Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom) facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids United Kingdom Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
Royal Arms of His Majesty's Government
Incumbent Yvette Cooper since 5 September 2025
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Style	Foreign Secretary (informal) The Right Honourable (within the UK and Commonwealth) His Excellency (diplomatic)
Member of	Cabinet Privy Council National Security Council
Reports to	The Prime Minister
Residence	No. 1 Carlton Gardens (Official) Chevening (Country House)
Seat	King Charles Street
Nominator	The Prime Minister
Appointer	The Monarch (on the advice of the Prime Minister)
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
Formation	27 March 1782 (as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs) 2 September 2020 (as Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs)
First holder	Charles James Fox (as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs)
Deputy	Minister of State for Development
Salary	£106,363 per annum (2022)
Website	Foreign Secretary

The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, often called the Foreign Secretary, is a very important government minister in the United Kingdom. This person is in charge of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. This office handles how the UK interacts with other countries around the world. It is considered one of the most important jobs in the British government.

The Foreign Secretary is a member of the Cabinet, which is a group of senior ministers who make big decisions. They also sit on the National Security Council. The Foreign Secretary reports directly to the Prime Minister.

The current Foreign Secretary is Yvette Cooper. She was chosen by Prime Minister Keir Starmer on 5 September 2025.

What Does the Foreign Secretary Do?
Where Does the Foreign Secretary Live and Work?
A Brief History of the Role
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See also

What Does the Foreign Secretary Do?

The Foreign Secretary has many key responsibilities. These are different from what a foreign minister in some other countries might do. Their main tasks include:

Managing how Britain works with other countries and their governments.
Promoting British interests and values around the world.
Dealing with matters related to the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth is a group of countries that used to be part of the British Empire.
Looking after the Overseas Territories. These are places like Gibraltar or the Falkland Islands that are still connected to the UK.
Overseeing important intelligence agencies. These include the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). These agencies help keep the UK safe by gathering information from other countries.

Where Does the Foreign Secretary Live and Work?

The Foreign Secretary has an official home in London. It is called 1 Carlton Gardens. They also get to use Chevening House. This is a large country house in Kent, in the south-east of England. The main office where the Foreign Secretary works is in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office building in Whitehall, London.

A Brief History of the Role

The idea of a "secretary of state" in the English government started a long time ago, in the early 1600s. The specific job of "Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs" was created in 1782. Back then, the government was reorganized. Two departments, the Northern and Southern Departments, became the Foreign Office and the Home Office.

Over time, other departments that dealt with different parts of the world joined the Foreign Office. For example, the India Office and the Colonial Office were once separate. In 1968, the roles of the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs were combined. This created the "Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs."

A special moment in history was in 2006. Margaret Beckett became the first woman to hold this important position.

The role changed again in 2020. The "Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs" was created. This happened when the responsibilities of the Secretary of State for International Development were added to the job. This means the Foreign Secretary now also looks after how the UK helps other countries develop.