Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
{{Short description|Former United Kingdom government cabinet minister}}
{{Infobox Political post
| post = {{Small|United Kingdom}}
Secretary
| body = State for
Energy and Climate Change
| insignia = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government) (St Edwards Crown).svg
| insigniacaption = Royal Arms as used by Her Majesty's Government
| department = Department of Energy and Climate Change
| style = The Right Honourable
{{Small|(Formal prefix)}}
Energy Secretary
| appointer = Elizabeth II
| appointerpost = the Sovereign, on the advice of the Prime Minister
| inaugural = Ed Miliband
| deputy = Minister of State for Energy
| formation = 3 October 2008
| last = Amber Rudd
| abolished = 14 July 2016
| website = [http://www.decc.gov.uk/ www.decc.gov.uk/]
}}
The secretary of state for energy and climate change was a British Government cabinet position from 2008 to 2016. The Department of Energy and Climate Change was created on 3 October 2008 when then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown reshuffled his Cabinet.
Between 1974 and 1992, the post was known as secretary of state for energy.
The energy and climate change secretary revived the earlier post of the secretary of state for energy as head of the Department of Energy, existing from 1974 to 1992. After which, the Department of Energy was merged into the Department of Trade and Industry under the Conservative government of Sir John Major in 1992.
Sixteen years later, immediately prior to the creation of the new department, energy policy was the responsibility of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (itself now a defunct government department, superseded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills).
Former Labour leader Ed Miliband was the inaugural secretary of state at DECC. After Labour lost the 2010 general election and the Cameron–Clegg coalition was formed, Chris Huhne was appointed as his successor. On 3 February 2012, Huhne resigned from the post after it was announced that he would be prosecuted for perverting the course of justice, in relation to accusations that he passed on speeding penalties to his ex-wife to avoid losing his own licence. The post was taken over by Ed Davey on the same day, and served until the Liberal Democrats left government, and Davey lost his seat, in 2015.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16866127 Chris Huhne quits cabinet over speeding claims charge]
Amber Rudd was the final secretary of state at DECC, until she became Home Secretary. The post was formed into the new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy by new prime minister Theresa May in July 2016.
The role is now part of the portfolio belonging to the secretary of state for energy security and net zero.
List of secretaries of state
Colour key
{{Legend2|{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}} | Conservative|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{Legend2|{{Party color|Labour Party (UK)}} | Labour|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{Legend2|{{Party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} | Liberal Democrats|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=9 |
=Energy (1974–1992)=
|-
! colspan=3 | Secretary of State
! colspan=2 | Term of office
! Political party
! colspan=2 | Prime Minister
|-
! style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| colspan=2 height=45 | The Lord Carrington
| 8 January 1974
| 4 March 1974
| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|-
! style="background-color:{{Party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| colspan=2 height=45 | Eric Varley
| 5 March 1974
| 10 June 1975
| Labour
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{Party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=2 | Harold Wilson
|-
! rowspan=2 height=15 style="background-color:{{Party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 height=45 | Tony Benn
| rowspan=2 | 10 June 1975
| rowspan=2 | 4 May 1979
| rowspan=2 | Labour
|-
| style="background-color:{{Party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|-
! style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| colspan=2 height=45 | David Howell
| 5 May 1979
| 14 September 1981
| rowspan=5 style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=5 | Margaret Thatcher
|-
! style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| colspan=2 height=45 | Nigel Lawson
| 14 September 1981
| 11 June 1983
|-
! style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| colspan=2 height=45 | Peter Walker
| 11 June 1983
| 13 June 1987
|-
! style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| colspan=2 height=45 | Cecil Parkinson
| 13 June 1987
| 24 July 1989
|-
! rowspan=2 height=15 style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| rowspan=2 colspan=2 height=45 | John Wakeham
| rowspan=2 | 24 July 1989
| rowspan=2 | 11 April 1992
| rowspan=2 | Conservative
|-
| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|-
| colspan=9 | Department abolished 1992. Functions transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry.
|-
! colspan=9 |
=Energy and climate change (2008–2016)=
|-
! colspan=3 | Secretary of State
! colspan=2 | Term of office
! Political party
! colspan=2 | Prime Minister
|-
! style="background-color:{{Party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| 60px
| 3 October 2008
| 11 May 2010
| Labour
| style="background-color:{{Party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|-
! style="background-color:{{Party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |
| 60px
| 12 May 2010
| 3 February 2012
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:#DDDDDD" |
| rowspan=2 | David Cameron
{{Small|(Coalition)}}
|-
! style="background-color:{{Party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |
| Ed Davey
| 60px
| 3 February 2012
| 8 May 2015
|-
! style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| 60px
| 11 May 2015
| 14 July 2016
| style="background-color:{{Party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| David Cameron
{{Small|(II)}}
|-
| colspan=9 | Department abolished 2016, merged into Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
|}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change}}
Category:Department of Energy and Climate Change