Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
The Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister is a senior official in the British Civil Service who acts as Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The holder of this office is traditionally the head of the Prime Minister's Office. In the Civil Service, the role is currently graded as a Director-General. To date, no woman has ever occupied the office.[1] In fiction, the character of Bernard Woolley in the television series Yes, Prime Minister, occupied this post.[2]
Recent history
During Tony Blair's administration, he modified the law under which the Civil Service operated to create the role of Downing Street Chief of Staff, which though held by a political advisor outranked the Principal Private Secretary. When Gordon Brown ascended to office, he reversed the change to the Civil Service law. When David Cameron became Prime Minister, he promoted the then-PPS to a new post of "Permanent Secretary, Downing Street", a position which took over heading the Prime Minister's Office.[3] In 2012, the postholder, Jeremy Heywood, was appointed as Cabinet Secretary, this post ceased to exist, and the role of Civil Service head of the Office reverted to the Principal Private Secretary.
List of Principal Private Secretaries to the Prime Minister (from 1757, incomplete)
- Algernon West 1868–1872
- Arthur Godley 1880–1882
- Edward Walter Hamilton CB 1882–1885
- The Marquess of Granby 1885–1888
- Capt the Hon Schomberg Kerr McDonnell CB 1888–1892
- Sir Algernon West KCB 1892–1894
- Capt the Hon Sir Schomberg Kerr McDonnell KCB CVO 1894-1902
- John Satterfield Sandars CVO 1902–1905
- Vaughan Nash CB CVO 1905–1911
- Sir Maurice Bonham Carter KCB 1911–1916
- Sir John Davies KCB CVO 1916–1922
- Lt Col Sir Edward Grigg KCVO CMG DSO MC 1921–1922
- Sir Patrick Gower KBE CB CVO 1922–1928
- Lt Col Sir Ronald Waterhouse KCB CMG CVO 1922–1928
- Alan Barlow CB CBE 1933–1934
- Osmund Cleverly CB CVO 1936–1939
- Arthur Rucker CB CBE 1939–1940
- Eric Seal CB 1940–1941
- John Martin CB CVO 1941–1945
- Leslie Rowan CB CVO 1945–1947
- Laurence Helsby CB 1947–1950
- Denis Rickett CB CMG 1950–1951
- Jock Colville CB CVO 1951–1955
- David Pitblado CB CVO 1951–1956
- Frederick Bishop CVO 1956–1959
- Derek Mitchell CVO 1964–1966
- Lt Col Arthur Halls MBE TD 1966–1970
- Alexander Isserlis 1970
- Robert Armstrong CB CVO 1970–1975
- Kenneth Stowe CB 1975–1977
- Clive Whitmore 1977–1979
- Robin Butler 1979–1985
- Nigel Wicks CBE 1985–1988
- Andrew Turnbull CB CVO 1988–1992
- The Hon Alex Allan 1992–1997
- Sir John Holmes KBE CMG CVO 1997–1999
- Jeremy Heywood CB CVO 1999–2003
- Ivan Rogers 2003–2006
- Oliver Robbins 2006–2007
- Tom Scholar 2007–2008
- Sir Jeremy Heywood KCB CVO 2008–2010
- James Bowler 2010–2011
- Chris Martin CB CVO 2011–2015
- Simon Case 2015–present
References
- ↑ The Lord Hennessy (2000). The Prime Minister: The Office And Its Holders Since 1945. London: Allen Lane. ISBN 978-0713993400.
- ↑ Lynn, J.; Jay A. (1989). The Complete Yes Prime Minister. London: BBC Books. p. 8. ISBN 978-0563207733.
We are especially grateful also to Sir Bernard Woolley GCB, formerly Hacker's Principal Private Secretary at Number Ten Downing Street
- ↑ "Cabinet Office Structure Charts, May 2010" (PDF). Cabinet Office, HM Government. May 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
