Cabinet Hierarchy?

[VenalWinfrey]

Silly question I'm sure, but am sitting here talking with a friend and we were trying to ascertain which are the most senior roles in the traditional UK cabinet. Can anyone help us out here?

I have always assumed it was loosely as follows -

1 Prime Minister

(Deputy PM I know should follow, though I think it's a bit of a joke so I'm not going to give it a number!)

2 Chancellor of the Exchequer

3 Home Secretary

4 Foreign Secretary

Can anyone agree, or suggest a hierarchy? I know that technically the portfolios have equal weighting but obviously some are more important that others. Silly question to be asking at midnight, but I've been trawling the web and can't find a decent answer so thought I'd ask on here. At any rate, the above four (5) are the roles I believe to be most senior.

Thanks everyone

[aristotle]

Traditionally after the PM come the Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Home Secretary. DPM isn't a traditional post, it was just invented by Magaret Thatcher for Willie Whitelaw. As Maggie used to say: "Every PM needs a little Willie".

[dancunian]

Constitutionally speaking all the roles are of equal weighting, the Prime Minster being a head among equals.

In reality if a politician is seeking a ministerial position it is more likely to be in a field that is engendered with more power, and indeed heading a Ministry is often considered more prestigious than 'Government Department'.

So one potential hierarchy is the PM followed by Chancellor, and then Home & Foriegn Secretaries. This would followed with Defence, and then Health, Education and Transport in relatively equal measure given those departments sizes.

After that, Environment is usually high profile, Trade and Industry too, but Communities, DWP, Food and Rural affairs and Culture, Media and Sport would be considered the officesof lesser significance.

That said, current Home Secretary is alleged to have said, upon being told of his appointment to his previous job at the Department of Health,

"Oh no, not Health!"

[VenalWinfrey]

hehe thanks a lot for the answers, great help.

(... and yeah, imagine being lumbered with Health! Ouch)