National security adviser

What is the national security adviser?

The national security adviser (NSA) is the central co-ordinator and adviser to the prime minister and cabinet on security, intelligence, defence, and some foreign policy matters. They are based in the Cabinet Office and work across departments to bring together a coherent national security strategy that fits with the government’s priorities. The national security adviser has been secretary to the National Security Council and led the National Security Secretariat, which supports the National Security Council, although arrangements have changed with the appointment of Jonathan Powell as NSA. Powell will be a special adviser and will need to attend, but not be a formal member, of the National Security Council.

What are the National Security Council and the National Security Secretariat?

The National Security Council is a cabinet committee established in 2010 which co-ordinates policy decisions across departments, involving ‘national security, foreign policy, defence, international relations and development, resilience, energy and resource security'.  ⁴ List of Cabinet Committees and their members as of 21 October 2024, Cabinet Office, 21 October 2024 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/670d00183b919067bb4830d3/2024-10-14_Cabinet_Committee_List.pdf

The National Security Council is supported by the National Security Secretariat. The secretariat co-ordinates cross-Whitehall preparations for weekly National Security Council meetings and the implementation of decisions. This includes working with the prime minister and government departments to set the meeting agenda, providing advice to inform the discussion and minuting decisions made. 

Who is the national security adviser? 

Jonathan Powell was announced as the NSA in November 2024. He succeeds Sir Tim Barrow who served from 2022–24. Powell was chief of staff to prime minister Tony Blair from 1997–2007 and was previously a diplomat. Powell will serve as the first politically appointed special adviser NSA.

Can a special adviser be national security adviser? 

There is no bar to a special adviser being appointed as NSA, although all previous holders of the job have been permanent civil servants. Boris Johnson appointed Lord (David) Frost to the role in 2020, but he never took up the post, which was instead given to civil servant Sir Stephen Lovegrove. 

Given his status as a special adviser, Powell will need to attend the National Security Council, rather than be its secretary, as his predecessors have done. He will report to the prime minister, while the heads of the intelligence agencies and deputy NSAs will need to report directly to the cabinet secretary.  

How is the national security adviser appointed? 

There is no standard process for appointing national security advisers. Previous appointments have been made by the prime minister without an open competition. 

What does the national security adviser do?

The NSA works closely with the prime minister to advise on a coherent approach to national security policy and the government’s response to major crises. 

What role does the national security adviser play in security and defence reviews?

The NSA co-ordinates security and defence reviews which assess Britain’s future strategic interests and the needs of the military and intelligence systems to meet these goals. The last government set out its approach in a sequence of ‘integrated reviews’ into security, defence, development and foreign policy. The Labour government have begun a further series of reviews, to which Powell will contribute. 

What is the national security adviser's relationship with UK intelligence agencies and international allies?

The NSA has in the past been responsible for the line management of the heads of the intelligence agencies – MI5, MI6 and GCHQ. Given Jonathan Powell’s status as a political special adviser, these agencies will now need to be managed by the cabinet secretary, though Powell will continue to work closely with them to inform his advice to the prime minister. 

The NSA must also build close international relationships with allies. This is especially important with the international counterparts of the members of the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence sharing agreement (which the UK is part of alongside the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) and other members of the G7. 

Does the national security adviser act alone?

No. The NSA is assisted in their role by two or three deputy national security advisers. They often focus on particular areas, like national resilience or international issues. While Jonathan Powell is NSA the deputies will need to be directly managed by the most senior civil servant, the cabinet secretary.

When was the post of national security adviser created?

The post of NSA was created by David Cameron in 2010 at the same time as the National Security Council was set up. It was formed to strengthen the co-ordination capacity within the centre of government on national security. 

The NSA combined pre-existing advisory and co-ordination functions to give a more focused channel for security advice. This included roles previously played by the prime minister’s adviser on foreign policy, the head of the Overseas and Defence Policy Secretariat, the prime minister’s intelligence co-ordinator, and some of tasks previously overseen by the cabinet secretary and the chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee. 

How is the national security adviser held to account? 

Under the principle of ministerial accountability, it is government ministers who are accountable to parliament for the actions of the government, including those of the officials and special advisers working for them. The NSA is answerable to the prime minister. 

But like other senior officials, the NSA can appear before parliamentary select committees in their own right to answer questions on their work. The select committees who scrutinise the NSA’s work are the Defence Select Committee and the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy as well as the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The Intelligence and Security Committee also scrutinise the work of the NSA and the National Security Secretariat. This body is not a select committee, but a statutory committee set up by parliament to oversee the work of the UK’s intelligence agencies and their co-ordination in the Cabinet Office. This committee has more access to sensitive security information than select committees and reports directly to parliament.