The following table lists the Westminster (British) governments,
the names of the Prime Ministers (PM), Home Secretaries (HS) and the names of the Secretaries
of State (SoS) for Northern Ireland, from 1968 to the present. Click on each name for a biography of the selected person.
| Party Which Formed Government at Westminster
Date of General Election
|
Prime Minister (PM)
|
Secretary of State (SoS)
(Northern Ireland)
or Home Secretary (HS)
(Dates of Appointment)
|
Labour Party
(Oct 1964 - Mar 1966
Apr 1966 -
Jun 1970)
Election Oct 1964; 31 Mar 1966
|
Harold Wilson (PM)
(Oct 1964 - Mar 1966
Apr 1966 -
Jun 1970) |
James Callaghan (HS)
(1967 - Jun 1970)
|
Conservative Party
(Jun 1970 - Feb 1974)
Election 18 Jun 1970
|
Edward Heath (PM)
(Jun 1970 - Feb 1974)
|
Reginald Maudling (HS)
(Jun 1970 - Mar 1972)
William Whitelaw (SoS)
(Mar 1972 - Nov 1973)
Francis Pym (SoS)
(Nov 1973 - Feb 1974)
|
Labour Party
(Feb 1974 - May 1979)
Election 28 Feb 1974
and
Election 10 Oct 1974
|
Harold Wilson (PM)
(Feb 1974 - 1976)
James Callaghan (PM)
(1976 - May 1979)
|
Merlyn Rees (SoS)
(Mar 1974 - Sep 1976)
Roy Mason (SoS)
(Sep 1976 - May 1979)
|
Conservative Party
(May 1979 - Jun 1983)
Election 3 May 1979
|
Margaret Thatcher (PM)
(May 1979 - Nov 1990)
|
Humphrey Atkins (SoS)
(May 1979 - Sep 1981)
James Prior (SoS)
(Sep 1981 - Sep 1984)
|
Conservative Party
(Jun 1983 - Jun 1987)
Election 9 Jun 1983
|
Margaret Thatcher (PM)
(May 1979 - Nov 1990)
|
James Prior (SoS)
(Sep 1981 - Sep 1984)
Douglas Hurd (SoS)
(Sep 1984 - Sep 1985)
Tom King (SoS)
(Sep 1985 - Jul 1989)
|
Conservative Party
(Jun 1987 - Apr 1992)
Election 11 Jun 1987
|
Margaret Thatcher (PM)
(May 1979 - Nov 1990)
John Major (PM)
(Nov 1990 - May 1997)
|
Tom King (SoS)
(Sep 1985 - Jul 1989)
Peter Brooke (SoS)
(Jul 1989 - Apr 1992)
|
Conservative Party
(Apr 1992 - May 1997)
Election 9 Apr 1992
|
John Major (PM)
(Apr 1992 - May 1997)
|
Patrick Mayhew (SoS)
(Apr 1992 - May 1997)
|
Labour Party
(May 1997 - Jun 2001)
Election 1 May 1997
|
Tony Blair (PM)
(May 1997 - 27 Jun 2007) |
Marjorie (Mo) Mowlam (SoS)
(May 1997 - 11 Oct 1999)
Peter Mandelson (SoS)
(11 Oct 1999 - 24 Jan 2001)
John Reid (SoS)
(24 Jan 2001 - 24 Oct 2002)
|
Labour Party
(Jun 2001 - May 2005)
Election 7 June 2001
|
Tony Blair (PM)
(May 1997 - 27 Jun 2007) |
John Reid (SoS)
(24 Jan 2001 - 24 Oct 2002)
Paul Murphy (SoS)
(24 Oct 2002 - 5 May 2005)
|
Labour Party
(May 2005 - May 2010)
Election 5 May 2005 |
Tony Blair (PM)
(May 1997 - 27 Jun 2007)
Gordon Brown (PM)
(27 Jun 2007 - 11 May 2010) |
Peter Hain (SoS)
(6 May 2005 - 27 Jun 2007)
Shaun Woodward (SoS)
(28 Jun 2007 - 11 May 2010) |
Conservative / Liberal Democrat Coalition
(May 2010 - May 2015)
Election 6 May 2010
|
David Cameron (PM)
(11 May 2010 - 13 Jul 2016) |
Owen Patterson (SoS)
(12 May 2010 - 4 Sep 2012)
Theresa Villiers (SoS) (4 Sep 2012 - 14 Jul 2016) |
Conservative Party
(May 2015 - )
Election 7 May 2015
|
David Cameron (PM)
(11 May 2010 - 13 Jul 2016)
Theresa May (PM)
(13 Jul 2016 - 24 Jul 2019) |
Theresa Villiers (SoS)
(4 Sep 2012 - 14 Jul 2016)
James Brokenshire (SoS)
(14 Jul 2016 - 8 Jan 2018) |
Conservative Party
(Jun 2017 - Dec 2019)
with DUP support
Election 8 Jun 2017
|
Theresa May (PM)
(13 Jul 2016 - 24 Jul 2019)
Boris Johnston (PM) (24 Jul 2019 - 6 Sep 2022) |
James Brokenshire (SoS)
(14 Jul 2016 - 8 Jan 2018)
Karen Bradley (SoS)
(8 Jan 2018 - 24 Jul 2019)
Julian Smith (SoS) (24 Jul 2019 - 13 Feb 2020) |
Conservative Party
(Dec 2019 - Jul 2024)
Election 12 Dec 2019
|
Boris Johnston (PM) (24 Jul 2019 - 6 Sep 2022)
Liz Truss (PM) (6 Sep 2022 - 25 Oct 2022)
Rishi Sunak (PM) (25 Oct 2022 - 4 Jul 2024) |
Julian Smith (SoS) (24 Jul 2019 - 13 Feb 2020)
Brandon Lewis (SoS) (13 Feb 2020 - 7 Jul 2022)
Shailesh Vara (SoS) (7 Jul 2022 - 6 Sep 2022)
Chris Heaton-Harris (SoS) (6 Sep 2022 - 4 Jul 2024) |
Labour Party
(Jul 2024 - )
Election 4 Jul 2024 |
Kier Starmer (PM)
(4 Jul 2024 - )
|
Hilary Benn (SoS)
(4 Jul 2024 - )
|
Note: In a number of cases there is an overlap where a Secretary of State remains in post following the return of the same government at a general election.
