13-510: Front Line First: The Defence Cost Study was a UK programme of defence cuts announced on 14 July 1994 by then Defence Secretary Malcolm Rifkind . Front Line First was announced four years after Options for Change , which was a military draw-down as a result of the end of the Cold War , often described as the " peace dividend ". Critics such as the Labour defence spokesman Donald Anderson argued that
26-453: A ministry of war or department of war , although they generally had authority only over the army of a country, with a separate department governing other military branches. Prior to World War II , most "ministries of war" were army ministries, while the navy and the air force, if it existed as a separate branch, had their own departments. As late as 1953, for example, the Soviet Union had
39-666: The defence secretary , is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom , with responsibility for the Ministry of Defence . As a senior minister, the incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom . The post of secretary of state for defence was created on 1 April 1964, replacing the positions of minister of defence , first lord of the admiralty , secretary of state for war , and secretary of state for air , while
52-431: The creation of the cabinet-level minister of defence ). Defence minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences ), also known as a department of defence or defense , is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces , found in states where the government is divided into ministries or departments. Such a department usually includes all branches of
65-968: The cuts were driven by the Treasury, however Rifkind argued that the front line of the armed forces was not affected and it was support staff and assets which were being cut; Rifkind stated that one of the major conclusion of the study was that the "Ministry of Defence and other headquarters at all levels are too large, too top heavy and too bureaucratic." Secretary of State for Defence King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The secretary of state for defence , also known as
78-689: The individual offices of the British Armed Forces were abolished and their functions transferred to the Ministry of Defence. In 2019, Penny Mordaunt became the UK's first female defence secretary. The secretary of state is supported by the other ministers in the Defence Ministerial Team and the MOD permanent secretary . The corresponding shadow minister is the shadow secretary of state for defence , and
91-413: The military, and is usually controlled by a defence minister or secretary of defense . The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in some the minister is only in charge of general budget matters and procurement of equipment, while in others they are also an integral part of the operational military chain of command . Historically, such departments were referred to as
104-547: The secretary of state is also scrutinised by the Defence Select Committee . The current secretary of state for defence is John Healey , who was appointed on 5 July 2024 following the 2024 United Kingdom general election . In contrast to what is generally known as a defence minister in many other countries, the Defence Secretary's remit includes: The position of minister for co-ordination of defence
117-471: Was a British Cabinet -level position established in 1936 to oversee and co-ordinate the rearmament of Britain's defences. It was established by the prime minister, Stanley Baldwin , in response to criticism that Britain's armed forces were understrength compared to those of Nazi Germany . When the Second World War broke out, the new prime minister Neville Chamberlain formed a small War Cabinet and it
130-469: Was created in 1964 as successor to the posts of minister for coordination of defence and minister of defence. It replaced the positions of first lord of the admiralty , secretary of state for war and secretary of state for air , as the Admiralty , War Office and Air Ministry were merged into the Ministry of Defence (the secretary of state for war had already ceased to be a cabinet position in 1946, with
143-425: Was created in response to previous criticism that there had been no clear single minister in charge of the prosecution of World War II . In 1946, the post became the only cabinet-level post representing the military, with the three service ministers – the secretary of state for war , the first lord of the admiralty , and the secretary of state for air , now formally subordinated to the minister of defence. The post
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#1733092650355156-521: Was expected that the minister would serve as a spokesperson for the three service ministers, the secretary of state for war , the first lord of the admiralty and the secretary of state for air ; however, political considerations resulted in all three posts being included in the Cabinet, and this role proved increasingly redundant. In April 1940 the position was formally wound up and the functions transferred to other ministers. The post of minister of defence
169-447: Was responsible for co-ordination of defence and security from its creation in 1940 until its abolition in 1964. The post was a Cabinet level post and generally ranked above the three service ministers, some of whom, however, continued to also serve in Cabinet. On his appointment as prime minister in May 1940, Winston Churchill created for himself the new post of minister of defence. The post
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