Home Secretary

The secretary of state for the Home Department, more commonly known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Home Office. The position is a Great Office of State, making the home secretary one of the most senior and influential ministers in the government. The incumbent is a statutory member of the British Cabinet and National Security Council. The position, which may be known as interior minister in other nations, was created in 1782, though its responsibilities have changed many times. Past office holders have included the prime ministers Lord North, Robert Peel, the Duke of Wellington, Lord Palmerston, Winston Churchill, James Callaghan and Theresa May. The longest-serving home secretary is Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, who held the post continuously for 9 years, 221 days. The shortest-serving home secretary is Grant Shapps, who served in the position for the final six days of the premiership of Liz Truss. In 2007, Jacqui Smith became the first female home secretary. The incumbent home secretary is Shabana Mahmood. The office holder works alongside the other Home Office ministers and the permanent under-secretary of state of the Home Office. The corresponding shadow minister is the shadow home secretary, and the performance of the home secretary is also scrutinized by the Home Affairs Select Committee in the House of Commons and the Justice and Home Affairs Committee in the House of Lords. Historically, the role has been regarded as a political dead end for aspiring politicians, due to the numerous potential issues and controversies it tends to involve.

Infobox

Style

mw- Home Secretary (informal)The Right Honourable (within the UK and Commonwealth)

Type

Minister of the Crown

Status

Secretary of State}Great Office of State

Member of

CabinetPrivy CouncilNational Security Council

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

Formation

27 March 1782

First holder

Earl of Shelburne

Deputy

Minister of State for Security

Salary

£159,038 per annum (2022)(including £86,584 MP salary)

Website

www.gov.uk/government/ministers/secretary-of-state-for-the-home-department

Tables

· List of home secretaries

George III(1760–1820)

Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentIncluding constituencies for elected MPs.

William Petty2nd Earl of Shelburne

Term of office

27 March 1782

Term of office

10 July 1782

Party

Whig

Ministry

Rockingham II

Monarch(Reign)

George III(1760–1820)

Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentIncluding constituencies for elected MPs.		Term of office		Party	Ministry	Monarch(Reign)
	William Petty2nd Earl of Shelburne	27 March 1782	10 July 1782	Whig	Rockingham II	George III(1760–1820)
	Thomas TownsendMP for Whitchurch	10 July 1782	2 April 1783	Whig	Shelburne(Whig–Tory)
	Frederick NorthLord NorthMP for Banbury	2 April 1783	19 December 1783	Tory	Fox–North
	George Nugent-Temple-Grenville3rd Earl Temple	19 December 1783	23 December 1783	Tory	Pitt I
	Thomas Townsend1st Baron Sydney	23 December 1783	5 June 1789	Whig
	William Grenville1st Baron GrenvilleMP for Buckinghamshire(1759–1834)	5 June 1789	8 June 1791	Tory
	Henry DundasMP for Edinburgh	8 June 1791	11 July 1794	Tory
	William Cavendish-Bentinck3rd Duke of Portland	11 July 1794	30 July 1801	Tory
	William Cavendish-Bentinck3rd Duke of Portland	11 July 1794	30 July 1801	Tory	Addington
	Thomas Pelham4th Baron Pelham of Stanmer	30 July 1801	17 August 1803	Whig
	Charles Philip YorkeMP for Cambridgeshire	17 August 1803	12 May 1804	Tory
	Robert Jenkinson2nd Baron Hawkesbury	12 May 1804	5 February 1806	Tory	Pitt II
	George Spencer2nd Earl Spencer	5 February 1806	25 March 1807	Whig	All the Talents(Whig–Tory)
	Robert Jenkinson2nd Earl of Liverpool	25 March 1807	1 November 1809	Tory	Portland II
	Richard RyderMP for Tiverton	1 November 1809	8 June 1812	Tory	Perceval
	Henry Addington1st Viscount Sidmouth	11 June 1812	17 January 1822	Tory	Liverpool
	Henry Addington1st Viscount Sidmouth	11 June 1812	17 January 1822	Tory		George IV(1820–1830)
	Robert PeelMP for Oxford University	17 January 1822	10 April 1827	Tory
	William Sturges BourneMP for Ashburton	30 April 1827	16 July 1827	Tory	Canning(Canningite–Whig)
	Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice3rd Marquess of Lansdowne	16 July 1827	22 January 1828	Whig	Canning(Canningite–Whig)
	Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice3rd Marquess of Lansdowne	16 July 1827	22 January 1828	Whig	Goderich
	Robert PeelMP for 3 constituencies respectively(1788–1850)	26 January 1828	22 November 1830	Tory	Wellington–Peel
	Robert PeelMP for 3 constituencies respectively(1788–1850)	26 January 1828	22 November 1830	Tory	Wellington–Peel	William IV(1830–1837)
	William Lamb2nd Viscount Melbourne	22 November 1830	16 July 1834	Whig	Grey
	John Ponsonby1st Baron Duncannon	19 July 1834	15 November 1834	Whig	Melbourne I
	Arthur Wellesley1st Duke of Wellington	15 November 1834	15 December 1834	Tory	Wellington Caretaker
	Henry GoulburnMP for Cambridge University	15 December 1834	18 April 1835	Conservative	Peel I
	Lord John RussellMP for Stroud	18 April 1835	30 August 1839	Whig	Melbourne II
	Lord John RussellMP for Stroud	18 April 1835	30 August 1839	Whig		Victoria(1837–1901)
	Constantine Phipps1st Marquess of Normanby	30 August 1839	30 August 1841	Whig
	Sir James Graham2nd BaronetMP for Dorchester	6 September 1841	30 June 1846	Conservative	Peel II
	Sir George Grey2nd BaronetMP for Devonport →North Northumberland(1799–1882)	8 July 1846	23 February 1852	Whig	Russell I
	Spencer Horatio WalpoleMP for Midhurst	27 February 1852	19 December 1852	Conservative	Who? Who?
	Henry John Temple3rd Viscount PalmerstonMP for Tiverton	28 December 1852	6 February 1855	Whig	Aberdeen(Peelite–Whig)
	Sir George Grey2nd BaronetMP for Morpeth	8 February 1855	26 February 1858	Whig	Palmerston I
	Spencer Horatio WalpoleMP for Cambridge University	26 February 1858	3 March 1859	Conservative	Derby–Disraeli II
	Thomas Henry Sutton Sotheron-EstcourtMP for North Wiltshire	3 March 1859	18 June 1859	Conservative	Derby–Disraeli II
	George Cornewall LewisMP for Radnor	18 June 1859	25 July 1861	Liberal	Palmerston II
	Sir George Grey2nd BaronetMP for Morpeth	25 July 1861	28 June 1866	Liberal	Palmerston II
	Sir George Grey2nd BaronetMP for Morpeth	25 July 1861	28 June 1866	Liberal	Russell II
	Spencer Horatio WalpoleMP for Cambridge University	6 July 1866	17 May 1867	Conservative	Derby–Disraeli III
	Gathorne Gathorne-HardyMP for Oxford University	17 May 1867	3 December 1868	Conservative	Derby–Disraeli III
	Henry BruceMP for Merthyr Tydfil →Renfrewshire(1815–1895)	9 December 1868	9 August 1873	Liberal	Gladstone I
	Robert LoweMP for London University	9 August 1873	20 February 1874	Liberal	Gladstone I
	R. A. CrossMP for South West Lancashire	21 February 1874	23 April 1880	Conservative	Disraeli II
	William HarcourtMP for Derby	28 April 1880	23 June 1885	Liberal	Gladstone II
	R. A. CrossMP for Newton	24 June 1885	1 February 1886	Conservative	Salisbury I
	Hugh ChildersMP for Edinburgh South	6 February 1886	25 July 1886	Liberal	Gladstone III
	Henry MatthewsMP for Birmingham East	3 August 1886	15 August 1892	Conservative	Salisbury II