The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP

The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP

The Rt Hon Grant Shapps was appointed Secretary of State for Defence on 31 August. Previously he was Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero from 7 February 2023 to 31 August 2023.

He was previously Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 25 October 2022, Secretary of State for the Home Department from 19 October 2022 to 25 October 2022, Secretary of State for Transport between 24 July 2019 and 6 September 2022, and Minister of State at the Department for International Development from 11 May 2015 until 28 November 2015. He was elected the Conservative MP for Welwyn Hatfield in 2005.

Rt Hon Grant was appointed Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party in 2005, before being made Shadow Housing Minister in June 2007. Following the 2010 election, he served as Minister of State for Housing and Local Government in the Department for Communities and Local Government. Grant was appointed to the Privy Council in June 2010. In September 2012 he was appointed as co-chairman to the Conservative Party.

At the same time he held the position of Minister without Portfolio at the Cabinet Office. In 2015, Grant was appointed a Minister of State in the Department for International Development. Following the 2019 election, Grant was appointed Secretary of State for Transport, a role he retained until 2022. After serving as the Home Secretary during 2022, Grant was appointed the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, becoming Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero after the creation of the department.

Secretary for State for Ministry of Defence

The Secretary of State for Defence has overall responsibility for the business of the department.

Responsibilities include:

• strategic operations and operational strategy, including as a member of the National Security Council
• Defence planning, programme and resource allocation
• strategic international partnerships: US, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, NATO
• nuclear operations, policy and organisations

We work for a secure and prosperous United Kingdom with global reach and influence. We will protect our people, territories, values and interests at home and overseas, through strong armed forces and in partnership with allies, to ensure our security, support our national interests and safeguard our prosperity. MOD is a ministerial department, supported by 24 agencies and public bodies. The Ministry of Defence has a confidential hotline that you can use to raise concerns about fraud, security threats, damage to the environment, breaches of legal obligations or codes of conduct.