Parliamentary Private Secretaries

E36175

Parliamentary Private Secretaries are unpaid junior MPs who act as political aides and liaisons between government ministers and backbenchers within the UK parliamentary system.


Statements (40)
Predicate Object
instanceOf parliamentary position
political aide role
actsAs liaisons between ministers and backbenchers
political aides
appointedBy government ministers
associatedWith House of Commons of the United Kingdom
cannotHold ministerial office simultaneously in the same department (by convention)
careerSignificance often considered first step on ministerial ladder
compensation unpaid
composedOf Members of Parliament
country United Kingdom
engagesIn briefing backbenchers on government policy
informal whipping and vote counting
relaying backbench concerns to ministers
governedBy parliamentary conventions rather than statute
hasAbbreviation PPS
hasMemberType junior MPs
historicalDevelopment role developed in the 19th and 20th centuries in the UK
jurisdiction Parliament of the United Kingdom
language English
mediatesBetween backbench MPs
government ministers
partOf Government of the United Kingdom
UK parliamentary system
politicalNature party-political
primaryFunction facilitate communication between ministers and backbenchers
provide political support to ministers
reportsTo government ministers
requiresHouse House of Commons
requiresPosition Member of Parliament
restriction expected to maintain collective responsibility informally
expected to vote with the government
normally do not sign motions critical of the government
normally do not speak against government policy in Parliament
sector politics
status not members of the government
not paid a government salary for the role
supports management of parliamentary business for ministers
policy presentation in Parliament
worksWith ministerial private offices

Referenced by (2)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Alec Douglas-Home ("Parliamentary Private Secretary")
positionHeld
Chief Whip
worksWith

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