PM statement on the death of his Principal Private Secretary Chris Martin
David Cameron pays tribute to Chris Martin, Principal Private Secretary and Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Chris Martin
At Prime Minister’s Questions today, the Prime Minister announced the death of Chris Martin, Principal Private Secretary and Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office, who sadly passed away this morning.
The Prime Minister said:
Everyone in this House and many people watching at home know from Yes, Prime Minister the central role that Bernard, the Prime Minister’s Principal Private Secretary plays in the life of the Prime Minister and of Number 10 Downing Street.
Well this morning my Bernard, my Principal Private Secretary died of cancer, Chris Martin was only 42. He was one of the most loyal, hard-working, dedicated public servants that I’ve ever come across. I’ve no idea what his politics were but he would go to the ends of the earth and back again for his Prime Minister, for Number 10, and for the team he worked for.
Today we’re leaving the seat in the Officials’ Box where he used to sit empty as a mark of respect to him. We think of his wife Zoe, his family, the wider Number 10 family because it is a bit like a family and we feel we’ve lost someone between a father and a brother to all of us, and whatever happens we will never forget him.