Secretary of State for the Home Department
Royal Arms of the Home Office
Incumbent Priti Patel since 24 July 2019 (2019-07-24)
Home Office
Style	Home Secretary (informal) The Right Honourable (within the UK and Commonwealth)
Type	Minister of the Crown
Status	Department Leader Secretary of State
Member of	Cabinet Privy Council National Security Council
Reports to	Prime Minister
Seat	Westminster
Nominator	Prime Minister
Appointer	The Crown (on the advice of the Prime Minister
Term length	At HM Pleasure
Formation	7 March 1782; 240 years ago (1782-03-07)
First holder	Earl of Shelburne
Website	www.gov.uk

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v t e

The home secretary, officially the secretary of state for the Home Department, is a minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom, and the head of the Home Office.^[1] As a Great Office of State, the home secretary is one of the most senior ministers in the government. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, fifth in the ministerial ranking.^[2]

The position was created in 1782,^[3] though its responsibilities have changed many times.^[4] 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. In 2007, Jacqui Smith became the first woman home secretary.^[5]

The office holder works alongside the other Home Office ministers and the Home Office permanent secretary. The corresponding shadow minister is the shadow home secretary, and the performance of the home secretary is also scrutinised by the Home Affairs Select Committee^[6] and the Justice and Home Affairs Committee.^[7]

Priti Patel was appointed Home Secretary by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in July 2019.^[8]

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).^[1]

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.^[9] 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.^[9]

In 2007, the new Ministry of Justice took on the criminal justice functions of the Home Office and its agencies.^[10]

List of home secretaries

Secretary of State for the Home Department^[1]

Portrait		Name[note 1] (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Party	Ministry	Monarch (Reign)	Ref.
		The Right Honourable William Petty 2nd Earl of Shelburne KGPC (1737–1805)	27 March 1782	10 July 1782	Whig	Rockingham II	George III (1760–1820) [note 2]	[11]
		The Right Honourable Thomas Townsend MP for Whitchurch (1733–1800)	10 July 1782	2 April 1783	Whig	Shelburne (Whig–Tory)		[11]
		The Right Honourable Frederick North Lord North KG MP for Banbury (1732–1792)	2 April 1783	19 December 1783	Tory	Fox–North		[11]
		The Right Honourable George Nugent-Temple-Grenville 3rd Earl Temple PC (1753–1813)	19 December 1783	23 December 1783	Tory	Pitt I		[12]
		The Right Honourable Thomas Townsend 1st Baron Sydney PC (1733–1800)	23 December 1783	5 June 1789	Whig			[11]
		The Right Honourable William Grenville 1st Baron Grenville PCPC (Ire) MP for Buckinghamshire[note 3] (1759–1834)	5 June 1789	8 June 1791	Tory			[11]
		The Right Honourable Henry Dundas MP for Edinburgh (1742–1811)	8 June 1791	11 July 1794	Tory			[11]
		His Grace William Cavendish-Bentinck 3rd Duke of Portland KGPCFRS (1738–1809)	11 July 1794	30 July 1801	Tory			[11]
						Addington
		The Right Honourable Thomas Pelham 4th Baron Pelham of Stanmer PCPC (Ire)FRS (1756–1826)	30 July 1801	17 August 1803	Whig			[11]
		The Right Honourable Charles Philip Yorke FRSFSA MP for Cambridgeshire (1764–1834)	17 August 1803	12 May 1804	Tory			[11]
		The Right Honourable Robert Jenkinson 2nd Baron Hawkesbury PCFRS (1770–1828)	12 May 1804	5 February 1806	Tory	Pitt II		[11]
		The Right Honourable George Spencer 2nd Earl Spencer KGPCDLFRSFSA (1758–1834)	5 February 1806	25 March 1807	Whig	All the Talents (Whig–Tory)		[11]
		The Right Honourable Robert Jenkinson 2nd Earl of Liverpool PCFRS (1770–1828)	25 March 1807	1 November 1809	Tory	Portland II		[11]
		The Right Honourable Richard Ryder MP for Tiverton (1766–1832)	1 November 1809	8 June 1812	Tory	Perceval		[11]
		The Right Honourable Henry Addington 1st Viscount Sidmouth PC (1757–1844)	11 June 1812	17 January 1822	Tory	Liverpool		[11]
							George IV (1820–1830)
		The Right Honourable Robert Peel FRS MP for Oxford University (1788–1850)	17 January 1822	10 April 1827	Tory			[11]
		The Right Honourable William Sturges Bourne MP for Ashburton (1769–1845)	30 April 1827	16 July 1827	Tory	Canning (Canningite–Whig)		[11]
​		The Most Honourable Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne PCFRS (1780–1863)	16 July 1827	22 January 1828	Whig			[11]
						Goderich
		The Right Honourable Sir Robert Peel BtFRS MP for 3 constituencies respectively (1788–1850)	26 January 1828	22 November 1830	Tory	Wellington–Peel		[11]
							William IV (1830–1837)
		The Right Honourable William Lamb 2nd Viscount Melbourne PC (1779–1848)	22 November 1830	16 July 1834	Whig	Grey		[11]
		The Right Honourable John Ponsonby 1st Baron Duncannon PC (1781–1847)	19 July 1834	15 November 1834	Whig	Melbourne I		[11]
		Field MarshalHis Grace Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington KGGCBGCHPC (1769–1852)	15 November 1834	15 December 1834	Tory	Wellington Caretaker		[11]
		The Right Honourable Henry Goulburn FRS MP for Cambridge University (1784–1856)	15 December 1834	18 April 1835	Conservative	Peel I		[11]
		The Right Honourable Lord John Russell MP for Stroud (1792–1878)	18 April 1835	30 August 1839	Whig	Melbourne II		[12]
							Victoria (1837–1901)
		The Most Honourable Constantine Phipps 1st Marquess of Normanby GCHPC (1797–1863)	30 August 1839	30 August 1841	Whig			[12]
		The Right Honourable Sir James Graham Bt MP for Dorchester (1792–1861)	6 September 1841	30 June 1846	Conservative	Peel II		[12]
		The Right Honourable Sir George Grey Bt MP for Devonport → North Northumberland[note 4] (1799–1882)	8 July 1846	23 February 1852	Whig	Russell I		[12]
		The Right Honourable Spencer Horatio Walpole QC MP for Midhurst (1806–1898)	27 February 1852	19 December 1852	Conservative	Who? Who?		[12]
		The Right Honourable Henry John Temple 3rd Viscount Palmerston GCBPCFRS MP for Tiverton (1784–1865)	28 December 1852	6 February 1855	Whig	Aberdeen (Peelite–Whig)		[12]
		The Right Honourable Sir George Grey Bt MP for Morpeth (1799–1882)	8 February 1855	26 February 1858	Whig	Palmerston I		[12]
		The Right Honourable Spencer Horatio Walpole QC MP for Cambridge University (1806–1898)	26 February 1858	3 March 1859	Conservative	Derby–Disraeli II		[12]
		The Right Honourable Thomas Henry Sutton Sotheron-Estcourt DLJP MP for North Wiltshire (1801–1876)	3 March 1859	18 June 1859	Conservative			[12]
		The Right Honourable Sir George Cornewall Lewis Bt MP for Radnor (1806–1863)	18 June 1859	25 July 1861	Liberal	Palmerston II		[12]
​		The Right Honourable Sir George Grey Bt MP for Morpeth (1799–1882)	25 July 1861	28 June 1866	Liberal			[12]
						Russell II
		The Right Honourable Spencer Horatio Walpole QC MP for Cambridge University (1806–1898)	6 July 1866	17 May 1867	Conservative	Derby–Disraeli III		[12]
		The Right Honourable Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy MP for Oxford University (1814–1906)	17 May 1867	3 December 1868	Conservative			[12]
		The Right Honourable Henry Bruce JPDL MP for Merthyr Tydfil → Renfrewshire[note 5] (1815–1895)	9 December 1868	9 August 1873	Liberal	Gladstone I		[12]
		The Right Honourable Robert Lowe MP for London University (1811–1892)	9 August 1873	20 February 1874	Liberal			[12]
		The Right Honourable R. A. Cross GCBFRSDL MP for South West Lancashire (1823–1914)	21 February 1874	23 April 1880	Conservative	Disraeli II		[12]
		The Right Honourable Sir William Harcourt QC MP for Derby (1827–1904)	28 April 1880	23 June 1885	Liberal	Gladstone II		[12]
		The Right Honourable R. A. Cross GCBFRSDL MP for Newton (1823–1914)	24 June 1885	1 February 1886	Conservative	Salisbury I		[12]
		The Right Honourable Hugh Childers MP for Edinburgh South (1827–1896)	6 February 1886	25 July 1886	Liberal	Gladstone III		[12]
		The Right Honourable Henry Matthews QC MP for Birmingham East (1826–1913)	3 August 1886	15 August 1892	Conservative	Salisbury II		[12]
		The Right Honourable H. H. Asquith QC MP for East Fife (1852–1928)	18 August 1892	25 June 1895	Liberal	Gladstone IV		[12]
						Rosebery
		The Right Honourable Sir Matthew White Ridley BtDL MP for Blackpool (1842–1904)	29 June 1895	12 November 1900	Conservative	Salisbury (III & IV) (Con.–Lib.U.)		[12]
		The Right Honourable Charles Ritchie MP for Croydon (1838–1906)	12 November 1900	11 August 1902	Conservative			[12]
							Edward VII (1901–1910)
						Balfour
		The Right Honourable Aretas Akers-Douglas JPDL MP for St Augustine's (1851–1926)	11 August 1902	5 December 1905	Conservative			[12]
		The Right Honourable Herbert Gladstone JP MP for Leeds West (1854–1930)	11 December 1905	19 February 1910	Liberal	Campbell-Bannerman		[12]
​						Asquith (I–III)
		The Right Honourable Winston Churchill MP for Dundee (1874–1965)	19 February 1910	24 October 1911	Liberal			[12]
							George V (1910–1936)
		The Right Honourable Reginald McKenna MP for North Monmouthshire (1863–1943)	24 October 1911	27 May 1915	Liberal			[12]
		The Right Honourable Sir John Simon MP for Walthamstow (1873–1954)	27 May 1915	12 January 1916	Liberal	Asquith Coalition (Lib.–Con.–et al.)		[12]
		The Right Honourable Herbert Samuel MP for Cleveland (1870–1963)	12 January 1916	7 December 1916	Liberal			[12]
		The Right Honourable George Cave 1st Viscount Cave PC MP for Kingston[note 6] (1856–1928)	11 December 1916	14 January 1919	Conservative	Lloyd George (I & II)		[12]
		The Right Honourable Edward Shortt KC MP for Newcastle upon Tyne West (1862–1935)	14 January 1919	23 October 1922	Liberal			[12]
		The Right Honourable William Bridgeman JPDL MP for Oswestry (1864–1935)	25 October 1922	22 January 1924	Conservative	Law		[12]
						Baldwin I
		The Right Honourable Arthur Henderson MP for Burnley[note 7] (1863–1935)	23 January 1924	4 November 1924	Labour	MacDonald I		[12]
		The Right Honourable Sir William Joynson-Hicks BtPC (NI)DL MP for Twickenham (1865–1932)	7 November 1924	5 June 1929	Conservative	Baldwin II		[12]
		The Right Honourable John Robert Clynes MP for Manchester Platting (1869–1949)	8 June 1929	26 August 1931	Labour	MacDonald II		[12]
		The Right Honourable Herbert Samuel GCBGBE MP for Darwen (1870–1963)	26 August 1931	1 October 1932	Liberal	National I (N.Lab.–Con.–et al.)		[12]
​						National II
		The Right Honourable Sir John Gilmour BtDSOTDJPDL MP for Glasgow Pollok (1876–1940)	1 October 1932	7 June 1935	Unionist			[12]
​		The Right Honourable Sir John Simon GCSIGCVOOBE MP for Spen Valley (1873–1954)	7 June 1935	28 May 1937	Liberal National	National III (Con.–N.Lab.–et al.)		[12]
							Edward VIII (1936)
​							George VI (1936–1952)
		The Right Honourable Sir Samuel Hoare BtGCSIGBECMGJP MP for Chelsea (1880–1959)	28 May 1937	3 September 1939	Conservative	National IV		[12]
​		The Right Honourable Sir John Anderson GCBGCSIGCIEPC (Ire) MP for Combined Scottish Universities (1882–1958)	4 September 1939	4 October 1940	Independent (National)	Chamberlain War		[12]
​						Churchill War (All parties)
		The Right Honourable Herbert Morrison MP for Hackney South (1888–1965)	4 October 1940	23 May 1945	Labour			[12]
		The Right Honourable Sir Donald Somervell KC MP for Crewe (1889–1960)	25 May 1945	26 July 1945	Conservative	Churchill Caretaker (Con.–Lib.N.)		[12]
		The Right Honourable James Chuter Ede JPDL MP for South Shields (1882–1965)	3 August 1945	26 October 1951	Labour	Attlee (I & II)		[12]
		The Right Honourable Sir David Maxwell Fyfe GCVOQC MP for Liverpool West Derby (1900–1967)	27 October 1951	19 October 1954	Conservative	Churchill III		[12]
							Elizabeth II (1952–present)
​		The Right Honourable Gwilym Lloyd George TD MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North (1894–1967)	19 October 1954	14 January 1957	National Liberal & Conservative			[12]
						Eden
		The Right Honourable Richard Austen Butler CH MP for Saffron Walden (1902–1982)	14 January 1957	13 July 1962	Conservative	Macmillan (I & II)		[12]
​		The Right Honourable Henry Brooke MP for Hampstead (1903–1984)	14 July 1962	16 October 1964	Conservative			[12]
						Douglas-Home
		The Right Honourable Sir Frank Soskice QC MP for Newport (1902–1979)	18 October 1964	23 December 1965	Labour	Wilson (I & II)		[12]
		The Right Honourable Roy Jenkins MP for Birmingham Stechford (1920–2003)	23 December 1965	30 November 1967	Labour			[12]
		The Right Honourable James Callaghan MP for Cardiff South East (1912–2005)	30 November 1967	19 June 1970	Labour			[12]
		The Right Honourable Reginald Maudling MP for Barnet (1917–1979)	20 June 1970	18 July 1972	Conservative	Heath		[12]
		The Right Honourable Robert Carr MP for Carshalton (1916–2012)	18 July 1972	4 March 1974	Conservative			[12]
		The Right Honourable Roy Jenkins MP for Birmingham Stechford (1920–2003)	5 March 1974	10 September 1976	Labour	Wilson (III & IV)		[12]
​						Callaghan
		The Right Honourable Merlyn Rees MP for Leeds South (1920–2006)	10 September 1976	4 May 1979	Labour			[12]
		The Right Honourable William Whitelaw CHMCDL MP for Penrith and The Border (1918–1999)	4 May 1979	11 June 1983	Conservative	Thatcher I		[12]
		The Right Honourable Leon Brittan QC MP for Richmond (Yorks) (1939–2015)	11 June 1983	2 September 1985	Conservative	Thatcher II		[12]
		The Right Honourable Douglas Hurd CBE MP for Witney (born 1930)	2 September 1985	26 October 1989	Conservative			[12]
						Thatcher III
		The Right Honourable David Waddington QCDL MP for Ribble Valley (1929–2017)	26 October 1989	28 November 1990	Conservative			[12]
		The Right Honourable Kenneth Baker MP for Mole Valley (born 1934)	28 November 1990	10 April 1992	Conservative	Major I		[12]
		The Right Honourable Kenneth Clarke QC MP for Rushcliffe (born 1940)	10 April 1992	27 May 1993	Conservative	Major II		[12]
		The Right Honourable Michael Howard QC MP for Folkestone and Hythe (born 1941)	27 May 1993	2 May 1997	Conservative			[12]
		The Right Honourable Jack Straw MP for Blackburn (born 1946)	2 May 1997	8 June 2001	Labour	Blair I		[12]
		The Right Honourable David Blunkett MP for Sheffield Brightside (born 1947)	8 June 2001	15 December 2004	Labour	Blair II		[12]
		The Right Honourable Charles Clarke MP for Norwich South (born 1950)	15 December 2004	5 May 2006	Labour			[12]
						Blair III
		The Right Honourable John Reid MP for Airdrie and Shotts (born 1947)	5 May 2006	27 June 2007	Labour			[13]
		The Right Honourable Jacqui Smith MP for Redditch (born 1962)	28 June 2007	5 June 2009	Labour	Brown		[14]
		The Right Honourable Alan Johnson MP for Hull West and Hessle (born 1950)	5 June 2009	11 May 2010	Labour			[15]
		The Right Honourable Theresa May MP for Maidenhead (born 1956)	12 May 2010	13 July 2016	Conservative	Cameron–Clegg (Con.–L.D.)		[16]
			May's tenure as Home Secretary			Cameron II
		The Right Honourable Amber Rudd MP for Hastings and Rye (born 1963)	13 July 2016	29 April 2018	Conservative	May I		[17]
​						May II
		The Right Honourable Sajid Javid MP for Bromsgrove (born 1969)	30 April 2018	24 July 2019	Conservative			[18]
		The Right Honourable Priti Patel MP for Witham (born 1972)	24 July 2019	Incumbent	Conservative	Johnson I		[8]
						Johnson II