The president of the Board of Trade is head of the Board of Trade. A committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, it was first established as a temporary committee of inquiry in the 17th century that evolved gradually into a government department with diverse functions. The current holder of the post is Peter Kyle, who is concurrently the secretary of state for business and trade.
History
The idea of a Board of Trade was first translated into action by Oliver Cromwell in 1655 when he appointed his son Richard Cromwell to head a body of Lords of the Privy Council, judges and merchants to consider measures to promote trade. Charles II established a Council of Trade on 7 November 1660, followed by a Council of Foreign Plantations on 1 December that year. The two were united on 16 September 1672 as the Board of Trade and Plantations.
After the Board was re-established in 1696, there were 15 (and later 16) members of the Boardthe 7 (later 8) great officers of state, and eight unofficial members, who did the majority of the work. The senior unofficial board member was the board president, commonly known as the first lord of trade. The board was abolished on 11 July 1782, but a Committee of the Privy Council was established on 5 March 1784 for the same purposes. On 23 August 1786, a new committee was set up, more strongly focused on commercial functions than the previous boards of trade. At first, the president of the Board of Trade only occasionally sat in the Cabinet. Still, from the early 19th century, it was usually a cabinet-level position.
In 2020, there was an unusual appointment of a deputy president to assist the president. Still, the holder remained only an adviser to the board. This appears to have been a one-off appointment, and this role no longer exists. However, the president was previously assisted by the vice president.
List of presidents of the Board of Trade
First Lord of Trade (1672–1782)
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=3 | First Lord
! colspan=2 | Term of office
! Monarch
|-
!
| 75px
| Anthony Ashley Cooper<br/>1st Earl of Shaftesbury
| <br/>1672
| 1676
! scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Charles II<br>
|-
!
| 75px
| John Egerton<br/>3rd Earl of Bridgewater
| <br/>1695
| <br/>1699
! scope=row style="text-align:center;" rowspan=2 | William III<br>
|-
! rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 75px
| rowspan="2" | Thomas Grey<br/>2nd Earl of Stamford
| rowspan="2" | <br/>1699
| rowspan="2" | <br/>1702
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:center;" rowspan="5" |Anne<br/>
|-
!
| 75px
| Thomas Thynne<br/>1st Viscount Weymouth
| <br/>1702
| 1705
|-
!
| 75px
| Thomas Grey<br/>2nd Earl of Stamford
| 1705
| <br/>1711
|-
!
| 75px
| Charles Finch<br/>4th Earl of Winchilsea
| <br/>1711
| <br/>1713
|-
! rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |75px
| rowspan="2" |Francis North<br/>2nd Baron Guilford
| rowspan="2" |<br/>1713
| rowspan="2" |<br/>1714
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:center;" rowspan="5" |George I<br/>
|-
!
| 75px
| William Berkeley<br/>4th Baron Berkeley of Stratton
| <br/>1714
| <br/>1715
|-
!
| 75px
| Henry Howard<br/>6th Earl of Suffolk
| <br/>1715
| <br/>1718
|-
!
| 75px
| Robert Darcy<br/>3rd Earl of Holderness
| <br/>1718
| <br/>1719
|-
! rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |75px
| rowspan="2" | Thomas Fane<br/>6th Earl of Westmorland
| rowspan="2" | <br/>1719
| rowspan="2" | <br/>1735
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:center;" rowspan="4" |George II<br/>
|-
!
| 75px
| Benjamin Mildmay<br/>1st Earl FitzWalter
| <br/>1735
| <br/>1737
|-
!
| 75px
| John Monson<br/>1st Baron Monson
| <br/>1737
| <br/>1748
|-
! rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | 75px
| rowspan="2" | George Montagu-Dunk<br/>2nd Earl of Halifax
| rowspan="2" | <br/>1748
| rowspan="2" | <br/>1761
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:center;" rowspan="13" |George III<br/>
|-
!
| 75px
| Samuel Sandys<br/>1st Baron Sandys
| <br/>1761
| <br/>1763
|-
!
| 75px
| Charles Townshend
| <br/>1763
| <br/>1763
|-
!
| 75px
| William Petty<br/>2nd Earl of Shelburne
| <br/>1763
| <br/>1763
|-
!
| 75px
| Wills Hill<br/>1st Earl of Hillsborough
| <br/>1763
| <br/>1765
|-
!
| 75px
| William Legge<br/>2nd Earl of Dartmouth
| <br/>1765
| <br/>1766
|-
!
| 75px
| Wills Hill<br/>1st Earl of Hillsborough
| <br/>1766
| <br/>1766
|-
!
| 75px
| Robert Nugent<br/>1st Viscount Clare
| <br/>1767
| <br/>1768
|-
!
| 75px
| Wills Hill<br/>1st Earl of Hillsborough
| <br/>1768
| <br/>1772
|-
!
| 75px
| William Legge<br/>2nd Earl of Dartmouth
| <br/>1772
| <br/>1775
|-
!
| 75px
| George Germain<br/>1st Viscount Sackville
| <br/>1775
| <br/>1779
|-
!
| 75px
| Frederick Howard<br/>5th Earl of Carlisle
| <br/>1779
| <br/>1780
|-
!
| 75px
| Thomas Robinson<br/>2nd Baron Grantham
| <br/>1780
| <br/>1782
|}
President of the Committee on Trade and Foreign Plantations (1784–1786)
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=3 | President of the Committee
! colspan=2 | Term of office
! Party
! Ministry
! Monarch
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Thomas Townshend<br/>1st Baron Sydney
| <br/>1784
| <br/>1786
| | Whig
| | Pitt I
! scope=row style="text-align:center;" |George III<br/>
|}
President of the Board of Trade (1786–1963)
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=3 | President of the Board<br /><small>Constituency</small>
! colspan="2" | Term of office
! Party
! Ministry
! Monarch
|-
! rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
| rowspan=2 | 75px
| rowspan=2 | Charles Jenkinson<br />1st Earl of Liverpool
| rowspan=2 | <small>23 August</small><br />1786
| rowspan=2 | <small>7 June</small><br />1804
| rowspan=2 | Tory
| |Pitt I
! rowspan="9" scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |George III<br/>
|-
| | Addington
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75x75px
| James Graham<br />3rd Duke of Montrose
| <small>7 June</small><br />1804
| <small>5 February</small><br />1806
| | Tory
| | Pitt II
|-
!
| 75px
| William Eden<br />1st Baron Auckland
| <small>5 February<br />1806</small>
| 31 March<br />1807
| | Independent
| | All the Talents
|-
! rowspan=3 height=15 style="background-color:" |
| rowspan=3 | 75px
| rowspan=3 | Henry Bathurst<br />3rd Earl Bathurst
| rowspan=3 | <small>31 March</small><br />1807
| rowspan=3 | <small>29 September<br /></small>1812
| rowspan=3 | Tory
| | Portland II
|-
| | Perceval
|-
| rowspan="5" | Liverpool
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Richard Trench<br />2nd Earl of Clancarty
| <small>29 September</small><br />1812
| <small>24 January</small><br />1818
| | Tory
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" | 75px
| rowspan="2" | F. J. Robinson<br />
| rowspan="2" | <small>24 January</small><br />1818
| rowspan="2" | <small>21 February</small><br />1823
| rowspan="2" | Tory
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:center;" rowspan="7" |George IV<br/>
|-
! height="15" rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" | 75px
| rowspan="2" | William Huskisson<br />
| rowspan="2" | <small>21 February</small><br />1823
| rowspan="2" | <small>4 September<br /></small>1827
| rowspan="2" | Tory
|-
| | Canning
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" | 75px
| rowspan="2" | Charles Grant<br />
| rowspan="2" | <small>4 September</small><br />1827
| rowspan="2" | <small>11 June</small><br />1828
| rowspan="2" | Tory
| | Goderich
|-
| rowspan="4" | Wellington–Peel
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75x75px
| William Vesey-FitzGerald<br />
| <small>11 June</small><br />1828
| <small>2 February</small><br />1830
| | Tory
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" | 75px
| rowspan="2" | John Charles Herries<br />
| rowspan="2" | <small>2 February</small><br />1830
| rowspan="2" | <small>22 November</small><br />1830
| rowspan="2" | Tory
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:center;" rowspan="7" |William IV<br/>
|-
! rowspan=2 height=15 style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" | 75px
| rowspan="2" | George Eden<br />1st Baron Auckland
| rowspan="2" | <small>22 November<br /></small>1830
| rowspan="2" | <small>5 June</small><br />1834
| rowspan="2" | Whig
| | Grey
|-
| rowspan="2" | Melbourne I
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Charles Poulett Thomson<br />
| <small>5 June</small><br />1834
| <small>14 November</small><br />1834
| | Whig
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" | 75px
| rowspan="2" | Alexander Baring<br />
| rowspan="2" | <small>15 December</small><br />1834
| rowspan="2" | <small>8 April</small><br />1835
| rowspan="2" | Tory
| | Wellington Caretaker
|-
| | Peel I
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" | 75px
| rowspan="2" | Charles Poulett Thomson<br />
| rowspan="2" | <small>8 April</small><br />1835
| rowspan="2" | <small>29 August</small><br />1839
| rowspan="2" | Whig
| rowspan="3" | Melbourne II
|-
! rowspan="30" scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |Victoria<br>
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Henry Labouchere<br />
| <small>29 August</small><br />1839
| <small>30 August</small><br />1841
| | Whig
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| F. J. Robinson<br />1st Earl of Ripon
| <small>3 September</small><br />1841
| <small>15 May</small><br />1843
| |Conservative
| rowspan="3" | Peel II
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| William Ewart Gladstone<br />
| <small>15 May</small><br />1843
| <small>5 February</small><br />1845
| |Conservative
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| James Broun-Ramsay<br />10th Earl of Dalhousie
| <small>5 February</small><br />1845
| <small>27 June</small><br />1846
| |Conservative
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| George Villiers<br />4th Earl of Clarendon
| <small>6 July</small><br />1846
| <small>22 July</small><br />1847
| | Whig
| rowspan="2" | Russell I
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Henry Labouchere<br />
| <small>22 July</small><br />1847
| <small>21 February</small><br />1852
| | Whig
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| J. W. Henley<br />
| <small>27 February</small><br />1852
| <small>17 December</small><br />1852
| |Conservative
| | Derby–Disraeli I
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Edward Cardwell<br />
| <small>28 December</small><br />1852
| <small>31 March</small><br />1855
| |Peelite
| | Aberdeen
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Edward Stanley<br />2nd Baron Stanley of Alderley
| <small>31 March</small><br />1855
| <small>21 February</small><br />1858
| | Whig
| |Palmerston
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| J. W. Henley<br />
| <small>26 February</small><br />1858
| <small>3 March</small><br />1859
| |Conservative
| rowspan="2" | Derby–Disraeli II
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Richard Hely-Hutchinson<br />4th Earl of Donoughmore
| <small>3 March</small><br />1859
| <small>11 June</small><br />1859
| |Conservative
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" | 75px
| rowspan="2" | Thomas Milner Gibson<br />
| rowspan="2" | <small>6 July</small><br />1859
| rowspan="2" | <small>26 June</small><br />1866
| rowspan="2" | Liberal
| |Palmerston II
|-
| |Russell III
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Sir Stafford Northcote,
| <small>6 July</small><br />1866
| <small>8 March</small><br />1867
| |Conservative
| rowspan="2" | Derby–Disraeli III
|-
! style="background-color:" |
|75px
|Charles Gordon-Lennox<br />6th Duke of Richmond
|<small>8 March</small><br />1867
|<small>1 December</small><br />1868
||Conservative
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| John Bright<br />
| <small>9 December</small><br />1868
| <small>14 January</small><br />1871
| | Liberal
| rowspan="2" | Gladstone I
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue<br />
| <small>14 January</small><br />1871
| <small>17 February</small><br />1874
| | Liberal
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Sir Charles Adderley
| <small>21 February</small><br />1874
| <small>4 April</small><br />1878
| |Conservative
| rowspan="2" | Disraeli II
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Dudley Ryder<br>Viscount Sandon<br />
| <small>4 April</small><br />1878
| <small>21 April</small><br />1880
| |Conservative
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Joseph Chamberlain<br />
| <small>3 May</small><br />1880
| <small>9 June</small><br />1885
| | Liberal
| | Gladstone II
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Charles Gordon-Lennox<br />6th Duke of Richmond
| <small>24 June</small><br />1885
| <small>19 August</small><br />1885
| |Conservative
| rowspan="2" | Salisbury I
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Edward Stanhope<br />
| <small>19 August</small><br />1885
| <small>28 January</small><br />1886
| |Conservative
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| A. J. Mundella<br />
| <small>17 February</small><br />1886
| <small>20 July</small><br />1886
| | Liberal
| | Gladstone III
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Frederick Stanley<br />1st Baron Stanley of Preston
| <small>3 August</small><br />1886
| <small>21 February</small><br />1888
| |Conservative
| rowspan="2" | Salisbury II
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Sir Michael Hicks Beach,
| <small>21 February</small><br />1888
| <small>11 August</small><br />1892
| |Conservative
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| A. J. Mundella<br />
| <small>18 August</small><br />1892
| <small>28 May</small><br />1894
| |Liberal
| | Gladstone IV
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| James Bryce<br />
| <small>28 May</small><br />1894
| <small>21 June</small><br />1895
| | Liberal
| | Rosebery
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Charles Ritchie<br />
| <small>29 June</small><br />1895
| <small>7 November</small><br />1900
| | Conservative
| | Salisbury III
|-
! rowspan=3 style="background-color:" |
| rowspan=3 | 75px
| rowspan=3 | Gerald Balfour<br />
| rowspan=3 | <small>7 November</small><br />1900
| rowspan=3 | <small>12 March</small><br />1905
| rowspan=3 | Conservative
| rowspan=2 |Salisbury IV
|-
! rowspan="6" scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | Edward VII<br>
|-
| rowspan="2" |Balfour
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| James Gascoyne-Cecil<br/>4th Marquess of Salisbury
| <small>12 March</small><br />1905
| <small>4 December</small><br />1905
| | Conservative
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| David Lloyd George<br />
| <small>10 December</small><br />1905
| <small>12 April</small><br />1908
| | Liberal
| |Campbell-Bannerman
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Winston Churchill<br />
| <small>12 April</small><br />1908
| <small>14 February</small><br />1910
| | Liberal
| | Asquith I
|-
! rowspan="3" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="3" | 75px
| rowspan="3" | Sydney Buxton<br />
| rowspan="3" | <small>14 February</small><br />1910
| rowspan="3" | <small>11 February</small><br />1914
| rowspan="3" | Liberal
| rowspan=2 | Asquith II
|-
! rowspan="17" scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | George V<br>
|-
| rowspan="3" | Asquith III
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| John Burns<br />
| <small>11 February</small><br />1914
| <small>5 August</small><br />1914
| | Liberal
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" |75px
| rowspan="2" |Walter Runciman<br />
| rowspan="2" |<small>5 August</small><br />1914
| rowspan="2" |<small>5 December</small><br />1916
| rowspan="2" | Liberal
|-
| | Asquith Coalition
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" | 75px
| rowspan="2" | Sir Albert Stanley<br />
| rowspan="2" | <small>10 December</small><br />1916
| rowspan="2" | <small>26 May</small><br />1919
| rowspan="2" | Conservative
| | Lloyd George I
|-
| rowspan="4" |Lloyd George II
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Sir Auckland Geddes<br />
| <small>26 May</small><br />1919
| <small>19 March</small><br />1920
| | Conservative
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Sir Robert Horne<br />
| <small>19 March</small><br />1920
| <small>1 April</small><br />1921
| | Conservative
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Stanley Baldwin<br />
| <small>1 April</small><br />1921
| <small>19 October</small><br />1922
| | Conservative
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" | 75px
| rowspan="2" | Sir Philip Lloyd-Greame<br />
| rowspan="2" | <small>24 October</small><br />1922
| rowspan="2" | <small>22 January</small><br />1924
| rowspan="2" | Conservative
| | Law
|-
| |Baldwin I
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Sidney Webb<br />
| <small>22 January</small><br />1924
| <small>3 November</small><br />1924
| |Labour
| |MacDonald I
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister<br />
| <small>6 November</small><br />1924
| <small>4 June</small><br />1929
| | Conservative
| |Baldwin II
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| William Graham<br />
| <small>7 June</small><br />1929
| <small>24 August</small><br />1931
| |Labour
| |MacDonald II
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister<br />
| <small>25 August</small><br />1931
| <small>5 November</small><br />1931
| | Conservative
| |National I
|-
! rowspan="4" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="4" | 75px
| rowspan="4" | Walter Runciman<br />
| rowspan="4" | <small>5 November</small><br />1931
| rowspan="4" | <small>28 May</small><br />1937
| rowspan="4" |Liberal National
| rowspan=3 |National II
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Edward VIII<br>
|-
! rowspan="16" scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | George VI<br>
|-
| |National III
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" | 75px
| rowspan="2" | Oliver Stanley<br />
| rowspan="2" | <small>28 May</small><br />1937
| rowspan="2" | <small>5 January</small><br />1940
| rowspan="2" | Conservative
| |National IV
|-
| rowspan="2" |Chamberlain War
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" | 75px
| rowspan="2" | Sir Andrew Rae Duncan<br />
| rowspan="2" | <small>5 January</small><br />1940
| rowspan="2" | <small>3 October</small><br />1940
| rowspan="2" | Independent
|-
| rowspan="5" |Churchill War
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Oliver Lyttelton<br />
| <small>3 October</small><br />1940
| <small>29 June</small><br />1941
| | Conservative
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Sir Andrew Rae Duncan<br />
| <small>29 June</small><br />1941
| <small>4 February</small><br />1942
| | Independent
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| John Jestyn Llewellin<br />
| <small>4 February</small><br />1942
| <small>22 February</small><br />1942
| | Conservative
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Hugh Dalton<br />
| <small>22 February</small><br />1942
| <small>23 May<br /></small>1945
| |Labour
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Oliver Lyttelton<br />
| <small>25 May</small><br />1945
| <small>26 July</small><br />1945
| | Conservative
| |Churchill Caretaker
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Sir Stafford Cripps<br />
| <small>27 July</small><br />1945
| <small>29 September</small><br />1947
| |Labour
| rowspan="2" |Attlee I
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" | 75px
| rowspan="2" | Harold Wilson<br />
| rowspan="2" | <small>29 September</small><br />1947
| rowspan="2" | <small>23 April</small><br />1951
| rowspan="2" |Labour
|-
| rowspan="2" |Attlee II
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Sir Hartley Shawcross<br />
| <small>24 April</small><br />1951
| <small>26 October</small><br />1951
| |Labour
|-
! rowspan="3" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="3" | 75px
| rowspan="3" | Peter Thorneycroft<br />
| rowspan="3" | <small>30 October</small><br />1951
| rowspan="3" | <small>13 January</small><br />1957
| rowspan="3" | Conservative
| rowspan=2 |Churchill III
|-
! rowspan="5" scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | Elizabeth II<br>
|-
||Eden
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75x75px
| David Eccles<br />
| <small>13 January</small><br/>1957
| <small>14 October</small><br />1959
| | Conservative
||Macmillan I
|-
! style="background-color:" |
|100x100px
| Reginald Maudling<br />
| <small>14 October</small><br />1959
| <small>9 October</small><br />1961
| | Conservative
| rowspan="2" |Macmillan II
|-
! style="background-color:" |
| 75px
| Frederick Erroll<br />
| <small>9 October</small><br />1961
| <small>20 October</small><br />1963
| | Conservative
|}
President of the Board of Trade (1963–present)
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+
! colspan="3" |President of the Board<br/>
! colspan="2" |Term of office
! Concurrent office(s)
!Party
!Ministry
!Monarch
|-
! style="background-color:" |
|75px
|Edward Heath<br/>
|<br/>1963
|<br/>1964
|<br/>Industry, Trade and Regional Development
| | Conservative
| |Douglas-Home
! scope=row style="text-align:center;" rowspan=43 | Elizabeth II<br>
|-
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" | 75x75px
| rowspan="2" |Douglas Jay<br/>
| rowspan="2" |<br/>1964
| rowspan="2" |<br/>1967
| rowspan="5" |None
| rowspan="2" | Labour
| |Wilson I
|-
| rowspan="3" |Wilson II
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75px
|Anthony Crosland<br>
|<br/>1967
|<br/>1969
| | Labour
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|99x99px
|Roy Mason<br/>
|<br/>1969
|<br/>1970
| | Labour
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|
|Michael Noble<br/>
|<br/>1970
|<br/>1970
| | Conservative
| rowspan="3" |Heath
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|
|John Davies<br/>
|<br/>1970
|<br/>1972
| rowspan="2" |<br/>Trade and Industry
| | Conservative
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|99x99px
|Peter Walker<br/>
|<br/>1972
|<br/>1974
| | Conservative
|-
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" |75x75px
| rowspan="2" |Peter Shore<br/>
| rowspan="2" |<br/>1974
| rowspan="2" |<br/>1976
| rowspan="7" |<br/>Trade
| rowspan="2" | Labour
| |Wilson III
|-
| |Wilson IV
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75x75px
|Edmund Dell<br/>
|<br/>1976
|<br/>1978
| | Labour
| rowspan="2" |Callaghan
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|100x100px
|John Smith<br/>
|<br/>1978
|<br/>1979
| | Labour
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75px
|John Nott<br/>
|<br/>1979
|<br/>1981
| | Conservative
| rowspan="3" |Thatcher I
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75x75px
|John Biffen<br/>
|<br/>1981
|<br/>1982
| | Conservative
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75x75px
|Arthur Cockfield<br/>Baron Cockfield
|<br/>1982
|<br/>1983
| | Conservative
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75x75px
|Cecil Parkinson<br/>
|<br/>1983
|<br/>1983
| rowspan="16" |<br/>Trade and Industry
| | Conservative
| rowspan="4" |Thatcher II
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|100x100px
|Norman Tebbit<br/>
|<br/>1983
|<br/>1985
| | Conservative
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75px
|Leon Brittan<br/>
|<br/>1985
|<br/>1986
| | Conservative
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75x75px
|Paul Channon<br/>
|<br/>1986
|<br/>1987
| | Conservative
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75px
|David Young<br/>Baron Young of Graffham
|<br/>1987
|<br/>1989
| | Conservative
| rowspan="3" |Thatcher III
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75x75px
|Nicholas Ridley<br/>
|<br/>1989
|<br/>1990
| | Conservative
|-
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" |75px
| rowspan="2" |Peter Lilley<br/>
| rowspan="2" |<br/>1990
| rowspan="2" |<br/>1992
| | Conservative
|-
| | Conservative
| | Major I
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|100x100px
|Michael Heseltine<br/>
|<br/>1992
|<br/>1995
| | Conservative
| rowspan="2" |Major II
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75px
|Ian Lang<br/>
|<br/>1995
|<br/>1997
| | Conservative
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|100x100px
|Margaret Beckett<br/>
|<br/>1997
|<br/>1998
| | Labour
| rowspan="3" |Blair I
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|100x100px
|Peter Mandelson<br/>
|<br/>1998
|<br/>1998
| | Labour
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75px
|Stephen Byers<br/>
|<br/>1998
|<br/>2001
| | Labour
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75px
|Patricia Hewitt<br/>
|<br/>2001
|<br/>2005
| | Labour
| | Blair II
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|96x96px
|Alan Johnson<br/>
|<br/>2005
|<br/>2006
| | Labour
| rowspan="2" |Blair III
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75px
|Alistair Darling<br/>
|<br/>2006
|<br/>2007
| | Labour
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75px
|John Hutton<br/>
|<br/>2007
|<br/>2008
| rowspan="2" |<br/>Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
| | Labour
| rowspan="3" |Brown
|-
|rowspan=2 style="background-color:" |
|rowspan=2 | 75px
|rowspan=2 | Peter Mandelson<br/>Baron Mandelson
|rowspan=2 | <br/>2008
|rowspan=2 | <br/>2010
|rowspan=2 | Labour
|-
| rowspan="3" |<br/>Business, Innovation and Skills
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|91x91px
|Vince Cable<br/>
|<br/>2010
|<br/>2015
| | Liberal Democrats
| | Cameron–Clegg
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75x75px
|Sajid Javid<br/>
|<br/>2015
|<br/>2016
| | Conservative
| | Cameron II
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|76x76px
|Greg Clark<br/>
|<br/>2016
|<br/>2016
|<br/>Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
| | Conservative
| rowspan="2" |May I
|-
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" |75px
| rowspan="2" |Liam Fox<br/>
| rowspan="2" |<br/>2016
| rowspan="2" |<br/>2019
| rowspan="8" |<br/>International Trade
| rowspan="2" | Conservative
|-
| | May II
|-
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="2" |100x100px
| rowspan="2" |Liz Truss<br/>
| rowspan="2" |<br/>2019
| rowspan="2" |<br/>2021
| rowspan="2" | Conservative
| | Johnson I
|-
| rowspan="2" |Johnson II
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|99x99px
|Anne-Marie Trevelyan<br/>
|<br/>2021
|<br/>2022
| | Conservative
|-
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:" |
| rowspan="4" |75px
| rowspan="4" |Kemi Badenoch<br/>
| rowspan="4" |<br/>2022
| rowspan="4" |<br/>2024
| rowspan="4" | Conservative
| rowspan="2" |Truss
|-
!scope=row style="text-align:center;" rowspan=5 | Charles III<br>
|-
| rowspan="2" |Sunak
|-
| rowspan="3" |<br/>Business and Trade
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|99x99px
|Jonathan Reynolds<br/>
|<br/>2024
|<br/>2025
| rowspan="2" | Labour
| rowspan="2" | Starmer
|-
|style="background-color:" |
|75px
|Peter Kyle<br/>
|<br/>2025
|Incumbent
|-
|}