Minister of State for the Armed Forces

The minister of state for the armed forces is a mid-level ministerial position at the Ministry of Defence in the Government of the United Kingdom. It has been held by Leo Docherty since 2024.

United Kingdom
Minister of State for the Armed Forces
Royal Arms as used by His Majesty's Government
Incumbent
Leo Docherty
since 26 March 2024
Ministry of Defence
Member ofDefence Council
Admiralty Board
Army Board
Air Force Board
Reports toSecretary of State for Defence
NominatorSecretary of State for Defence
AppointerPrime Minister
Subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council
Term lengthNo fixed term
Inaugural holderPeter Blaker
Formation1981
Websitewww.mod.uk

The office acts as the deputy to the secretary of state for defence, when it is of Minister of State rank.[1] The appointment of James Heappey as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in 2020 temporarily broke this tiering, until in July 2022 when Heappey was promoted to Minister of State, and the title of the position reverted to its former name.

The corresponding shadow minister is the shadow minister for the armed forces.

Roles edit

The responsibilities of the minister of state for the armed forces are:

  • Operations and operational legal policy
  • Force generation (including exercises)
  • Military recruitment and retention policy (regulars and reserves)
  • Cyber
  • Permanent Joint Operating bases
  • International defence engagement strategy
  • Lead for defence engagement in Africa and Latin America
  • Human security
  • Operational public inquiries, inquests
  • Youth and cadets
  • Commemorations, ceremonial duties, medallic recognition and protocol policy and casework

List of ministers and under-secretaries edit

Colour key (for political parties):
  Conservative  Labour  Liberal Democrats

MinisterTerm of officePolitical partyPrime MinisterDefence Secretary

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Army edit

Barney Hayhoe6 May 19795 January 1981ConservativeThatcherPym
Philip Goodhart5 January 198119 May 1981

Minister of State for the Armed Forces edit

Peter Blaker29 May 198113 June 1983ConservativeThatcherNott
Heseltine
John Stanley13 June 198313 June 1987
Younger
Ian Stewart13 June 198725 July 1988
Archie Hamilton25 July 198827 May 1993
King
ConservativeMajorRifkind
Jeremy Hanley27 May 199314 June 1994
Nicholas Soames14 June 19942 May 1997
Portillo
John Reid2 May 199727 July 1998LabourBlairRobertson
Doug Henderson27 July 199829 July 1999
John Spellar29 July 19997 June 2001Hoon
Adam Ingram7 June 200129 June 2007
Reid
Browne
Bob Ainsworth29 June 20075 May 2009LabourBrown
Hutton
Bill Rammell5 May 200911 May 2010Ainsworth
Nick Harvey13 May 20104 September 2012Liberal DemocratsCameron
(Coalition)
Fox
Hammond
Andrew Robathan4 September 20127 October 2013Conservative
Mark Francois7 October 201311 May 2015
Fallon
Penny Mordaunt11 May 201515 July 2016Cameron
(II)
Mike Penning15 July 201612 June 2017May
Mark Lancaster12 July 201716 December 2019
Williamson
Mordaunt
JohnsonWallace
Anne-Marie Trevelyan16 December 201913 February 2020

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces Feb 2020 to July 2022 edit

Minister of State for the Armed Forces July to Sept 2022 edit

Minister of State for the Armed Forces and Veterans Sept to Oct 2022 edit

James Heappey13 February 202025 October 2022ConservativeJohnson
Truss
Wallace

Minister of State for the Armed Forces edit

James Heappey25 October 202226 March 2024ConservativeSunakWallace
Leo Docherty26 March 2024IncumbentConservativeSunakShapps

Shadow Minister for the Armed Forces edit

Member of Parliament
Kevan Jones (2015 to 2016)
Kate Hollern (2016)
Wayne David (2016 to 2020)
Stephen Morgan (2020 to 2021)
Stephen Kinnock (2021 to 2022)
Luke Pollard (2022 - present)

References edit

  1. ^ "Ministry of Defence". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2021-04-12.

External links edit