Penny Mordaunt - the UK's first female defence secretary". BBC News. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2021. Penny Mordaunt has become the UK's first female defence secretary after Gavin Williamson was sacked.
^ "Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, faces questioning from Defence Committee". parliament.uk. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
^ "Ministerial Appointments: July 2024". GOV.UK. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
^ "Secretary of State for Defence - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk.
^ "Mr Peter Thorneycroft". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Retrieved 2 November 2017.
^ "Lord Healey". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
^ "Lord Gilmour of Craigmillar". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
^ "Lord Mason of Barnsley". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
^ "Lord Mulley". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
^ "Lord Pym". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
^ "Rt Hon Sir John Nott". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
^ "Lord Heseltine". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ "Rt Hon Sir George Younger". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
^ George Jones (27 January 2003). "Thatcher's ally George Younger dies at 71". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
^ "Lord King of Bridgwater". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ "Rt Hon Sir Malcolm Rifkind QC". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
^ "Rt Hon Michael Portillo". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
^ "Lord Robertson of Port Ellen". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ "Mr Geoffrey Hoon". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
^ "Lord Reid of Cardowan". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ "Lord Browne of Ladyton". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ "Lord Hutton of Furness". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ "Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ "Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ "Who's who in the coalition cabinet". The Guardian. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
^ "Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ "Liam Fox quits as defence secretary". BBC News. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
^ "Rt Hon Sir Michael Fallon MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
^ "Reshuffle at-a-glance: In, out and moved about". BBC News. 15 July 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
^ "Rt Hon Gavin Williamson MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
^ "Gavin Williamson replaces Michael Fallon as defence secretary". BBC News. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
^ "Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ "Gavin Williamson sacked over Huawei leak". 1 May 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
^ "Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ "Ben Wallace Named New Defence Secretary". Forces Network. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
^ "Grant Shapps". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 September 2023.

External links

www.gov.uk/mod

[1] "Salaries of Members of His Majesty's Government – Financial Year 2022–23" (PDF). 15 December 2022.

[2] "Pay and expenses for MPs". parliament.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2022.

[3] "Secretary of State for Defence". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2021.

[4] "Penny Mordaunt - the UK's first female defence secretary". BBC News. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2021. Penny Mordaunt has become the UK's first female defence secretary after Gavin Williamson was sacked.

[5] "Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, faces questioning from Defence Committee". parliament.uk. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.

[6] "Ministerial Appointments: July 2024". GOV.UK. Retrieved 5 July 2024.

[7] "Secretary of State for Defence - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk.

[8] "Mr Peter Thorneycroft". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Retrieved 2 November 2017.

[9] "Lord Healey". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.

[10] "Lord Gilmour of Craigmillar". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.

[11] "Lord Mason of Barnsley". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.

[12] "Lord Mulley". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.

[13] "Lord Pym". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.

[14] "Rt Hon Sir John Nott". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.

[15] "Lord Heseltine". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[16] "Rt Hon Sir George Younger". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.

[17] George Jones (27 January 2003). "Thatcher's ally George Younger dies at 71". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2017.

[18] "Lord King of Bridgwater". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[19] "Rt Hon Sir Malcolm Rifkind QC". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.

[20] "Rt Hon Michael Portillo". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.

[21] "Lord Robertson of Port Ellen". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[22] "Mr Geoffrey Hoon". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.

[23] "Lord Reid of Cardowan". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[24] "Lord Browne of Ladyton". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[25] "Lord Hutton of Furness". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[26] "Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[27] "Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[28] "Who's who in the coalition cabinet". The Guardian. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2017.

[29] "Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[30] "Liam Fox quits as defence secretary". BBC News. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2017.

[31] "Rt Hon Sir Michael Fallon MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.

[32] "Reshuffle at-a-glance: In, out and moved about". BBC News. 15 July 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2017.

[33] "Rt Hon Gavin Williamson MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2017.

[34] "Gavin Williamson replaces Michael Fallon as defence secretary". BBC News. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.

[35] "Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[36] "Gavin Williamson sacked over Huawei leak". 1 May 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2019.

[37] "Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[Wallace-38] "Ben Wallace Named New Defence Secretary". Forces Network. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.

[39] "Grant Shapps". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 September 2023.

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v t e Defence secretaries of the United Kingdom
Ministers for co-ordination of defence	Sir Thomas Inskip Lord Chatfield
Ministers for defence	Winston Churchill Clement Attlee A. V. Alexander Manny Shinwell Winston Churchill Harold Alexander Harold Macmillan Selwyn Lloyd Sir Walter Monckton Anthony Head Duncan Sandys Harold Watkinson Peter Thorneycroft
Secretaries of state for defence	Peter Thorneycroft Denis Healey Lord Carrington Ian Gilmour Roy Mason Fred Mulley Francis Pym John Nott Michael Heseltine George Younger Tom King Malcolm Rifkind Michael Portillo George Robertson Geoff Hoon John Reid Des Browne John Hutton Bob Ainsworth Liam Fox Philip Hammond Michael Fallon Gavin Williamson Penny Mordaunt Ben Wallace Grant Shapps John Healey

v t e UK cabinet portfolios
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
Cabinet ministers	Prime Minister / First Lord of the Treasury / Minister for the Union / Minister for the Civil Service Deputy Prime Minister / Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Chancellor of the Exchequer Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Secretary Home Secretary Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Defence Secretary Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Justice Secretary / Lord Chancellor Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Health and Social Care Secretary Lord President of the Council / Leader of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Lords / Lord Privy Seal Business and Trade Secretary / President of the Board of Trade Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Work and Pensions Secretary Education Secretary / Minister for Women and Equalities Transport Secretary Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Northern Ireland Secretary Scottish Secretary Welsh Secretary
Also attending Cabinet	Chief Whip / Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury Chief Secretary to the Treasury Attorney General for England and Wales / Advocate General for Northern Ireland Minister of State for International Development