TheGreat Offices of State are senior offices in theUK government. They are thePrime Minister, theChancellor of the Exchequer, theForeign Secretary and theHome Secretary,[1][2][3] or the three offices excluding the prime minister.[4][5]
The Great Offices of State are derived from the most senior positions in theRoyal Household – theGreat Officers of State. These eventually became hereditary and honorary titles, while the substantive duties of the Officers passed to individuals who were appointed on behalf of the Crown.[6]James Callaghan is the first and, to date, only person to have served in all four positions.[1][7]
According to aYouGov poll conducted in 2017, the British public view the three most senior Cabinet ministers as theChancellor, theSecretary of State for Health and Social Care, and theSecretary of State for Defence, with the office ofHome Secretary coming in fourth place, and that ofForeign Secretary in just ninth place, preceded by theSecretary of State for Work and Pensions and followed by theSecretary of State for International Trade. The office ofSecretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport was viewed as least important, with just 3% of respondents saying they viewed it as one of the most important positions.[8]
TheTruss ministry formed on 6 September 2022 and initially had no white men holding positions in the Great Offices of State, for the first time inBritish political history.[9][10][11] This remained the case for just 38 days until the appointment ofJeremy Hunt as Chancellor of the Exchequer on 14 October 2022, replacingKwasi Kwarteng who had been the first black Chancellor.[12] Five days later on 19 October 2022,Grant Shapps was appointed Home Secretary, replacingSuella Braverman,[13] although Braverman was then reappointed by incoming Prime MinisterRishi Sunak just six days later. Following Sunak'sreshuffle in November 2023, this marked the first instance since May 2010 where no women occupied a Great Office of State. It also marked the first 21st century instance of a former prime minister holding a Great Office of State, withDavid Cameron being appointed asForeign Secretary in theSunak ministry, becoming the first former prime minister to serve in a ministerial post sinceAlec Douglas-Home in 1970−1974.[citation needed]
Following the general election on4 July, Prime MinisterSir Keir Starmer appointedRachel Reeves as Chancellor of the Exchequer, thus making Reeves the first female Chancellor in the 708 year history ofHM Treasury.[14] Starmer appointed women to a record half of the Cabinet, including three of the five top positions in the British government. Besides Reeves, this includedAngela Rayner asDeputy Prime Minister andYvette Cooper asHome Secretary.[15][16]
Following a cabinet reshuffle on 5 September 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed David Lammy as the new Deputy Prime Minister, andShabana Mahmood as the new Home Secretary. The changes followed the resignation of Angela Rayner as Deputy PM following an investigation into her alleged breach of theMinisterial Code.[17][18]
| Great Offices of State ofHis Majesty's Government[19] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.svg) Starmer ministry | |||||
| Office | Officeholder | Took office | Concurrent government office(s) | Previous government office | |
| Prime Minister | .jpg) | The Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer MP forHolborn and St Pancras | 5 July 2024 (15 months ago) (2024-07-05) | ||
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | _(cropped).jpg) | The Right Honourable Rachel Reeves MP forLeeds West and Pudsey | 5 July 2024 (15 months ago) (2024-07-05) | Second Lord of the Treasury | |
| Foreign Secretary (Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs) | _2.jpg) | The Right Honourable Yvette Cooper MP forPontefract, Castleford and Knottingley | 5 September 2025 (44 days ago) (2025-09-05) | Home Secretary (2024–25) | |
| Home Secretary (Secretary of State for the Home Department) | _2.jpg) | The Right Honourable Shabana Mahmood MP forBirmingham Ladywood | 5 September 2025 (44 days ago) (2025-09-05) | Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (2024–25) Justice Secretary | |
He had held all four of the great offices of state
| ||
.svg)
.svg)
