The Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister is a Parliamentary Private Secretary serving the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The holder of the office is widely viewed as the Prime Minister's "eyes and ears" on the backbenches, serving as a liaison to the Prime Minister's parliamentary party.[1][2] The Parliamentary Private Secretary is also responsible for meeting with members of Parliament when the Prime Minister is unavailable, and accompanying the Prime Minister to, and assisting them with preparations for Prime Minister's Questions.[2][3] They usually sit directly behind the Prime Minister during question time.
| Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister | |
|---|---|
 Royal Arms as used by His Majesty's Government | |
  | |
| Prime Minister's Office | |
| Appointer | Prime Minister |
| Formation | 1906 |
| First holder | Hubert Carr-Gomm |
| Website | 10 Downing Street |
Role
editThe Parliamentary Private Secretary can become a highly powerful and significant role; Bonar Law's Parliamentary Private Secretary, J.C.C. Davidson acted in effect as his chief of staff.[3] Margaret Thatcher's downfall from the Conservative Party leadership in 1990 is attributed by many[4][5][6] to the actions of her Parliamentary Private Secretary, Peter Morrison, in failing to accurately count votes amongst Conservative backbenchers. Some Parliamentary Private Secretaries to the Prime Minister go on to hold higher office; Alec Douglas-Home served as Parliamentary Private Secretary under Neville Chamberlain and later went on to serve as Prime Minister in his own right.[7]
There can be multiple Parliamentary Private Secretaries to the Prime Minister at a given time. Many Prime Ministers have used this tactic during their premierships; former Prime Minister David Cameron only employed one Parliamentary Private Secretary at a time during his tenure in office, but he appointed Sir John Hayes as a minister without portfolio with responsibility for the Parliamentary Conservative Party, a job typically reserved for the Parliamentary Private Secretary.[8][9]
Parliamentary Private Secretaries to the Prime Minister (1906–present)
editThe following table lists Parliamentary Private Secretaries to successive Prime Ministers from 1906.[10]
In popular culture
editThe final instalment of Michael Dobbs's and the BBC's House of Cards trilogy, The Final Cut, includes a character, Claire Carlsen, who serves as Prime Minister Francis Urquhart's Parliamentary Private Secretary, ultimately betraying him by attempting to leak documents about his service in the British Army.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Shell, Donald (1995). Churchill to Major: The British Prime Ministership Since 1945. C. Hurst & Co. ISBN 9781563246357. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ a b Barnett, Hilare (2002). Constitutional & Administrative Law. Cavendish Publishing Ltd. p. 322. ISBN 9781843144755.
- ^ a b Kavanagh, Dennis (2013). The Powers Behind the Prime Minister: The Hidden Influence of Number Ten. HarperCollins UK. ISBN 9780007392636.
- ^ Cosgrave, Patrick (15 July 1995). "Obituary: Sir Peter Morrison". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ Hoggart, Simon (16 October 2013). "Margaret Thatcher: Power and Personality by Jonathan Aitken – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ Clark, Alan (1993). Diary. 354: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ "PIL: Parliamentary Private Secretaries to Prime Ministers 1906 – present – Commons Library Standard Note". Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ Kirkup, James (28 March 2013). "John Hayes goes to No 10. Is David Cameron admitting to fear of his own party?". London: The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 30 March 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
- ^ Sparrow, Andrew (28 March 2013). "Cameron moves John Hayes in mini reshuffle: Politics live blog". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
- ^ Priddy, Sarah (20 March 2021). "Parliamentary Private Secretaries to Prime Ministers since 1906". Research Briefings. House of Commons Library.
- ^ "Joy Morrissey 'honoured' to be appointed Boris Johnson's Parliamentary Private Secretary". Bucks Free Press. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "Lia Nici appointed Boris' PPS after hailing him 'best' in generations". GrimsbyLive. 8 February 2022. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "James appointed PPS to the Prime Minister". James Duddridge. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "Alex Stafford PPS to the Prime Minister".