Chris Martin (civil servant)
| Chris Martin CB CVO | |
|---|---|
| Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister | |
|
In office December 2011 – November 2015 | |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | James Bowler |
| Succeeded by | Simon Case |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Christopher Jon Martin 15 May 1973 |
| Died | 25 November 2015 (aged 42) |
| Alma mater | University of Bristol |
| Awards |
CB (2014) CVO (2015) |
Christopher Jon "Chris" Martin, CB, CVO (15 May 1973 – 25 November 2015) was a British civil servant. He was Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister from 2012 to 2015.
Early life
Martin was born on 15 May 1973 in West Bromwich, Black Country, England.[1] He was educated at his local comprehensive school and at sixth form college.[1] He studied physics at the University of Bristol before switching to a degree in politics,[2] and graduated in 1996.[3]
Career
After graduating from university, Martin took the Civil Service fast-stream entrance exam. He came top and chose to join HM Treasury for what would be the last months of Kenneth Clarke's tenure.[1] Under Brown, Martin took a number of roles, including being seconded to the Security Service ("MI5").[1] He eventually served as Brown's Press Secretary, remaining in post serving Alistair Darling when he replaced him as the Chancellor of the Exchequer.[2] He held board level jobs at the Treasury and a Cabinet Office agency.[4]
In January 2010, Martin moved to the Cabinet Office and was appointed deputy to the Cabinet Secretary (then Sir Gus O'Donnell).[3] In December 2011, he was appointed the Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister and Director General of the Prime Minister's Office.
In the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours, Martin was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) "for public service".[5] In 2015, he was also appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO); he was presented with the insignia for his CVO during a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 21 November 2015, four days before his death.[1][6]
Death
Martin died from cancer 25 November 2015. Tributes were paid to him during Prime Minister's Questions,[7] and the Officials' Box was left empty on the request of the Prime Minister.
Personal life
In 2005, Martin married Christina Scott.[1] They separated in 2011 and later divorced.[8] He later married Zoe Conway, a BBC journalist.[1][2][9] Martin was a fan of Arsenal F.C. and held a season ticket.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Chris Martin, civil servant - obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- 1 2 3 Glanfield, Emma; Duell, Mark (25 November 2015). "'As Chris died I was there holding his hand': Wife of David Cameron's private secretary pays emotional tribute following his death from cancer at 42 - hours after PM makes touching Commons eulogy". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- 1 2 Perraudin, Frances (25 November 2015). "David Cameron pays tribute to 'my Bernard' after aide's death". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- ↑ "Chris Martin". www.gov.uk.
- ↑ "Queen's birthday honours list 2014: Knights". The Guardian. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- ↑ "Court Circular, November 23". The Times. 26 November 2015.
- ↑ "Autumn Statement and Spending Review 2015: George Osborne scraps tax credit cuts - live". Telegraph.co.uk. 25 November 2015.
- ↑ "Chris Martin". The Times. 26 November 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- ↑ "PM statement on the death of his Principal Private Secretary Chris Martin - Press releases - GOV.UK". gov.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James Bowler |
Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister 2012 – 2015 |
Succeeded by Simon Case |