So I kindly request a few minutes of your time to rank the Secretarial roles in the Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet in the order you think best describes how important or prominent each position is. Don't think about it too much. Feel free to some positions as equally important, and if you feel there is any difference between the rankings of the government secretaries and their shadows let me know. Once a good number of replies have come in, I'll combine the rankings to come up with an overall pecking order. If you think this method of coming up with a ranking is flawed, again let me know (and ideally suggest a better method).
Below are the current secretarial positions, presented in alphabetical order. Please copy and paste the list into the comments box and place a number next to each, with 1 being the highest and 20 the lowest. I've switched comments to moderation so that your rankings aren't biased by those which have gone before. Many thanks in advance.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Communities and Local Government
Culture, Media and Sport
Defence
Education
Energy and Climate Change
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Foreign
Health
Home
International Development
Justice
Northern Ireland
Prime Minister
Scotland
Transport
Wales
Work and Pension
19 comments:
Business, Innovation and Skills - 3
Chancellor of the Exchequer - 2
Chief Secretary to the Treasury - 4
Communities and Local Government - 8
Culture, Media and Sport - 12
Defence - 8
Education - 7
Energy and Climate Change - 11
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - 11
Foreign - 5
Health - 8
Home - 6
International Development - 11
Justice - 10
Northern Ireland - 13
Prime Minister - 1
Scotland - 13
Transport - 11
Wales - 13
Work and Pensions - 9
Sorry for the number of equal positions.
The 'Great Offices of State' other than Chancellor have slipped down the pecking order, in my view, due mainly to the Coalition and the delicate financial situation, but also due to Lord Mandelson's aggregation of power to DBIS during his reign there.
Depends on lots of factors, including recent incumbents, their effectiveness, damage done, personality, subsequent political career, and the like. Also the threats posed by current incumbents. And what one might mean by "importance" and "prominence".
1. Prime Minister
2. Chancellor of the Exchequer
3. Foreign
4. Home
5. Chief Secretary to the Treasury
6. Defence
7. Health
8. Education
9. Work and Pension
10. Business, Innovation and Skills
11. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
12. Justice
13. International Development
14. Transport
15. Energy and Climate Change
16. Communities and Local Government
17. Culture, Media and Sport
18. Northern Ireland
19. Wales
20. Scotland
Prime Minister
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Foreign
Defence
Business, Innovation and Skills
Education
Work and Pension
Justice
Home
Health
Transport
Communities and Local Government
Energy and Climate Change
Culture, Media and Sport
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
International Development
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Wales
7Business, Innovation and Skills
2Chancellor of the Exchequer
4Chief Secretary to the Treasury
15Communities and Local Government
19Culture, Media and Sport
7Defence
10Education
17Energy and Climate Change
16Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
3Foreign
11Health
5Home
18International Development
10Justice
13Northern Ireland
1Prime Minister
12Scotland
9Transport
14Wales
6Work and Pension
17 Business, Innovation and Skills
18 Chancellor of the Exchequer
19 Chief Secretary to the Treasury
1 Communities and Local Government
12 Culture, Media and Sport
11 Defence
2 Education
9 Energy and Climate Change
9 Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
13 Foreign [& Commonwealth]
3 Health
5 Home
20 International Development
4 Justice
5 Northern Ireland
15 Prime Minister
5 Scotland
14 Transport
5 Wales
16 Work and Pension
Business, Innovation and Skills 11
Chancellor of the Exchequer 2
Chief Secretary to the Treasury 4
Communities and Local Government 19
Culture, Media and Sport 20
Defence 7
Education 6
Energy and Climate Change 12
EnvironmentFood & Rural Affairs =13
Foreign 9
Health 3
Home 5
International Development 15
Justice 10
Northern Ireland 16
Prime Minister 1
Scotland =17
Transport =13
Wales =17
Work and Pensions 8
Looking at that list I'm shocked by how low I've ranked Foreign Sec. Guess that reflects our role in the world + the reach of the PM into that area. Of course as a Classical Liberal I'd have that list down to about 6....
Business, Innovation and Skills - 4
Chancellor of the Exchequer - 2
Chief Secretary to the Treasury - 13
Communities and Local Government - 14
Culture, Media and Sport
Defence - 5
Education - 10
Energy and Climate Change - 11
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Foreign - 6
Health - 7
Home - 3
International Development - 15
Justice - 8
Northern Ireland - 16
Prime Minister - 1
Scotland - 17
Transport - 12
Wales - 18
Work and Pension - 9
No Deputy Prime Minister?
OK then Duncan;
Business, Innovation and Skills 7
Chancellor of the Exchequer 2
Chief Secretary to the Treasury 10
Communities and Local Government 12
Culture, Media and Sport 15
Defence 9
Education 6
Energy and Climate Change 16
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 14
Foreign 4
Health 8
Home 3
International Development 20
Justice 11
Northern Ireland 17
Prime Minister 1
Scotland 18
Transport 13
Wales 19
Work and Pension 5
Hello,
Interesting. Quite tough to do, I decided forgo equal ranking in order to force me to decide.
This is quite fluid depending on challenges of the day - I can imagine the order of the top ten being different every few years.
I surprised myself how low I put the Foreign & Commonwealth Office - I don't know if it is the Tony Blair effect but it seems a less powerful post than before.
The devolved countries were interesting - NI needs more input but the Scottish Office has less power than the Welsh. However by population I did plump for Scotland over Wales.
Anyway - here are my thoughts
1. Prime Minister
2. Chancellor of the Exchequer
3. Health
4. Chief Secretary to the Treasury
5. Work and Pension
6. Foreign
7. Business, Innovation and Skills
8. Education
9. Justice
10. Defence
11. Home
12. International Development
13. Communities and Local Government
14. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
15. Transport
16. Energy and Climate Change
17. Culture, Media and Sport
18. Northern Ireland
19. Scotland
20. Wales
Andrew
7 Business, Innovation and Skills
2 Chancellor of the Exchequer
16 Chief Secretary to the Treasury
12 Communities and Local Government
17 Culture, Media and Sport
8 Defence
10 Education
11 Energy and Climate Change
15 Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
3 Foreign
5 Health
4 Home
14 International Development
9 Justice
18 Northern Ireland
1 Prime Minister
19 Scotland
13 Transport
20 Wales
6 Work and Pensions
Obviously Clegg is #2 though!
I've had a go Duncan, I didn't think too much as you asked, and was split between actuality and personal pragmatism, but plumbed for the middle ground:
1) Prime Minister
2) Chancellor of the Exchequer
3) Home
4) Foreign
5) Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
8) Justice
9) Health, Defence, Education
12) Chief Secretary to the Treasury,
13) Transport, Work and Pension
15) Business, Innovation and Skills
16) Culture, Media and Sport, Energy and Climate Change
18) Communities and Local Government, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, International Development
How fiendishly difficult... Here is my attempt. I've tried not to cop out by having too many tiers, although that is how I normally imagine things.
Prime Minister - 1
Chancellor of the Exchequer - 2
Home - 3
Foreign - 4
Health - 5
Education - 5
Defence - 7
Work and Pension - 8
Chief Secretary to the Treasury - 9
Justice - 10
Business, Innovation and Skills - 11
Communities and Local Government - 12
Energy and Climate Change - 13
Transport - 14
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - 15
International Development - 16
Culture, Media and Sport - 17
Northern Ireland - 18
Scotland - 19
Wales - 20
10 Business, Innovation and Skills
2 Chancellor of the Exchequer
6 Chief Secretary to the Treasury
13 Communities and Local Government
19 Culture, Media and Sport
11 Defence
5 Education
12 Energy and Climate Change
15 Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
9 Foreign
4 Health
3 Home
18 International Development
8 Justice
17 Northern Ireland
1 Prime Minister
16 Scotland
14 Transport
19 Wales
7 Work and Pension
Business, Innovation and Skills 8
Chancellor of the Exchequer 2
Chief Secretary to the Treasury 9
Communities and Local Government 14
Culture, Media and Sport 19
Defence 7
Education 5
Energy and Climate Change 15
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 12
Foreign 3
Health 6
Home 4
International Development 13
Justice 6
Northern Ireland 16
Prime Minister 1
Scotland 17
Transport 11
Wales 18
Work and Pension 10
7 Business, Innovation and Skills
2 Chancellor of the Exchequer
15 Chief Secretary to the Treasury
11 Communities and Local Government
16 Culture, Media and Sport
10 Defence
6 Education
12 Energy and Climate Change
14 Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
4 Foreign
8 Health
3 Home
17 International Development
9 Justice
19 Northern Ireland
1 Prime Minister
18 Scotland
13 Transport
20 Wales
5 Work and Pension
Business, Innovation and Skills 17
Chancellor of the Exchequer 3
Chief Secretary to the Treasury 6
Communities and Local Government 15
Culture, Media and Sport 16
Defence 14
Education 4
Energy and Climate Change 1
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 18
Foreign 5
Health 7
Home 3
International Development 13
Justice 12
Northern Ireland 21
Prime Minister 8
Scotland 19
Transport 10
Wales 22
Work and Pension 9
Business, Innovation and Skills 9
Chancellor of the Exchequer 2
Chief Secretary to the Treasury 4
Communities and Local Government 15
Culture, Media and Sport 16
Defence 17
Education 5
Energy and Climate Change 7
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 8
Foreign 3
Health 6
Home10
International Development 14
Justice 13
Northern Ireland
Prime Minister 1
Scotland18
Transport 12
Wales 19
Work and Pension 11
1 Prime Minister
2 Chancellor of the Exchequer
3 Foreign
4 Health
5 Home
6 Education
7 Defence
8 Chief Secretary to the Treasury
9 Justice
10 Work and Pensions
11 Business, Innovation and Skills
12 Energy and Climate Change
13 Communities and Local Government
14 Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
15 International Development
16 Transport
17 Scotland
18 Northern Ireland
19 Culture, Media and Sport
20 Wales
4 - Business, Innovation and Skills
2 - Chancellor of the Exchequer
9 - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
17 - Communities and Local Government
15 - Culture, Media and Sport
10 - Defence
7 - Education
12 - Energy and Climate Change
14 - Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
6 - Foreign
11 - Health
3 - Home
16 - International Development
5 - Justice
18 - Northern Ireland
1 - Prime Minister
19 - Scotland
13 - Transport
20 - Wales
8 - Work and Pension
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