Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury is a junior ministerial post in His Majesty's Treasury, ranked below the First Lord of the Treasury, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Paymaster General and the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, and alongside the Economic Secretary to the Treasury. It ranks at Parliamentary Secretary level and is not a Cabinet office. Unlike the other posts of Secretary to the Treasury, it is only used occasionally, normally when the post of Paymaster General is allocated to a minister outside the Treasury.
United Kingdom Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury | |
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His Majesty's Treasury | |
Reports to | First Lord of the Treasury Chancellor of the Exchequer & Second Lord of the Treasury |
Nominator | Prime Minister |
Appointer | The King (on the advice of the Prime Minister) |
Term length | At His Majesty's pleasure |
Inaugural holder | Phillip Oppenheim |
Formation | 23 July 1996 |
Website | Official website |
The first Exchequer Secretary was Phillip Oppenheim, who held the post from 23 July 1996 to 2 May 1997, when he lost his seat in the general election that brought Tony Blair to power. After a period of abeyance, the office was reinstated upon Gordon Brown's accession as Prime Minister in June 2007, when Angela Eagle was appointed Exchequer Secretary. The position was held by Helen Whately, having been held by Kemi Badenoch from 2020 to 2021.
The minister is shadowed by the Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, who sits on the Official Opposition frontbench.