Global InformationSecretary of State for Defence information
| United Kingdom Secretary of State for Defence | |
|---|---|
 Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government | |
 Flag of the Secretary of State for Defence | |
 Grant Shapps since 31 August 2023 | |
| Ministry of Defence | |
| Style |
|
| Type | Minister of the Crown |
| Status | Secretary of State |
| Member of |
|
| 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 |
|
| Formation | 1 April 1964 |
| First holder | Peter Thorneycroft |
| Salary | £159,038 per annum (2022)[1] (including £86,584 MP salary)[2] |
| Website | Defence Secretary |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Politics of the United Kingdom |
|---|
 |
Charles III
William, Prince of Wales
|
Charles III
Sunak ministry (C)
Rishi Sunak (C)
Oliver Dowden (C)
|
(King-in-Parliament)
Charles III
The Lord McFall of Alcluith
Sir Lindsay Hoyle
Sir Keir Starmer (L)
|
|
Charles III (King-on-the-Bench)
The Lord Reed of Allermuir
Lord Hodge
|
 United Kingdom portal
|
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 1997, Michael Portillo was filling this post at the time of the Portillo moment.[4] In 2019, Penny Mordaunt became the UK's first female defence secretary.[5]
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.[6]
The current secretary of state for defence is Grant Shapps who was appointed on 31 August 2023 by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after the resignation of Ben Wallace.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "BBC Rewind: Michael Portillo loses Enfield Southgate". BBC News. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
One of the most high-profile victims of the Labour party landslide in the 1997 general election was John Major's Defence Secretary, Michael Portillo.
- ^ "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.