Secretary of State for Transport
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The secretary of state for transport, also referred to as the transport secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the policies of the Department for Transport.[1] The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.
The office holder works alongside the other transport ministers. The corresponding shadow minister is the shadow secretary of state for transport, and the secretary of state is also scrutinised by the Transport Select Committee.[2]
The position of secretary of state for transport is held by Heidi Alexander, who was appointed by Keir Starmer following the resignation of Louise Haigh.
History
The Ministry of Transport absorbed the Ministry of Shipping and was renamed the Ministry of War Transport in 1941, but resumed its previous name at the end of the war.[3]
The Ministry of Civil Aviation was created by Winston Churchill in 1944 to look at peaceful ways of using aircraft and to find something for the aircraft factories to do after the war.[4] The new Conservative government in 1951 appointed the same minister to both Transport and Civil Aviation, finally amalgamating the ministries on 1 October 1953.[5]
The Ministry was renamed back to the Ministry of Transport on 14 October 1959, when a separate Ministry of Aviation was formed.
Transport responsibilities were subsumed by the Department for the Environment, headed by the secretary of state for the environment from 15 October 1970 to 10 September 1976.
The Department for Transport was recreated as a separate department by James Callaghan in 1976.[6]
The super-department Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions was created in 1997 for Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.
In 2001, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions was widely considered unwieldy and so was broken up,[7] with the Transport functions now combined with Local Government and the Regions in the DTLR (Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions).
List of ministers and secretaries of state
Minister of Transport (1919–1941)
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| Minister | Term of office | Political party | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Sir Eric Campbell-Geddes in 1917.jpg | Eric Campbell Geddes | 19 May 1919 | 7 November 1921 | Conservative | rowspan=3 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | David Lloyd George (Coalition)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:William Peel.jpg | William Peel, Viscount Peel | 7 November 1921 | 12 April 1922 | Conservative | ||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Crawford27.JPG | David Lindsay, 27th Earl of Crawford | 12 April 1922 | 31 October 1922 | Conservative | ||
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Viscount Stonehave.jpg | John Baird, 1st Viscount Stonehaven | 31 October 1922 | 22 January 1924 | Conservative | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Bonar Law |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Stanley Baldwin | ||||||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:1918 Harry Gosling.jpg | Harry Gosling | 24 January 1924 | 3 November 1924 | Labour | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Ramsay MacDonald |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Wilfrid Ashley - Bain Collection.jpg | Wilfrid Ashley | 11 November 1924 | 4 June 1929 | Conservative | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Stanley Baldwin |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Herbert Morrison | 7 June 1929 | 24 August 1931 | Labour | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Ramsay MacDonald | |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | John Pybus | 3 September 1931 | 22 February 1933 | Liberal | rowspan=3 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Ramsay MacDonald (1st & 2nd National min.)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Oliver Stanley MP.jpg | Oliver Stanley | 22 February 1933 | 29 June 1934 | Conservative | ||
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Leslie Hore.jpg | Leslie Hore-Belisha | 29 June 1934 | 28 May 1937 | National Liberal | ||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Stanley Baldwin (3rd National min.)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | ||||||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Leslie burgin.jpg | Leslie Burgin | 28 May 1937 | 21 April 1939 | National Liberal | rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Neville Chamberlain (4th National min.)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Euan Wallace.jpg | Euan Wallace | 21 April 1939 | 14 May 1940 | Conservative | Neville Chamberlain (War Coalition)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Lord reith.jpg | John Reith | 14 May 1940 | 3 October 1940 | National Independent | rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Winston Churchill (War Coalition)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Lord Brabazon.jpg | John Moore-Brabazon | 3 October 1940 | 1 May 1941 | Conservative | ||
Minister of (War) Transport and Minister of Civil Aviation (1941–1953)
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| Minister ofScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Transport |
Minister ofScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Civil Aviation |
Term of office | Political party | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Lot 11568-23 (24632592182) (Frederick Leathers).jpg | Frederick Leathers, 1st Viscount Leathers (Min. of War Transport)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
— | 1 May 1941 | 26 July 1945 | Conservative | rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Winston Churchill (War Coalition)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
| Philip Cunliffe-Lister, Viscount Swinton | 8 October 1944 | 26 July 1945 | Conservative | |||||
| rowspan=4 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Alfred Barnes MP.jpg | Alfred Barnes | Reginald Fletcher, 1st Baron Winster | 3–4 August 1945 | 4 October 1946 | Labour | rowspan=4 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Clement Attlee |
| Harry Nathan, 1st Baron Nathan | 4 October 1946 | 31 May 1948 | Labour | |||||
| Francis Pakenham, Lord Pakenham | 31 May 1948 | 1 June 1951 | Labour | |||||
| David Rees-Williams, 1st Baron Ogmore | 1 June 1951 | 26 October 1951 | Labour | |||||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | John Maclay | 31 October 1951 | 7 May 1952 | National Liberal | rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Winston Churchill | ||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Lennox-Boyd.jpg | Alan Lennox-Boyd | 7 May 1952 | 1 October 1953 | Conservative | |||
Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (1953–1959)
Colour key (for political parties):
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| Minister | Term of office | Political party | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Lennox-Boyd.jpg | Alan Lennox-Boyd | 1 October 1953 | 28 July 1954 | Conservative | rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Winston Churchill |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | John Boyd-Carpenter | 28 July 1954 | 20 December 1955 | Conservative | |||
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Harold Watkinson | 20 December 1955 | 14 October 1959 | Conservative | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Anthony Eden | |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Harold Macmillan | ||||||
Minister of Transport (1959–1970)
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| Minister | Term of office | Political party | Prime Minister | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Ernest Marples | 14 October 1959 | 16 October 1964 | Conservative | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Harold Macmillan |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Alec Douglas-Home | |||||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Thomas Fraser | 16 October 1964 | 23 December 1965 | Labour | rowspan=4 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Harold Wilson |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Barbara Castle | 23 December 1965 | 6 April 1968 | Labour | ||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Richard Marsh | 6 April 1968 | 6 October 1969 | Labour | ||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Fred Mulley[8] | 6 October 1969 | 22 June 1970 | Labour | ||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | John Peyton[9] | 23 June 1970 | 14 October 1970 | Conservative | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Edward Heath |
Minister within the Department of the Environment (1970–1976)
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| Minister | Term of office | Length of Term | Political party | Prime Minister | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Peter Walker | 15 October 1970 | 5 November 1972 | Template:Age in years and months | Conservative | rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Edward Heath |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Geoffrey Rippon | 5 November 1972 | 4 March 1974 | Template:Age in years and months | Conservative | ||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Anthony Crosland | 5 March 1974 | 8 April 1976 | Template:Age in years and months | Labour | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Harold Wilson |
The junior ministers responsible for transport within the Department for the Environment:
Minister for Transport Industries (1970–1974)
- John Peyton[9] (Conservative, 15 October 1970 – 7 March 1974)
Minister for Transport (1974–1976)
- Fred Mulley[8] (Labour, 7 March 1974 – 12 June 1975)
- John Gilbert[10] (Labour, 12 June 1975 – 10 September 1976)
Secretary of State for Transport (1976–1979)
Colour key (for political parties):
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| Secretary of State | Term of office | Length of Term | Political party | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of Lord Rodgers of Quarry Bank crop 2.jpg | Bill Rodgers[11] | 10 September 1976 | 4 May 1979 | Template:Age in years and months | Labour | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | James Callaghan |
Minister of Transport (1979–1981)
Not an official member of the cabinet.
Colour key (for political parties):
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| Minister | Term of office | Length of Term | Political party | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of Lord Fowler crop 2.jpg | Norman Fowler[12] | 11 May 1979 | 5 January 1981 | Template:Age in years and months | Conservative | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Margaret Thatcher |
Secretary of State for Transport (1981–1997)
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Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions (1997–2001)
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| Secretary of State | Term of office | Length of Term | Political party | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | John Prescott[21] MP for Kingston upon Hull West and HessleScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
File:John Prescott on his last day as Deputy Prime Minister, June 2007.jpg
MP for Kingston upon Hull West and HessleScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
2 May 1997 | 7 June 2001 | Template:Age in years and months | Labour | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Tony Blair |
Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (2001–2002)
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| Secretary of State | Term of office | Length of Term | Political party | Prime Minister | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Stephen Byers[22]
MP for North TynesideScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
8 June 2001 | 28 May 2002 | Template:Age in years and months | Labour | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Tony Blair |
After Byers' resignation, such a division was made, with the portfolios of Local Government and the Regions transferred to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
During the lifetime of DTLGR, John Spellar served as Minister of State for Transport with a right to attend Cabinet.
- John Spellar[23] (8 June 2001 – 29 May 2002)
Secretary of State for Transport (2002–present)
Colour key (for political parties):
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Timeline
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See also
References
Template:Department for Transport (United Kingdom)
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