Home Secretary

Home Secretary
Post	Home Secretary
Body	the United Kingdom
Insigniasize	120
Insigniacaption	Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
Incumbent	James Cleverly
Incumbentsince	13 November 2023
Department	Home Office
Style	Home Secretary, (informal), The Right Honourable, (within the UK and Commonwealth)
Member of	Cabinet, Privy Council
Reports to	Prime Minister
Residence	No official residence
Appointer	The Monarch, on advice of the Prime Minister
Termlength	At His Majesty's pleasure
Formation	7 March 1782
First	The Earl of Shelburne
Salary	£154,089 per annum (2022), (including £86,584 MP salary)

Home Secretary. The Home Secretary, formally known as the Secretary of State for the Home Department, is a senior Minister of the Crown and the political head of the Home Office. The office is one of the four Great Offices of State and is responsible for a vast portfolio encompassing domestic security, law and order, immigration, and citizenship. The incumbent, currently James Cleverly, sits in the Cabinet and is a key advisor to the Prime Minister on internal affairs.

Role and responsibilities

The Home Secretary oversees national security, including the work of the Security Service (MI5) and counter-terrorism strategy in coordination with the Metropolitan Police. The officeholder sets policy for policing across England and Wales, working with bodies like the National Crime Agency and Police and Crime Commissioners. Responsibilities also include the United Kingdom immigration system, encompassing borders, visas, and asylum, managed through agencies like UK Visas and Immigration and the Border Force. Further duties involve fire services, civil contingencies, and aspects of the British nationality law, as well as oversight of the HM Prison Service and the broader criminal justice system.

History of the office

The office was created in 1782 during the ministry of Lord North, with The Earl of Shelburne as the first holder, as part of reforms to split the duties of the Secretary of State for the Southern Department. Initially responsible for domestic affairs, the colonial work, and internal security, its remit was vast. The creation of the Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1854 and the Secretary of State for War refined its focus. The Home Office grew in the 19th century, dealing with issues from the Chartist movement to the Reform Acts. The 20th century saw its role expand to counter subversion, especially during the Second World War, and later to manage large-scale immigration following the British Nationality Act 1948 and Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962.

Appointment and tenure

The Home Secretary is appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister, typically from the ranks of senior Members of Parliament in the governing party. By convention, the officeholder is a member of the House of Commons due to the need to be directly accountable to Parliament for policing and security matters, though historically figures like Douglas Hurd have served from the House of Lords. Tenure is at His Majesty's pleasure, but changes often occur during Cabinet reshuffles or following general elections. The position demands close work with the Attorney General and the Lord Chancellor.

List of Home Secretaries

Since 1782, there have been over a hundred individuals who have held the office. Notable long-serving Home Secretaries include Henry Matthews and Herbert Morrison. The first woman to hold the post was Margaret Thatcher in 1979, though her tenure was brief before becoming Prime Minister. Other significant figures in the list include Winston Churchill, who served from 1910 to 1911, and Roy Jenkins, who served during the 1960s and 1970s. The full list is maintained by the Home Office and the Parliament's historical records.

Notable Home Secretaries and key policies

Robert Peel, serving from 1822 to 1827 and 1828 to 1830, founded the Metropolitan Police in 1829, fundamentally reforming British policing. Winston Churchill oversaw penal reform and the Siege of Sidney Street. In the modern era, Michael Howard championed the "Prison works" doctrine and introduced the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. David Blunkett introduced the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 after the September 11 attacks and oversaw significant immigration reforms. Theresa May implemented the "hostile environment" policy agenda and created the National Crime Agency via the Crime and Courts Act 2013.

Relationship with other government departments

The Home Secretary works closely with the Ministry of Justice, which handles courts, sentencing, and prisons in England and Wales, and with the Attorney General's Office on legal matters. On national security, coordination occurs with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry of Defence, particularly regarding MI6 and GCHQ. Immigration policy involves the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education. The office also interacts with devolved administrations, such as the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, on reserved matters like terrorism and border control.

Category:Home Secretaries of the United Kingdom Category:Home Office Category:Great Offices of State