Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Minister of State for Europe
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
Royal Arms of Her Majesty's Government
Official portrait of Chris Heaton-Harris MP.jpg
Incumbent
Chris Heaton-Harris
since 19 December 2021
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
StatusIncumbent
Reports toSecretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
NominatorSecretary of State
AppointerThe Prime Minister
approved and sworn in by the Queen-in-Council
Term lengthNo fixed term
Formation1979
First holderDouglas Hurd

The Minister of State for Europe is a ministerial position within the Government of the United Kingdom, in charge of affairs with Europe, the European Union and NATO.[1] The Minister can also be responsible for government policy towards European security; defence and international security; the Falkland Islands; polar regions; migration; protocol; human resources; OSCE and Council of Europe; relations with Parliament; British Overseas Territories of Gibraltar and Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus; and FCO finance, knowledge and technology.

The office currently a Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Despite being a junior ministerial role, the position has sometimes conferred the right to attend meetings of the Cabinet, which is occasionally granted to other such ministers at the Prime Minister's discretion. This first occurred when Denis MacShane was replaced by Douglas Alexander after the 2005 general election, although Alexander's successor ceased to have this right. When Chris Bryant held the office, it was not as Minister of State but as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Europe and Asia.[2]

The responsibilities of the office were next appointed to a Minister of State in 2010 by then Prime Minister David Cameron. He appointed David Lidington, who held the office for over six years. In July 2016, the responsibilities of the Minister for Europe were combined with the portfolio of the traditionally more junior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. The post of Minister of State for Europe and the Americas was held by Alan Duncan until he resigned on 22 July 2019; Duncan was largely regarded as the second most senior-ranking Foreign Office Minister behind the Foreign Secretary.[3][4][5] On 25 July 2019, newly elected Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed Conservative MP for Tamworth, Christopher Pincher to the role as part of his ministerial reshuffle. Johnson promoted Wendy Morton to the role of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for European Neighbourhood and the Americas to replace Pincher in February 2020.[6] In December 2021, Chris Heaton-Harris was moved to the role when ministerial responsibility for the United Kingdom's relations with the European Union was moved from the Cabinet Office back to the Foreign Office.

The post is not to be confused with the Minister of State within the Department for Exiting the European Union, the department created by Prime Minister Theresa May following the UK's vote to leave the EU in 2016 and abolished by Boris Johnson following the UK's exit from the EU on 31 January 2020. They supported the work of the department overseeing the UK's exit from the EU rather than overseeing government policy towards all-European affairs.[7][8]

List of Ministers for Europe[]

Name Portrait Term of office Political party P.M. F.Sec.
Douglas Hurd Lord Hurd (cropped).jpg 4 May 1979 9 June 1983 Conservative Thatcher Carrington
Pym
Malcolm Rifkind Malcolm Rifkind 2011 (cropped).jpg 9 June 1983 11 January 1986 Howe
Lynda Chalker Official portrait of Baroness Chalker of Wallasey crop 2.jpg 11 January 1986 24 July 1989
Francis Maude Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office.jpg 25 July 1989 28 November 1990 Major
Hurd
Tristan Garel-Jones Presidente Abugattás recibió a Parlamentario Británico (cropped).jpg 28 November 1990 27 May 1993 Major
David Heathcoat-Amory David Heathcoat-Amery.JPG 27 May 1993 20 July 1994
David Davis Official portrait of Rt Hon David Davis MP crop 2.jpg 20 July 1994 2 May 1997
Rifkind
Doug Henderson No image.svg 5 May 1997 28 July 1998 Labour Blair Cook
Joyce Quin Official portrait of Baroness Quin crop 2, 2019.jpg 28 July 1998 28 July 1999
Geoff Hoon Geoff Hoon Headshot.jpg 28 July 1999 11 October 1999
Keith Vaz Official portrait of Keith Vaz crop 2.jpg 11 October 1999 11 June 2001
Peter Hain Official portrait of Lord Hain crop 2, 2019.jpg 11 June 2001 24 October 2002 Straw
Denis MacShane DenisMacShane.jpg 28 October 2002 11 May 2005
Douglas Alexander Douglas Alexander at the India Economic Summit 2008.jpg 11 May 2005 8 May 2006
Geoff Hoon Geoff Hoon Headshot.jpg 8 May 2006 28 June 2007 Beckett
Jim Murphy Jmurphy g.jpg 28 June 2007 3 October 2008 Brown Miliband
Caroline Flint Official portrait of Caroline Flint crop 2.jpg 3 October 2008 5 June 2009
The Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead Baroness Kinnock.jpg 5 June 2009 13 October 2009
Chris Bryant
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Europe and Asia 		Official portrait of Chris Bryant crop 2.jpg 13 October 2009 11 May 2010
David Lidington Official portrait of Mr David Lidington crop 2.jpg 12 May 2010 14 July 2016 Conservative Cameron Hague
Hammond
Alan Duncan
Minister of State for Europe and the Americas 		Official portrait of Sir Alan Duncan crop 2.jpg 15 July 2016 22 July 2019 May Johnson
Hunt
Christopher Pincher
Minister of State for Europe and the Americas 		Official portrait of Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP crop 2.jpg 25 July 2019 13 February 2020 Johnson Raab
Wendy Morton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for European Neighbourhood and the Americas 		Official portrait of Wendy Morton MP crop 2.jpg 13 February 2020 19 December 2021
Truss
Chris Heaton-Harris

Minister of State for Europe

Official portrait of Chris Heaton-Harris MP crop 2.jpg 19 December 2021 Incumbent

References[]

  1. ^ "Minister of State for Europe - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk.
  2. ^ "The Times & The Sunday Times".
  3. ^ "Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan resigns ahead of Boris Johnson's expected premiership". Sky News. London. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  4. ^ Swinford, Steven (21 June 2017). "Boris Johnson's deputy Alan Duncan tells him to resist temptation to 'play games'" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  5. ^ editor, Patrick Wintour Diplomatic (3 October 2017). "Brexit vote was 'tantrum' by British working class, says Alan Duncan" – via www.theguardian.com. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ @SMcDonaldFCO (17 February 2020). "@DominicRaab & @annietrev have divided portfolios among 7 joint @foreignoffice & @DFID_UK ministers:@morton_wendy is Minister for European Neighbourhood & the Americas" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "Minister of State - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk.
  8. ^ "Minister of State - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk.

See also[]

Retrieved from ""