The Rt Hon John Healey MP
Biography
John Healey was appointed Secretary of State for Defence on 5 July 2024. He was elected as the MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough in July 2024.
He was Shadow Housing Secretary from 2015 to 2020 and Shadow Health Secretary from 2010-2011. During Labour’s time in Government, John was PPS to the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1999-2001 and a Minister from 2001-2010, serving successively as Adult Skills Minister, Treasury Minister, Local Government Minister and Housing Minister.
Before entering Parliament, John was Campaigns Director at the Trades Union Congress and a disability rights campaigner.
John is married with one son and lives in Rotherham.
Secretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State for Defence has overall responsibility for the business of the department.
Responsibilities include:
- strategic campaign and operational oversight including as a member of the National Security Council
- Nuclear Deterrent (CAS-D) and operations policy and enterprise
- Strategic Defence Review
- Euro-Atlantic strategy and planning
- defence strategy, planning, programme, and resource allocation
- relationships with strategic international partners: US, France, Germany, Australia, Ukraine
- One Defence reform
- oversight of Veterans Strategy
- Afghan Inquiry
- service personnel deaths on duty and letters of condolence
- strategic multilateral programmes
- regulatory functions