First Secretary of State

First Secretary of State is a title sometimes given to a cabinet minister in the Government of the United Kingdom. The title implies seniority over all other Secretaries of State,[2] but has no specific powers or authority attached to it, including no automatic sucession to the Prime Minister. The title is not always in use, so there have sometimes been extended gaps between successive holders of the title.

First Secretary of State
Royal Arms used by Her Majesty's Government
Incumbent Dominic Raab since 24 July 2019
Government of the United Kingdom Office of the Prime Minister
Style	The Right Honourable First Secretary of State (informal)
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	£153,022 (annual, including £81,932 MP's salary)[1]
Website	Official website

The title temporarily enjoyed some greater constitutional footing between when it was incorporated as a corporate sole in 2002[3] and having all of its remaining functions transferred in 2008.[4] During most of this time, the title was held by John Prescott.

Boris Johnson appointed the incumbent Dominic Raab to the title on 24 July 2019.[5] When Johnson was moved to ICU on the 6 April 2020, Raab was asked to "...to deputise for him where necessary."[6]

Responsibilities

The role has had varying responsibilities over time. The most recent responsibilities are:[7]

• 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.
• Answering the questions at PMQs in absence of Prime Minister.

Relationship with the title of Deputy Prime Minister

The title of Deputy Prime Minister indicates that the holder ranks de facto second in government, after the Prime Minister, but does not confer cabinet rank. As it is not mentioned in the UK's uncodified constitution, it also does not come with any executive powers or automatically pay a salary, while the title of Secretary of State does pay a salary.[8]

The title of First Secretary of State 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 David Cameron's coalition government, wherein Leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg was appointed Deputy Prime Minister, while William Hague was appointed First Secretary of State.

List of First Secretaries of State

First Secretary of State

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Other ministerial offices	Party	Ministry	Ref.
		R. A. Butler[9] MP for Saffron Walden (1902–1982)	13 July 1962	18 October 1963	Deputy Prime Minister	Conservative	Macmillan II	[10]
Title not in use			1963–1964
		George Brown MP for Belper (1914–1985)	16 October 1964	11 August 1966	Secretary of State for Economic Affairs	Labour	Wilson (I & II)	[10]
		Michael Stewart MP for Fulham (1906–1990)	11 August 1966	6 April 1968	Secretary of State for Economic Affairs[lower-alpha 1] Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs[lower-alpha 2]	Labour		[10]
		Barbara Castle MP for Blackburn (1910–2002)	6 April 1968	19 June 1970	Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity	Labour		[10]
Title not in use			1970–1995
		Michael Heseltine MP for Henley (born 1933)	20 July 1995	2 May 1997	Deputy Prime Minister	Conservative	Major II	[11]
Title not in use			1997–2001
		John Prescott MP for Kingston upon Hull East (born 1938)	8 June 2001	27 June 2007	Deputy Prime Minister[lower-alpha 3]	Labour	Blair (II & III)	[12]
Title not in use			2007–2009
		Peter Mandelson Baron 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 MP for Richmond (Yorks) (born 1961)	12 May 2010	8 May 2015	Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs[lower-alpha 4] Leader of the House of Commons[lower-alpha 5]	Conservative	Cameron–Clegg (Con.–L.D.)	[13]
		George Osborne MP for Tatton (born 1971)	8 May 2015	13 July 2016	Chancellor of the Exchequer	Conservative	Cameron II	[14]
Title not in use			2016–2017
		Damian Green MP for Ashford (born 1956)	11 June 2017	20 December 2017	Minister for the Cabinet Office	Conservative	May II	[15][16]
Title not in use			2017–2019
		Dominic Raab MP for Esher and Walton (born 1974)	24 July 2019	Incumbent	Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs	Conservative	Johnson (I & II)	[17]

Timeline

See also

• Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Notes

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

1. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/811042/Salaries_of_Members_of_Her_Majesty_s_Government_April_2019.pdf
2. Nicholas Watt (8 May 2015). "George Osborne made first secretary of state in cabinet reshuffle". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
3. The Transfer of Functions (Transport, Local Government and the Regions) Order 2002 Article 3(1).
4. The Transfer of Functions (Miscellaneous) Order 2008 Article 7.
5. "Dominic Raab appointed UK foreign secretary, first secretary of state: statement". Reuters. London. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
6. "Statement from Downing Street: 6 April 2020". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
7. "First Secretary of State - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
8. Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975 Sch 1.
9. Howard, Anthony (February 7, 2013). "RAB: The Life of R.A. Butler". A&C Black.
10. David Butler and Gareth Butler, British Political Facts 1900–1994 (7th edn, Macmillan 1994) 62.
11. "Lord Heseltine". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
12. "Lord Prescott". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
13. "Lord Hague of Richmond". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
14. "Rt Hon George Osborne". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
15. "Rt Hon Damian Green MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
16. Stewart, Heather. "Damian Green sacked as first secretary of state after porn allegations". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
17. https://www.reuters.com/article/britain-eu-leader-raab/dominic-raab-appointed-uk-foreign-secretary-first-secretary-of-state-statement-idUSS8N23H00F