Powers of the home secretary
Powers in law enforcement, national security, public order, migration, and other areas / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The home secretary is one of the most senior and influential ministers in the UK government, and the holder of a Great Office of State. The home secretary's remit includes law enforcement in England and Wales, matters of national security, issues concerning immigration, and oversight of the Security Service (MI5).
The home secretary's exercise of these powers is dependent on the ongoing consent and agreement of the prime minister and the rest of the Cabinet, as required by the doctrine of Cabinet collective responsibility. The prime minister can overrule the home secretary's individual decisions. For example, Boris Johnson reportedly overruled home secretary Priti Patel on closing UK borders,[1][2] and Margaret Thatcher overruled home secretary Leon Brittan on parole for Ian Brady and Myra Hindley.[3] The prime minister can dismiss the home secretary.[4]