27 Secretaries of State for Defence (UK)

The Secretary of State for Defence, also referred to as the Defence Secretary, is a senior Minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The office forms part of the British Cabinet.

Robert William Ainsworth is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Coventry North East from 1992 to 2015, and was the Secretary of State for Defence from 2009 to 2010. Following the general election in 2010 he was the Shadow Defence Secretary, but was replaced by Jim Murphy following the election of Labour leader Ed Miliband.

Desmond Henry Browne, Baron Browne of Ladyton, is a Scottish Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kilmarnock and Loudoun from 1997 to 2010. He was a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, until the latter moved him from both Defence and Scottish Secretary in 2008.

Peter Alexander Rupert Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, Baron Carington of Upton,, was a British Conservative politician and hereditary peer who served as defence secretary from 1970 to 1974, foreign secretary from 1979 to 1982, chairman of British General Electric Company from 1983 to 1984, and secretary general of NATO from 1984 to 1988. In the first government of Margaret Thatcher, he played a major role in negotiating the Lancaster House Agreement that ended the racial conflict in Rhodesia and enabled the creation of Zimbabwe.

Sir Michael Cathel Fallon is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Defence from 2014 to 2017. A member of the Conservative Party, Fallon served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sevenoaks from 1997 to 2019, having previously served as the MP for Darlington from 1983 to 1992.

Liam Fox is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for International Trade from 2016 to 2019 and Secretary of State for Defence from 2010 to 2011. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Somerset since 2010. Fox was first elected as the MP for Woodspring in 1992.

Ian Hedworth John Little Gilmour, Baron Gilmour of Craigmillar, was a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom. He was styled Sir Ian Gilmour, 3rd Baronet from 1977, having succeeded to his father's baronetcy, until he became a life peer in 1992. He served as Secretary of State for Defence in 1974, in the government of Edward Heath. He also served in the government of Margaret Thatcher, as Lord Privy Seal from 1979 to 1981.

Philip Hammond, Baron Hammond of Runnymede, is a British former Conservative Party politician who was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2016 to 2019 under Prime Minister Theresa May. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Runnymede and Weybridge from 1997 to 2019. Hammond had the Conservative whip removed in September 2019 for voting against Boris Johnson's government and subsequently sat as an independent MP, though he remains a member of the party. He did not stand for re-election in the December general election.

Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey was a British Labour Party politician who served as Secretary of State for Defence from 1964 to 1970, Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979 and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1980 to 1983.

Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, is a British politician and businessman. Having begun his career as a property developer, he became one of the founders of the publishing house Haymarket. Heseltine served as a Conservative Member of Parliament from 1966 to 2001, and was a prominent figure in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major, including serving as Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State under the latter.

Geoffrey William Hoon is a British Labour Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashfield from 1992 to 2010. He is a former Defence Secretary, Transport Secretary, Leader of the House of Commons and Government Chief Whip.

John Matthew Patrick Hutton, Baron Hutton of Furness, is a British Labour politician who was Member of Parliament (MP) for Barrow and Furness from 1992 to 2010 and served in a number of Cabinet offices, including Defence Secretary and Business Secretary. He is a former Chairman of the Royal United Services Institute.

Thomas Jeremy King, Baron King of Bridgwater, is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet from 1983 to 1992, and was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Bridgwater in Somerset from 1970 to 2001. He was made a life peer in 2001.

Roy Mason, Baron Mason of Barnsley,, was a British Labour politician and Cabinet minister who was Secretary of State for Defence and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in the 1970s.

Penelope Mary Mordaunt is a British Conservative Party politician who represents Portsmouth North as Member of Parliament (MP) since 2010.

Frederick William Mulley, Baron Mulley, PC was a British Labour politician, barrister-at-law and economist.

Sir John William Frederic Nott is a British former Conservative politician. Prominent in the late 1970s and early 1980s, he featured heavily in the public eye as Secretary of State for Defence during the 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands and subsequent Falklands War.

George Islay MacNeill Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, is a British politician of the Labour Party who served as the 10th Secretary General of NATO from 1999 to 2004; he succeeded Javier Solana. He served as Secretary of State for Defence from 1997 to 1999, before becoming a life peer being created Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, of Islay in Argyll and Bute on 24 August 1999.

Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo is a British journalist, broadcaster and former politician known for presenting Great British Railway Journeys and Great Continental Railway Journeys. A former member of the Conservative Party, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Enfield Southgate from 1984 to 1997 and Kensington and Chelsea from 1999 to 2005.

Francis Leslie Pym, Baron Pym, was a British Conservative politician who served in various positions in the Cabinet in the 1970s and 1980s, including Foreign Secretary, Defence Secretary, Northern Ireland Secretary and Leader of the House of Commons. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Cambridgeshire from 1961 to 1983 and South East Cambridgeshire from 1983 to 1987, and was made a life peer in 1987.

John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan PC, is a British Labour Party politician. He was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010, and served in the Cabinet under Prime Minister Tony Blair in a number of positions. He was Health Secretary from 2003 to 2005, Defence Secretary from 2005 to 2006, and Home Secretary from 2006 to 2007.

Sir Malcolm Leslie Rifkind is a British politician who served in various roles as a Cabinet minister under Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, including Secretary of State for Scotland (1986–1990), Defence Secretary (1992–1995), and Foreign Secretary (1995–1997).

George Edward Peter Thorneycroft, Baron Thorneycroft, was a British Conservative Party politician. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1957 and 1958.

Robert Ben Lobban Wallace is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for Defence since 24 July 2019. He previously was the UK’s longest-serving Minister of State for Security and Economic Crime from 2016 to 2019. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Wyre and Preston North, formerly Lancaster and Wyre, since 2005.

Harold Arthur Watkinson, 1st Viscount Watkinson, was a British businessman and Conservative Party politician. He was Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation between 1955 and 1959 and a cabinet member as Minister of Defence between 1959 and 1962, when he was sacked in the Night of the Long Knives. In 1964 he was ennobled as Viscount Watkinson.

Gavin Alexander Williamson is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for Education since 2019 and the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Staffordshire since 2010. A member of the Conservative Party, Williamson previously served in Theresa May’s Cabinet as Secretary of State for Defence from 2017 to 2019 and Chief Whip from 2016 to 2017.

George Kenneth Hotson Younger, 4th Viscount Younger of Leckie, Baron Younger of Prestwick,, was a British Conservative politician and banker.