The Top 10: Ministers Who Did the Job They Were Responsible For

From the Duke of Wellington to Tracey Crouch via John Prescott, the people who were actually 'qualified' to do their jobs in government

Alan Johnson, whose responsibilities included the Royal Mail, was at one time a postie (Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images)

This list started when Laura McInerney‏ asked: “Has there ever been a transport secretary who once worked in transport?” I said that John Prescott, Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions 1997-2001, had been a steward in the Merchant Navy. Mr Memory added that Harry Gosling, Labour’s first Transport Minister in 1924, had been a waterman.

1. Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, Minister of War for three weeks in 1834, was Field Marshal (and winner of the battle of Waterloo). Nominated by Robert Boston. Most defence secretaries served in the armed forces until 1992, when Tom King was succeeded by Malcolm Rifkind, although Liam Fox, 2010-11, had been a civilian Army medical officer.

2. Christopher Addison, first Minister of Health 1919-21, was a medical doctor and professor, and is the only cabinet minister after whom an anatomical term, Addison’s planes, is named. Thanks to Mr Memory. David Owen, Minister for Health 1974-76, was a hospital registrar (thanks to Ian Reeve). Brian Mawhinney, Minister for Health 1992-94, had been a lecturer at Royal Free School of Medicine (thanks to No Ordinary Cat). Nominations for Dr John Reid, Health Secretary 2003-05, were rejected: his doctorate was a PhD in the economic history of the west African slave trade.

3. John Stonehouse, Minister of Aviation for two months in 1967 and Minister of Posts and Telecommunications 1969-70, had been in the Royal Air Force and, after he became an MP, was a spy for the Czechoslovak government, passing them secret aircraft plans. Fine double nomination from Robert Boston.

4. James Callaghan, Chancellor 1964-67, was an Inland Revenue tax inspector. Thanks to Jon Clarke. Norman Lamont, 1990-93, is one of only two chancellors who had an economics degree (no, PPE doesn’t count). The other was Hugh Dalton, 1945-47, who lectured in economics at the London School of Economics. Hugh Gaitskell, 1950-51, lectured in economics at UCL, although his own degree was in PPE.

5. Roy Mason, last Minister of Power 1968-9, was a miner. Thanks to Allan Holloway.

6. Grey Gowrie, 2nd Earl of Gowrie, Minister for the Arts 1983-85, published poetry in his twenties and co-authored a book on painters. Mark Fisher, Minister for the Arts 1997-98, was a folk singer, guitarist, screenwriter and playwright. Both suggested by No Ordinary Cat.

7. Ted Short, Education Secretary 1968-70, Gillian Shephard, 1995-97, and Estelle Morris, 2001-02, were all teachers. Nominated by Laura McInerney and David Singleton.

8. Alan Johnson, Trade and Industry Secretary 2005-06, which included the Royal Mail in its responsibilities, was a postman. Suggested by Sean O’Grady.

9. Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary, was born in the US and had dual US-British nationality until he gave it up last year. Nominated by Jeremy Cape.

10. Tracey Crouch, currently Minister for Sport, was a football coach. Nominated by Henk Van Klaveren and the Yorkist. Kate Hoey, 1966 Northern Ireland High Jump Champion, was also Minister of Sport 1999-2001, as David Mills pointed out.

Honourable mentions for some contrary cases: Barbara Castle and Stephen Byers were transport secretaries who didn’t have driving licences; Vince Cable as Business Secretary and Priti Patel at International Development both headed departments they had argued should be abolished.

Next week: Corny house names, such as Costa de Earth

Coming soon: Unexpected middle names, real or fictional, such as Donald Fauntleroy Duck

Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk