First Secretary of State
| First Secretary of State | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Cabinet Office | |
| Style | First Secretary of State (informal) The Honourable (within the Empire) |
| Type | Minister of the Crown |
| Status | Secretary of State |
| Member of | Cabinet |
| Reports to | Prime Minister |
| Seat | Westminster |
| Nominator | Prime Minister |
| Appointer | The Sovereign (on the advice of the prime minister) |
| Term length | At His Majesty's pleasure |
| Formation | 20 October 2018 |
| First holder | The Baroness Tindale |
| Salary | £10,500 per cycle (July 2024) |
| Website | gbi |
The First Secretary of State is a senior office sometimes held by a Minister of the Crown to denote significant senior authority within HM Government. They are appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister and sit ex-officio as a Member of the Cabinet. The First Secretary of State is usually a Member of Parliament, though this is not always the case, nor enforced.
The office is considered the third most senior position in Government, behind only the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister. However, this has not always the case. In earlier Premierships, particularly during the era dominated by the British Workers' Party, this office often served as a substitute for the role of Deputy Prime Minister.
The office is not always in use and as such, there are significant gaps between successive holders.
The office holder works alongside other Ministers to complete the goals set by the Prime Minister and the duties and responsibilities as set by law.
First Secretaries of State
| Portrait | Culture Secretary | Term of Office | Party | Government | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | Duration | |||||
|
Charles Somerset The Baron Huntingdon MP for Cambridge |
26 June 2022 | 9 July 2022 | 14 days | British Workers' | Northumberland Premiership | |
|
Sirch Somerset The Baron Hastings MP for Vancouver Centre |
9 July 2022 | 9 August 2022 | 32 days | British Workers' | Huntingdon Premiership | |
|
James Somerset The Earl of Northumberland MP for York Central |
15 August 2022 | 7 October 2022 | 54 days | British Workers' | J. Sherwood Premiership | |
|
August Stuart-Windsor The Earl of Stirling |
7 October 2022 | 6 November 2022 | 31 days | British Royalist | 1st Somerset Premiership | |
|
Henry Somerset The Baron Brabourne |
6 November 2022 | 7 December 2022 | 32 days | British Royalist | 1st Somerset Premiership | |
|
|
Sirch Somerset The Viscount Halifax |
7 December 2022 | 31 January 2023 | 56 days | British Federation of Labour | 2nd Lomond Premiership | |
|
Elio Somerset The 1st Viscount Douglas MP for Exeter |
5 April 2023 | 24 May 2023 | 50 days | Liberal Progressive | 2nd Somerset Premiership | |
|
|
August Lleyton The Earl of Stirling MP for Stirling |
24 May 2023 | 27 July 2023 | 65 days | British Constitutionalist | Edinburgh Premiership | |
|
|
August Carew The Baron Calder MP for County Clare |
1 July 2024 | 2 August 2024 | 33 days | Unionist | Wilton Premiership | |
|
|
James Forsyte The Duke of Warwick MP for York Central |
27 August 2024 | 8 October 2024 | 43 days | Unionist | 1st Sidmouth Premiership | |