How to be an effective parliamentary private secretary

There are few individuals upon whom ministers are more reliant than their parliamentary private secretaries. As a PPS, you are far more than a ministerial ‘bag carrier’: you are a vital link between parliament and Whitehall.

It was mainly a political role… it was a very intense time because Ed Balls was… calling urgent questions, statements every day. And I had to get people in the chamber, I had to feed back to George what was going on, and I had very little time. - Robert Halfon, PPS to George Osborne, 2014-2016

There is no one way to be a PPS

Ministers and parliamentary private secretaries work together in different ways. Some ministers want their PPSs to focus on parliamentary work – the ‘traditional version of the job’ in the words of Gavin Barwell – relying on them to act as eyes and ears in parliament and coordinate supporters in the Commons. 

Others involve their PPS more fully in the life of the department they lead, inviting them to attend meetings, see papers and contribute to policy development. Speak to your secretary of state to find out how you can be more involved and helpful. This is particularly important with new ministers, who will not have had a PPS before and may not be aware of the ways that you can add value. 

[Jeremy Hunt] said to me from the start: ‘You can do as much or as little as you want as my PPS. Obviously I need you to do the orals thing, but if you want to attend the meetings come to the meetings.’  - Steve Brine

1. Be your minister’s eyes and ears 

Ministers rely on their PPSs to keep them connected to the Commons – they are busy and can easily feel isolated in their departments. Keep your minister updated on the mood of the House, including what MPs think about the department’s performance, policies and legislation. Use your connections within your party and your cohort to gather intelligence and report back.

This can extend to working within the department itself, attending weekly ministerial meetings to provide a parliamentary perspective or helping civil servants understand the parliamentary context of their work.

I think ministers who use their PPS well use them as a source of parliamentary intelligence, not just about the things that their department is responsible for, but more generally about what’s going on, what the mood of the House is. - Gavin Barwell

2. Work with those who will be responsible for meeting targets

As a PPS you can help to explain, defend and champion the decisions that your department is taking to other MPs. This work can range from formal briefings to informal conversations in the tearooms. Good relations with the department and thorough understanding of your minister’s brief will help here.

As a key aide to the minister during questions, you’ll need to help organise your colleagues, ensuring they turn up to the chamber and that the minister has all the information they need to answer their questions effectively. 

Now there are tearoom surgeries regularly held by most ministers, usually run through the PPSs. You can book a slot to go and see the home secretary to raise whatever you want to raise, which is good. - Tim Loughton

Beyond the chamber, PPSs have a role to play in facilitating the minister’s engagement with other MPs. Previous PPSs have helped to organise ministerial surgeries for MPs of all parties. These bring ministers into contact with backbenchers, helping them communicate more effectively while also strengthening parliament’s links to the executive. 

3. Look beyond your own party
 

While there is always a temptation to focus your attention on your own backbenches, effective PPSs build links across the political divide. Opposition backbenchers can bring important intelligence to ministers, and these relationships can build political capital: even with a large majority, you never know when these relationships might be key. Former PPSs on the opposition benches may also have valuable insights that will help you develop in your role.

Certainly when I was a PPS, I asked advice from the only people I knew in Parliament who’d been PPSs before and they’d been Labour PPSs because we’d had 13 years of Labour Government. But they had no problem at all sharing their views. - Jo Swinson

4. Use your time as a PPS as a ministerial apprenticeship

Being a PPS provides a unique opportunity to learn how government works from the inside. Through attending departmental meetings, shadowing your minister and seeing certain papers, you can learn how to operate effectively as a minister. Many ministers cite their time as a PPS as the first rung on the ministerial ladder. Consider what your minister does well and what you would do differently in their shoes.

I do think, sometimes, when you just get a senior position straight off, you don’t go through that kind of ‘apprenticeship’ – I’d call it – being a PPS. Because you’re around, you’re in the ministerial meetings. You don’t necessarily see a lot of confidential papers, but you get to know the rhythm of government. - Hazel Blears

Questions to ask yourself

• Do I know how my minister wants me to support them?
• Do I have the relationships in parliament and the department that I need?
• What do I want to get out of my time as a PPS

Find out more

If you would like to discuss any of the above in more detail, or talk about potential training we can offer on this topic, please get in touch via ifgacademy@instituteforgovernment.org.uk

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