Difference between revisions of "National Security Adviser"
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The Deputy National Security Adviser supports the National Security Adviser and Prime Minister on national security coordination and policy. There can be more than one DNSA at one time; some DNSAs are given specific titles referring to their specific remit. | The Deputy National Security Adviser supports the National Security Adviser and Prime Minister on national security coordination and policy. There can be more than one DNSA at one time; some DNSAs are given specific titles referring to their specific remit. | ||
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Revision as of 07:38, 27 April 2026
The National Security Adviser (NSA) is a senior official in the Cabinet Office, based in Whitehall, who serves as the principal adviser to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Cabinet of the United Kingdom on all national security issues. The NSA post was created in May 2010 as part of the reforms that also saw the creation of the National Security Council.[1] There have been five holders of the office to date, of whom two served more than three years in the post.[2]
The NSA is Secretary to the National Security Council, which is chaired by the Prime Minister, and head of National Security and Intelligence (National Security Secretariat), which is, in turn, part of the Cabinet Office.[3] The NSA will also advise Secretaries of State and other senior government ministers on issues of national security when necessary. The NSA was the Senior Responsible Officer for the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, with a budget of over £1 billion.[4] This role has been passed to the Deputy National Security Adviser.[5]
The first National Security Adviser (NSA) of the United Kingdom was Sir Peter Ricketts,[6] who was previously Permanent Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee. Ricketts was succeeded by Sir Kim Darroch in January 2012. On 7 July 2015, it was announced that Sir Mark Lyall Grant would replace Darroch as National Security Adviser in early September 2015.[7]
It was announced in June 2020 that Mark Sedwill will step down from his role as NSA in September, and that current chief Brexit negotiator, David Frost, will serve as the NSA.[8] A FOI answer however, states that Frost continues as Chief Negotiator to the EU as of October 2020 and David Quarrey took over the role of acting NSA provisionally.[9] It was announced in January 2021 that Sir Stephen Lovegrove would become National Security Adviser at the end of March 2021, but the exact date has not been confirmed yet.[10]
The NSA is supported by at least two Deputy National Security Advisers, and serves at the pleasure of the Prime Minister. [11][12]
List of National Security Advisers
| # | Name | Term start | Term end | Term length | Prime Minister(s) served |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir Peter Ricketts (Lord Ricketts) | 12 May 2010 | 23 January 2012 | 1 year and 8 months | David Cameron |
| 2 | Sir Kim Darroch (Lord Darroch) | 23 January 2012 | 7 September 2015 | 3 years and 7 months | |
| 3 | Sir Mark Lyall Grant | 7 September 2015 | 13 April 2017 | 1 year and 7 months | David Cameron / Theresa May |
| 4 | Sir Mark Sedwill (Lord Sedwill) | 13 April 2017 | 16 September 2020 | 3 years and 5 months | Theresa May / Boris Johnson |
| – | David Quarrey (acting) | 17 September 2020 | 25 March 2021 | 6 months | Boris Johnson |
| 5 | Sir Stephen Lovegrove | 24 March 2021 | 13 September 2022 | 1 year and 6 months | Boris Johnson |
| 6 | Sir Tim Barrow | 14 September 2022 | 29 November 2024 | 2 years and 2 months | Liz Truss / Rishi Sunak |
| 7 | Jonathan Powell | 2 December 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year and 4 months (as of April 2026) | Keir Starmer |
List of Deputy National Security Advisers
The Deputy National Security Adviser supports the National Security Adviser and Prime Minister on national security coordination and policy. There can be more than one DNSA at one time; some DNSAs are given specific titles referring to their specific remit.
| # | Name | Term start | Term end | Term length | Prime Minister(s) served | Area of responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julian Miller | July 2010 | 2015 | ~5 years | David Cameron | Foreign & Defence Policy |
| 2 | Olly Robbins | 2010 | 2014 | ~4 years | David Cameron | Intelligence, Security & Resilience |
| 3 | Hugh Powell | 2013 | 2016 | ~3 years | David Cameron | Foreign Policy |
| 4 | Paddy McGuinness | 2014 | April 2018 | ~4 years | David Cameron / Theresa May | Intelligence, Security and Resilience |
| 5 | Gwyn Jenkins | 2015 | 2017 | ~2 years | David Cameron / Theresa May | Conflict, Stability and Defence |
| 6 | Christian Turner | 2017 | 2019 | ~2 years | Theresa May / Boris Johnson | International Affairs |
| 7 | Richard Moore | 2018 | 2018 | ~1 year | Boris Johnson | Intelligence, Security and Resilience |
| 8 | Madeleine Alessandri | 2018 | 2020 | ~2 years | Theresa May / Boris Johnson | National Resilience and Security |
| 9 | David Quarrey | July 2019 | April 2022 | 2 years 9 months | Boris Johnson | International Affairs |
| 10 | Beth Sizeland | February 2020 | 2021 | ~1 year 10 months | Boris Johnson | National Resilience & Security |
| 11 | Alex Ellis | 2020 | 2021 | ~1 year | Boris Johnson | Diplomacy, Development & Defence |
| 12 | Andrew McCosh | 2021 | present | ~4 years 9 months (as of Apr 2026) | Boris Johnson / Liz Truss / Rishi Sunak / Keir Starmer | Technology |
| 13 | Matthew Collins | ~2022 | present | Ongoing | Liz Truss / Rishi Sunak / Keir Starmer | Intelligence, Defence & Security |
| 14 | Anna Clunes | August 2025 | present | ~8 months (as of Apr 2026) | Keir Starmer | — |
| 15 | Dame Barbara Woodward | December 2025 | present | ~4 months (as of Apr 2026) | Keir Starmer | International Affairs |
External links
Notes
- ↑ Joe Devanny and Josh Harris The National Security Council: national security at the centre of government Institute for Government/King's College London, 4 November 2014.
- ↑ Joe Devanny Why the UK needs a better process for appointing national security advisers Civil Service World 3 March 2017
- ↑ About - National security and intelligence. GOV.UK. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
- ↑ Conflict, Stability and Security Fund: Annual Report 2016/17 July 2017.
- ↑ CSSF Conflict, Stability and Security Fund: Annual Report 2017/18] 18 July 2018.
- ↑ Cabinet Office Structure Charts, page 12. Cabinet Office HM Government. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
- ↑ National Security Adviser appointment: Sir Mark Lyall-Grant. Cabinet Office HM Government. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ↑ UK's top civil servant announces exit. 2020-06-28.
- ↑ Deputy National Security Advisers. Whatdotheyknow.
- ↑ International Affairs Appointments in No.10 and Cabinet Office. Cabinet office.
- ↑ David Quarrey. gov.uk.
- ↑ Sir Mark Sedwill: UK's top civil servant steps down.