# 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 Yvette Cooper.
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 a reputation for being a graveyard for aspiring politicians, owing to the large number of potential issues and controversies that can arise.

## Responsibilities

Corresponding to what is generally known as an interior minister in many other countries, the home secretary's remit includes:
* Law enforcement in England and Wales
* Matters of national security
* Issues concerning immigration
* Oversight of the Security Service (MI5).
Formerly, the home secretary was the minister responsible for prisons and probation in England and Wales; however in 2007 those responsibilities were transferred to the Ministry of Justice under the lord chancellor.

## History

The title Secretary of State in the government of England dates back to the early 17th century. The position of Secretary of State for the Home Department was created in the British governmental reorganisation of 1782, in which the responsibilities of the Northern and Southern Departments were reformed into the Foreign Office and Home Office.
In 2007, the new Ministry of Justice took on the criminal justice functions of the Home Office and its agencies.

## List of home secretaries

| Secretary of State for the Home Department Including constituencies for elected MPs. | Secretary of State for the Home Department Including constituencies for elected MPs. | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Ministry | Monarch (Reign) |
| | William Petty 2nd Earl of Shelburne | 27 March 1782 | 10 July 1782 | Whig | Rockingham II | George III (1760–1820) |
| | Thomas Townsend MP for Whitchurch | 10 July 1782 | 2 April 1783 | Whig | Shelburne (Whig–Tory) | George III (1760–1820) |
| | Frederick North Lord North MP for Banbury | 2 April 1783 | 19 December 1783 | Tory | Fox–North | George III (1760–1820) |
| | George Nugent-Temple-Grenville 3rd Earl Temple | 19 December 1783 | 23 December 1783 | Tory | Pitt I | George III (1760–1820) |
| | Thomas Townsend 1st Baron Sydney | 23 December 1783 | 5 June 1789 | Whig | Pitt I | George III (1760–1820) |
| | William Grenville 1st Baron Grenville MP for Buckinghamshire (1759–1834) | 5 June 1789 | 8 June 1791 | Tory | Pitt I | George III (1760–1820) |
| | Henry Dundas MP for Edinburgh | 8 June 1791 | 11 July 1794 | Tory | Pitt I | George III (1760–1820) |
| | William Cavendish-Bentinck 3rd Duke of Portland | 11 July 1794 | 30 July 1801 | Tory | Pitt I | George III (1760–1820) |
| | William Cavendish-Bentinck 3rd Duke of Portland | 11 July 1794 | 30 July 1801 | Tory | Addington | George III (1760–1820) |
| | Thomas Pelham 4th Baron Pelham of Stanmer | 30 July 1801 | 17 August 1803 | Whig | Addington | George III (1760–1820) |
| | Charles Philip Yorke MP for Cambridgeshire | 17 August 1803 | 12 May 1804 | Tory | Addington | George III (1760–1820) |
| | Robert Jenkinson 2nd Baron Hawkesbury | 12 May 1804 | 5 February 1806 | Tory | Pitt II | George III (1760–1820) |
| | George Spencer 2nd Earl Spencer | 5 February 1806 | 25 March 1807 | Whig | All the Talents (Whig–Tory) | George III (1760–1820) |
| | Robert Jenkinson 2nd Earl of Liverpool | 25 March 1807 | 1 November 1809 | Tory | Portland II | George III (1760–1820) |
| | Richard Ryder MP for Tiverton | 1 November 1809 | 8 June 1812 | Tory | Perceval | George III (1760–1820) |
| | Henry Addington 1st Viscount Sidmouth | 11 June 1812 | 17 January 1822 | Tory | Liverpool | George III (1760–1820) |
| | Henry Addington 1st Viscount Sidmouth | 11 June 1812 | 17 January 1822 | Tory | Liverpool | George IV (1820–1830) |
| | Robert Peel MP for Oxford University | 17 January 1822 | 10 April 1827 | Tory | Liverpool | George IV (1820–1830) |
| | William Sturges Bourne MP for Ashburton | 30 April 1827 | 16 July 1827 | Tory | Canning (Canningite–Whig) | George IV (1820–1830) |
| ​ | Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne | 16 July 1827 | 22 January 1828 | Whig | Canning (Canningite–Whig) | George IV (1820–1830) |
| | Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne | 16 July 1827 | 22 January 1828 | Whig | Goderich | George IV (1820–1830) |
| | Robert Peel MP for 3 constituencies respectively (1788–1850) | 26 January 1828 | 22 November 1830 | Tory | Wellington–Peel | George IV (1820–1830) |
| | Robert Peel MP for 3 constituencies respectively (1788–1850) | 26 January 1828 | 22 November 1830 | Tory | Wellington–Peel | William IV (1830–1837) |
| | William Lamb 2nd Viscount Melbourne | 22 November 1830 | 16 July 1834 | Whig | Grey | William IV (1830–1837) |
| | John Ponsonby 1st Baron Duncannon | 19 July 1834 | 15 November 1834 | Whig | Melbourne I | William IV (1830–1837) |
| | Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington | 15 November 1834 | 15 December 1834 | Tory | Wellington Caretaker | William IV (1830–1837) |
| | Henry Goulburn MP for Cambridge University | 15 December 1834 | 18 April 1835 | Conservative | Peel I | William IV (1830–1837) |
| | Lord John Russell MP for Stroud | 18 April 1835 | 30 August 1839 | Whig | Melbourne II | William IV (1830–1837) |
| | Lord John Russell MP for Stroud | 18 April 1835 | 30 August 1839 | Whig | Melbourne II | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | Constantine Phipps 1st Marquess of Normanby | 30 August 1839 | 30 August 1841 | Whig | Melbourne II | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | James Graham MP for Dorchester | 6 September 1841 | 30 June 1846 | Conservative | Peel II | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | George Grey MP for Devonport → North Northumberland (1799–1882) | 8 July 1846 | 23 February 1852 | Whig | Russell I | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | Spencer Horatio Walpole MP for Midhurst | 27 February 1852 | 19 December 1852 | Conservative | Who? Who? | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | Henry John Temple 3rd Viscount Palmerston MP for Tiverton | 28 December 1852 | 6 February 1855 | Whig | Aberdeen (Peelite–Whig) | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | George Grey MP for Morpeth | 8 February 1855 | 26 February 1858 | Whig | Palmerston I | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | Spencer Horatio Walpole MP for Cambridge University | 26 February 1858 | 3 March 1859 | Conservative | Derby–Disraeli II | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | Thomas Henry Sutton Sotheron-Estcourt MP for North Wiltshire | 3 March 1859 | 18 June 1859 | Conservative | Derby–Disraeli II | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | George Cornewall Lewis MP for Radnor | 18 June 1859 | 25 July 1861 | Liberal | Palmerston II | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| ​ | George Grey MP for Morpeth | 25 July 1861 | 28 June 1866 | Liberal | Palmerston II | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | George Grey MP for Morpeth | 25 July 1861 | 28 June 1866 | Liberal | Russell II | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | Spencer Horatio Walpole MP for Cambridge University | 6 July 1866 | 17 May 1867 | Conservative | Derby–Disraeli III | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy MP for Oxford University | 17 May 1867 | 3 December 1868 | Conservative | Derby–Disraeli III | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | Henry Bruce MP for Merthyr Tydfil → Renfrewshire (1815–1895) | 9 December 1868 | 9 August 1873 | Liberal | Gladstone I | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | Robert Lowe MP for London University | 9 August 1873 | 20 February 1874 | Liberal | Gladstone I | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | R. A. Cross MP for South West Lancashire | 21 February 1874 | 23 April 1880 | Conservative | Disraeli II | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | William Harcourt MP for Derby | 28 April 1880 | 23 June 1885 | Liberal | Gladstone II | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | R. A. Cross MP for Newton | 24 June 1885 | 1 February 1886 | Conservative | Salisbury I | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | Hugh Childers MP for Edinburgh South | 6 February 1886 | 25 July 1886 | Liberal | Gladstone III | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | Henry Matthews MP for Birmingham East | 3 August 1886 | 15 August 1892 | Conservative | Salisbury II | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | H. H. Asquith MP for East Fife | 18 August 1892 | 25 June 1895 | Liberal | Gladstone IV | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | H. H. Asquith MP for East Fife | 18 August 1892 | 25 June 1895 | Liberal | Rosebery | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | Matthew White Ridley MP for Blackpool | 29 June 1895 | 12 November 1900 | Conservative | Salisbury (III & IV) (Con.–Lib.U.) | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | Charles Ritchie MP for Croydon | 12 November 1900 | 11 August 1902 | Conservative | Salisbury (III & IV) (Con.–Lib.U.) | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| | Charles Ritchie MP for Croydon | 12 November 1900 | 11 August 1902 | Conservative | Salisbury (III & IV) (Con.–Lib.U.) | Edward VII (1901–1910) |
| | Charles Ritchie MP for Croydon | 12 November 1900 | 11 August 1902 | Conservative | Balfour | Edward VII (1901–1910) |
| | Aretas Akers-Douglas MP for St Augustine's | 11 August 1902 | 5 December 1905 | Conservative | Balfour | Edward VII (1901–1910) |
| | Herbert Gladstone MP for Leeds West | 11 December 1905 | 19 February 1910 | Liberal | Campbell-Bannerman | Edward VII (1901–1910) |
| ​ | Herbert Gladstone MP for Leeds West | 11 December 1905 | 19 February 1910 | Liberal | Asquith (I–III) | Edward VII (1901–1910) |
| | Winston Churchill MP for Dundee | 19 February 1910 | 24 October 1911 | Liberal | Asquith (I–III) | Edward VII (1901–1910) |
| | Winston Churchill MP for Dundee | 19 February 1910 | 24 October 1911 | Liberal | Asquith (I–III) | George V (1910–1936) |
| | Reginald McKenna MP for North Monmouthshire | 24 October 1911 | 27 May 1915 | Liberal | Asquith (I–III) | George V (1910–1936) |
| | John Simon MP for Walthamstow | 27 May 1915 | 12 January 1916 | Liberal | Asquith Coalition (Lib.–Con.–et al.) | George V (1910–1936) |
| | Herbert Samuel MP for Cleveland | 12 January 1916 | 7 December 1916 | Liberal | Asquith Coalition (Lib.–Con.–et al.) | George V (1910–1936) |
| | George Cave 1st Viscount Cave MP for Kingston (1856–1928) | 11 December 1916 | 14 January 1919 | Conservative | Lloyd George (I & II) | George V (1910–1936) |
| | Edward Shortt MP for Newcastle upon Tyne West | 14 January 1919 | 23 October 1922 | Liberal | Lloyd George (I & II) | George V (1910–1936) |
| | William Bridgeman MP for Oswestry | 25 October 1922 | 22 January 1924 | Conservative | Law | George V (1910–1936) |
| | William Bridgeman MP for Oswestry | 25 October 1922 | 22 January 1924 | Conservative | Baldwin I | George V (1910–1936) |
| | Arthur Henderson MP for Burnley (1863–1935) | 23 January 1924 | 4 November 1924 | Labour | MacDonald I | George V (1910–1936) |
| | William Joynson-Hicks MP for Twickenham | 7 November 1924 | 5 June 1929 | Conservative | Baldwin II | George V (1910–1936) |
| | John Robert Clynes MP for Manchester Platting | 8 June 1929 | 26 August 1931 | Labour | MacDonald II | George V (1910–1936) |
| | Herbert Samuel MP for Darwen | 26 August 1931 | 1 October 1932 | Liberal | National I (N.Lab.–Con.–et al.) | George V (1910–1936) |
| ​ | Herbert Samuel MP for Darwen | 26 August 1931 | 1 October 1932 | Liberal | National II | George V (1910–1936) |
| | John Gilmour MP for Glasgow Pollok | 1 October 1932 | 7 June 1935 | Unionist | National II | George V (1910–1936) |
| ​ | John Simon MP for Spen Valley | 7 June 1935 | 28 May 1937 | Liberal National | National III (Con.–N.Lab.–et al.) | George V (1910–1936) |
| | John Simon MP for Spen Valley | 7 June 1935 | 28 May 1937 | Liberal National | National III (Con.–N.Lab.–et al.) | Edward VIII (1936) |
| ​ | John Simon MP for Spen Valley | 7 June 1935 | 28 May 1937 | Liberal National | National III (Con.–N.Lab.–et al.) | George VI (1936–1952) |
| | Samuel Hoare MP for Chelsea | 28 May 1937 | 3 September 1939 | Conservative | National IV | George VI (1936–1952) |
| ​ | John Anderson MP for Combined Scottish Universities | 4 September 1939 | 4 October 1940 | Independent (National) | Chamberlain War | George VI (1936–1952) |
| ​ | John Anderson MP for Combined Scottish Universities | 4 September 1939 | 4 October 1940 | Independent (National) | Churchill War (All parties) | George VI (1936–1952) |
| | Herbert Morrison MP for Hackney South | 4 October 1940 | 23 May 1945 | Labour | Churchill War (All parties) | George VI (1936–1952) |
| | Donald Somervell MP for Crewe | 25 May 1945 | 26 July 1945 | Conservative | Churchill Caretaker (Con.–Lib.N.) | George VI (1936–1952) |
| | James Chuter Ede MP for South Shields | 3 August 1945 | 26 October 1951 | Labour | Attlee (I & II) | George VI (1936–1952) |
| | David Maxwell Fyfe MP for Liverpool West Derby | 27 October 1951 | 19 October 1954 | Conservative | Churchill III | George VI (1936–1952) |
| | David Maxwell Fyfe MP for Liverpool West Derby | 27 October 1951 | 19 October 1954 | Conservative | Churchill III | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| ​ | Gwilym Lloyd George MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North | 19 October 1954 | 14 January 1957 | National Liberal & Conservative | Churchill III | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Gwilym Lloyd George MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North | 19 October 1954 | 14 January 1957 | National Liberal & Conservative | Eden | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Rab Butler MP for Saffron Walden | 14 January 1957 | 13 July 1962 | Conservative | Macmillan (I & II) | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| ​ | Henry Brooke MP for Hampstead | 14 July 1962 | 16 October 1964 | Conservative | Macmillan (I & II) | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Henry Brooke MP for Hampstead | 14 July 1962 | 16 October 1964 | Conservative | Douglas-Home | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Frank Soskice MP for Newport | 18 October 1964 | 23 December 1965 | Labour | Wilson (I & II) | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Roy Jenkins MP for Birmingham Stechford | 23 December 1965 | 30 November 1967 | Labour | Wilson (I & II) | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | James Callaghan MP for Cardiff South East | 30 November 1967 | 19 June 1970 | Labour | Wilson (I & II) | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Reginald Maudling MP for Barnet | 20 June 1970 | 18 July 1972 | Conservative | Heath | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Robert Carr MP for Carshalton | 18 July 1972 | 4 March 1974 | Conservative | Heath | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Roy Jenkins MP for Birmingham Stechford | 5 March 1974 | 10 September 1976 | Labour | Wilson (III & IV) | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| ​ | Roy Jenkins MP for Birmingham Stechford | 5 March 1974 | 10 September 1976 | Labour | Callaghan | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Merlyn Rees MP for Leeds South | 10 September 1976 | 4 May 1979 | Labour | Callaghan | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | William Whitelaw MP for Penrith and The Border | 4 May 1979 | 11 June 1983 | Conservative | Thatcher I | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Leon Brittan MP for Richmond (Yorks) | 11 June 1983 | 2 September 1985 | Conservative | Thatcher II | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Douglas Hurd MP for Witney | 2 September 1985 | 26 October 1989 | Conservative | Thatcher II | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Douglas Hurd MP for Witney | 2 September 1985 | 26 October 1989 | Conservative | Thatcher III | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | David Waddington MP for Ribble Valley | 26 October 1989 | 28 November 1990 | Conservative | Thatcher III | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Kenneth Baker MP for Mole Valley | 28 November 1990 | 10 April 1992 | Conservative | Major I | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Kenneth Clarke MP for Rushcliffe | 10 April 1992 | 27 May 1993 | Conservative | Major II | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Michael Howard MP for Folkestone and Hythe | 27 May 1993 | 2 May 1997 | Conservative | Major II | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Jack Straw MP for Blackburn | 2 May 1997 | 8 June 2001 | Labour | Blair I | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | David Blunkett MP for Sheffield Brightside | 8 June 2001 | 15 December 2004 | Labour | Blair II | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Charles Clarke MP for Norwich South | 15 December 2004 | 5 May 2006 | Labour | Blair II | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Charles Clarke MP for Norwich South | 15 December 2004 | 5 May 2006 | Labour | Blair III | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | John Reid MP for Airdrie and Shotts | 5 May 2006 | 27 June 2007 | Labour | Blair III | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Jacqui Smith MP for Redditch | 28 June 2007 | 5 June 2009 | Labour | Brown | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Alan Johnson MP for Hull West and Hessle | 5 June 2009 | 11 May 2010 | Labour | Brown | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Theresa May MP for Maidenhead Tenure | 12 May 2010 | 13 July 2016 | Conservative | Cameron–Clegg (Con.–L.D.) | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Theresa May MP for Maidenhead Tenure | 12 May 2010 | 13 July 2016 | Conservative | Cameron II | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Amber Rudd MP for Hastings and Rye | 13 July 2016 | 29 April 2018 | Conservative | May I | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| ​ | Amber Rudd MP for Hastings and Rye | 13 July 2016 | 29 April 2018 | Conservative | May II | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Sajid Javid MP for Bromsgrove | 30 April 2018 | 24 July 2019 | Conservative | May II | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Priti Patel MP for Witham | 24 July 2019 | 6 September 2022 | Conservative | Johnson I | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Priti Patel MP for Witham | 24 July 2019 | 6 September 2022 | Conservative | Johnson II | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Suella Braverman MP for Fareham | 6 September 2022 | 19 October 2022 | Conservative | Truss | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| | Suella Braverman MP for Fareham | 6 September 2022 | 19 October 2022 | Conservative | Truss | Charles III (2022–present) |
| | Grant Shapps MP for Welwyn Hatfield | 19 October 2022 | 25 October 2022 | Conservative | Truss | Charles III (2022–present) |
| | Suella Braverman MP for Fareham | 25 October 2022 | 13 November 2023 | Conservative | Sunak | Charles III (2022–present) |
| | James Cleverly MP for Braintree | 13 November 2023 | 5 July 2024 | Conservative | Sunak | Charles III (2022–present) |
| | Yvette Cooper MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley | 5 July 2024 | Incumbent | Labour | Starmer | Charles III (2022–present) |