User:Varavour/Bill Portland

For other people named William Bentinck, see William Bentinck (disambiguation).

His Grace the Right Honourable The Duke of Portland KCB LVO MC MP
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 July 2016
Monarchs	Elizabeth II Charles III
Deputy	Theresa May
Preceded by	David Cameron
Secretary of State for European Affairs
In office 13 July 2016 – 21 September 2021
Deputy	Sir Malcolm Rifkind
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Leader of the Conservative Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 July 2016
Preceded by	David Cameron
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
In office 15 July 2014 – 13 July 2016
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	William Hague
Succeeded by	Theresa May
Secretary of State for Defence
In office 12 May 2010 – 15 July 2014
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	Bob Ainsworth
Succeeded by	Michael Fallon
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In office 20 May 2005 – 2 July 2007
Leader	Michael Howard David Cameron
Preceded by	Liam Fox The Lord Saatchi
Succeeded by	Caroline Spelman
Member of Parliament for Newark
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 June 2001
Preceded by	Fiona Jones
Majority	26,474 (54.2%)
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
In office 5 July 1995 – 2 May 1997 Serving with Sir Nicholas Bonsor
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Brian Mawhinney
Succeeded by	Melanie Johnson
Under-Secretary of State for Defence
In office 20 July 1994 – 5 July 1995
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Viscount Cranborne
Succeeded by	The Earl Howe
Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs
In office 27 May 1993 – 20 July 1994
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Charles Wardle
Succeeded by	Timothy Kirkhope
Member of the House of Lords
In office 30 July 1990 – 11 November 1999
Preceded by	Victor Cavendish-Bentinck, 9th Duke of Portland, 1st Baron Bentinck of Branksea
Succeeded by	Seat abolished by House of Lords Act 1999
Personal details
Born	William Frederick Victor Cavendish-Bentinck (1957-10-12) 12 October 1957 Hammersmith, London
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill ​ ​ (m. 1981)​
Children	5 (see section)
Education	Winchester College Trinity College, Cambridge (MA) Harvard University (MPP)
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch/service	Royal Navy
Years of service	1979–1993 (active duty) 1993–2010 (reserve list)
Rank	Captain
Commands	HMS Redpole
Battles/wars	Falklands War The Troubles UNTAC
Awards	Military Cross Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division)
Shadow Cabinet positions Shadow Secretary of State for Defence In office 2 July 2007 – 11 May 2010 Leader David Cameron Preceded by Sir George Young Succeeded by Bob Ainsworth Shadow Secretary of State for International Development In office 11 November 2003 – 20 May 2005 Leader Michael Howard Preceded by Caroline Spelman Succeeded by Andrew Mitchell Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs In office 23 July 2002 – 15 October 2003 Leader Iain Duncan Smith Preceded by Archie Norman Succeeded by Caroline Spelman Opposition Chief Whip in the Lords In office 3 December 1998 – 11 November 1999 Prime Minister Tony Blair Leader William Hague Preceded by Lord Strathclyde Succeeded by Lord Henley
Ceremonial positions Lord-in-Waiting In office 7 May 1992 – 27 May 1993

William Frederick Victor Cavendish-Bentinck, 10th Duke of Portland KCB LVO MC PC MP (born 12 October 1957), known politically as Bill Portland, is a British Conservative politician and peer who is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Leader of the Conservative Party, in office since July 2016.

Following a career in the Royal Navy, Portland first entered Parliament in 1990 as a hereditary peer sitting in the House of Lords. He left Parliament following the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999, which abolished the right of hereditary peers to sit in the Lords. The House of Lords Act, however, allowed hereditary peers to run for seats in the House of Commons, and Portland returned to Parliament following his election in 2001 as Member of Parliament for Newark. He served in four successive Shadow Cabinets from 1998 to 1999 and 2002 to 2010.

After the formation of the Coalition Government in May 2010, Portland was appointed Secretary of State for Defence. In July 2014, he became Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the first peer to hold one of the Great Offices of State since Lord Carrington in 1982.

As Defence and Foreign Secretary, Portland was credited with guiding British foreign and defence policy towards a more assertive and engaged direction, and was said to enjoy "considerable latitude" to determine strategy and policy. During his tenure, the United Kingdom was deeply involved in the response to the crisis in Ukraine, the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme, intervention in Libya, and furthermore oversaw a "return to the East of Suez".

Following the resignation of David Cameron on 24 June 2016, Portland announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Conservative Party and quickly emerged as the front-runner. He won the first ballot of Conservative MPs on 5 July by a significant margin, and two days later won the votes of 199 MPs, going forward to face a vote of Conservative Party members in a contest with Andrea Leadsom. Leadsom's withdrawal from the election on 11 July led to Portland's appointment as leader the same day. He was appointed Prime Minister two days later, becoming the first peer to hold the premiership since Alec Douglas-Home in 1963, and the first Duke since the Duke of Wellington left office in 1834.

Portland led the Conservatives to a landslide victory after calling snap elections for February 2017, winning a 186-seat majority, the largest of any government since 1931. In September 2021 he led the party to another landslide victory, winning a decisive although reduced majority of 162 seats. Portland identifies as a one-nation conservative, has been characterised as a liberal conservative, and has defined his own politics as comprising a "progressive traditionalism".

Early life and education

Trinity College, Cambridge.

William Frederick Victor Cavendish-Bentinck was born at West London Hospital in Hammersmith, London on 12 October 1957, the son of William James Cavendish-Bentinck (1925–1966), and Inger Cavendish-Bentinck (née Grantzau-Christensen; 1915–1965). His father was the son of Sir Victor Cavendish-Bentinck, as he was then known, a career diplomat who served as British Ambassador to Poland, Brazil, NATO and France, and who was in 1960 raised to the peerage as 1st Baron Bentinck of Branksea. Portland's grandfather was a great-great-grandson of William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, and thus in next in line to succeed to the title of Duke of Portland after his brother Ferdinand, as William Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland had no male heirs.

Portland has described his childhood as "fraught"; his mother and father divorced before both predeceasing him in 1965 and 1966, respectively. His paternal grandparents had likewise long been separated; his grandfather refrained from divorce until 1951 to protect his diplomatic career, when Winston Churchill returned to power. The 9-year-old Bentinck, technically orphaned, subsequently came under the guardianship of his grandfather and his second wife. Also involved was his distant relative, Lady Anne Cavendish-Bentinck, elder daughter of the 7th Duke, who had taken an interest in him. He forged a close relationship with her nephew, William, Bentinck's fifth cousin, whose parents had likewise died in his youth. As such Bentinck spent his early years between Welbeck Woodhouse on the Welbeck estate, his grandparents' home in Chelsea, and Branksea Castle in Devon, owned by his grandfather's family.

From 1971 to 1974, with his grandfather as Lord Chamberlain of the Household, he was Second Page of Honour to the Queen. Through the 3rd Duke, Portland and HM the Queen are fourth cousins, once removed. Portland has said that one of his childhood heroes was Lord Mountbatten, who was a friend of his grandfather's and whose Broadlands estate he visited several times (Mountbatten was also great-grandfather of his future daughter-in-law, Alexandra Knatchbull).

Bentinck was educated at independent schools, first at the preparatory Cheam School in Hampshire. In 1970 he enrolled in Winchester College. His was a classical education, and he in particular demonstrated an "aptitude" for languages; he was taught Ancient Greek and Latin, and in addition to his native English, Portland speaks French, German, Spanish, Italian, as well as "rudimentary" Portuguese and an "ersatz Katharevousa" from his school Greek. He studied several of these languages at intensive summer courses in Barcelona, Munich, and Florence. Sources have claimed that he also knows some of his mother's language, Danish, and Dutch. Portland has said that he was "largely withdrawn" and "bookish" until his second year at Winchester, when he joined the Combined Cadet Force and took up sailing and shooting, after which he became more extroverted and resolved to join the Navy.

After finishing his studies at Winchester in 1975, Bentinck read for the Geographical and History and Modern Languages Triposes at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was Chairman of the Cambridge University Conservative Association during Easter term 1977 and Vice-Commodore (undergraduate head) of the Cambridge University Cruising Club. He graduated with double first class honours in 1978 as a Trinity Research Scholar, and also won the Royal Geographical Society's prize for best undergraduate dissertation. Bentinck won a Kennedy Scholarship to study at Harvard University in the United States, where he earned an M.A from the Kennedy School of Government.

Military service

After graduating from Cambridge, Bentinck joined the Royal Navy, signing for 12 years from 11 May 1979. During his naval service, he went by the name William Titchfield. On 1 January 1980 he was appointed as a midshipman, and entered Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. He was a course-mate of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, with whom he remained close. In 1980, he was attached to the training establishment HMS Dryad for naval warfare school. He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 September 1981.

Titchfield saw active service in the South Atlantic on the frigate HMS Ardent as navigation officer in 1982 during the Falklands War, and was onboard the ship when it was sunk on 22 May 1982. He served as a watch keeping and navigation officer in various frigates and in the Royal Yacht Britannia from 1982 until 1986, from when he served as principal warfare officer in various frigates and with the maritime battle staff. In 1986 he took his first command post as captain of the patrol boat HMS Redpole in the Northern Ireland Squadron. Titchfield was promoted to lieutenant commander on 31 December 1986.

Titchfield attended the Royal Naval College, Greenwich from September 1987 to March 1988, during which he was notified of his first staff appointment commencing April 1988 as Equerry to The Duke of Edinburgh for two years. Between 1990 and 1992, he was with the naval staff in the Ministry of Defence, London, as a Military Assistant to Defence Secretary Tom King, and was made commander on 1 February 1994.

In August 1992 he joined the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) for a four-month peacekeeping tour, in charge of United Nations Military Observer riverine operations along the tributaries and main branch of the Tonlé Sap. On 1 December 1992 he and five other UNTAC personnel—comprising two Britons, two Filipinos, and one New Zealander—were detained by Khmer Rouge guerrillas in Kampong Thom Province and were briefly held hostage; they were released three days later. Portland's tour ended later that month, and he returned to Britain on 23 December. He was subsequently awarded the Military Cross for his conduct. On 12 January 1993, Portland retired from the active list of the Royal Navy and was transferred to the Royal Naval Reserve.

Following his departure from government, he served as a naval corporate planner during the 1997–98 Strategic Defence Review. He was promoted to Captain on 27 April 2000. Since 1998 he has been a lecturer at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, and at the Royal College of Defence Studies. He retired from the Navy in 2010 upon entering Cabinet.

Early political career

House of Lords (1990-1999)

Upon becoming Duke, Portland entered the House of Lords. Regarded by observers as a "rising star" in the both the upper house and the Conservative Party, he was appointed a Lord in Waiting by John Major in 1991, after less than eight months in the Lords. Following the Conservative victory in the 1992 general election, he was appointed as Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department in May 1993.

In July 1995 he, alongside Sir Nicholas Bonsor, was promoted to the junior ministerial post of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Portland having responsibility for East, Southeast, and South Asia, Latin America, Oceania, and the Commonwealth; he was sworn of the Privy Council. As Minister, Portland supported Chris Patten's electoral reforms in Hong Kong, defending Patten against critics, many in the Lords, who argued that the reforms hurt British business interests in Hong Kong and relations with China by needlessly antagonising its government in advance of the scheduled handover in 1997. He served until the Conservatives' defeat in the 1997 general election.

A strident opponent of the House of Lords Act 1999, in 1998 he broke with the rest of the Conservative front bench in the Lords in their threat to resign if the party did not accept Viscount Cranborne's proposed compromise to leave 92 hereditary peers in the Lords, unbeknownst to Conservative leader Michael Hague, Portland denouncing the plan as a "capitulation". Hague replaced Cranborne with Lord Strathclyde. Subsequently, Hague appointed Portland as Conservative Chief Whip in the House of Lords. Persistent in his opposition to the reform of the Lords, Portland refused to stand for election for one of the seats reserved for hereditary peers, and as such ceased to be a member of the House of Lords upon the Act taking effect on 11 November 1999.

House of Commons (2001–)

In April 2001 Portland declared his intent to return to politics by standing as the Conservative candidate for the constituency of Newark, against incumbent Labour MP Fiona Bruce in the 2001 general elections. The seat had a family connection: the 7th Duke of Portland, as Marquess of Titchfield, had been MP for Newark from 1922 to 1943. Portland was elected with a 14-point majority, one of the few gains for the Conservatives in an election which saw them achieve a total net gain of only one seat. Portland was, along with John Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso and Douglas Hogg, 3rd Viscount Hailsham, one of three hereditary peers elected to the House of Commons in 2001; they were later joined by Michael Ancram, 13th Marquess of Lothian, when he acceded to that title in 2004. Portland is a member of the Social Market Foundation, co-founded the Policy Exchange think-tank with Nick Boles, Francis Maude and Archie Norman in 2002, and helped found the Legatum Institute in 2007.

Conservative leader William Hague resigned the day after the election, taking responsibility for the party's defeat. In the subsequent leadership election, Portland backed Ancram, former Conservative Party chairman, who was regarded as his political patron. After Ancram dropped out, Portland followed him in backing the eventual winner, Iain Duncan Smith, who went on to appoint Portland to his first shadow cabinet post as a member of the Commons. On 15 October 2003, Portland resigned from the Shadow Cabinet, calling for a vote of no-confidence in Duncan Smith, which was held on 25 October and which Duncan Smith lost. After Ancram said he would not stand, Portland again joined him in supporting the eventual winner, Michael Howard.

In the 2005 leadership election, Portland was speculated as a potential candidate, but despite his relatively moderate political stances, Portland's aristocratic background was regarded negatively by Conservative Party "modernisers", placing him in a politically awkward position. In August 2005, Portland declared he would not stand for the leadership, and would support the candidacy of Sir Malcolm Rifkind, after whose withdrawal he backed David Cameron's candidacy. Upon Cameron's victory, Portland was appointed Chairman of the Conservative Party.

Before 2010, he participated in the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme as a reservist, in this manner continuing his service in the Royal Navy. After 2010 he continued to take part despite formally retiring. A strong supporter and financial donor to the AFPS, Portland was credited with recruiting "at least three dozen" Conservative backbenchers into the scheme while in Opposition, which is said to have served as the "nucleus" of his political base in Parliament, having regularly held dinners for Conservative members. Portland has touted the AFPS as "the most effective way of exposing parliamentarians to the reality of today's Forces and to bring the viewpoints of MPs in line with their needs." After the 2010 elections, an additional 62 Conservative MPs joined the scheme, and following the 2016 elections, 53 of the 85 new Conservative MPs declared their intention to take part, joined by a large number of returning MPs. The AFPS, previously questioned by some as ineffective, has since been criticised as contributing to the "militarisation" of Parliament and Portland's government.

Portland largely avoided controversy in the parliamentary expenses scandal, having refrained entirely from claiming expenses for his London residence—later saying that he reasoned that it was "patently absurd" to think the expenses of maintaining his 24,000 sq ft (2230 sq m) home in Chelsea could merit taxpayer-funded compensation. While largely credited for his conduct, Portland was criticised for claiming a relatively large amount of expenses for work-related entertaining at his home, at which guests were served high-end liquors and fine food; he countered this by showing he had submitted expenses for average-priced refreshments as per the "John Lewis List" and covered the difference himself.

Shadow Cabinet (2002–2010)

Portland first became a member of the Shadow Cabinet in December 1998, when he was appointed Conservative Chief Whip in the Lords, departing when he ceased to be a member of the House of Lords in November 1999. Portland returned to the Shadow Cabinet in May 2002 under Iain Duncan Smith, replacing Ann Winterton as Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (later Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs following Peter Ainsworth) after she resigned.

When Michael Howard was elected Conservative Party leader in November 2003, Howard appointed Portland as Shadow Secretary of State for International Development. However, Portland disagreed with Howard on immigration, foreign aid levels, and the invasion of Iraq, and he was excluded from Howard's Shadow Cabinet, the size of which had been reduced considerably. This was seen as a snub, as Portland had been a relatively early backer of Howard's leadership bid. Following the 2005 general election, the Shadow Cabinet was expanded to its original size once more, and Portland was promoted to the post of Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, returning to the frontbench.

Chairman of the Conservative Party (2005–2007)

After David Cameron's election as Conservative Party leader, Portland became Chairman of the Conservative Party. Until then looked down upon by Conservative Party "modernisers", Portland embraced the cause of party reform in full. His appeals were greeted by skepticism on the part of more right-wing Conservatives; the Spectator once derided him for a 2006 address in which he said he had to "acknowledge his privilege" as a hereditary peer and member of the upper class.

In his first speech to the Conservative Conference as Party Chairman, Portland presented the so-called "killer slide", which demonstrated that voters, when questioned on the party’s immigration policy—without being told it was a Conservative policy—supported it by two to one, but when told that it was a Conservative policy opposed it by the same margin. The point being made was not that sound conservative ideas damaged the Conservative Party but that "the Conservative Party, as it was then seen, was damaging sound conservative policies". Portland championed the cause of gender equality; during his tenure, alongside newly elected Leader David Cameron, the Conservatives adopted the A-List of parliamentary candidates, with priority being given to women and people from ethnic minorities. In 2007 he published a book, Do-Nothing Politics: What It Is, Why It Exists, and How To Fix It, taking aim at "political stagnation", and outlining his vision of a "reformed, modern, and dynamic" Conservative Party that remained "in touch with our heritage and rooted in our traditions".

Shadow Defence Secretary (2007–2010)

On 2 July 2007 Portland replaced Sir George Young as Shadow Defence Secretary, remaining in that position until the 2010 elections. Portland was a fierce critic of Labour defence cuts and was well-regarded by Forces' advocacy organisations.

Cabinet (2010–2016)

Defence Secretary (2010–2014)

Portland was described by the Telegraph as "incorrigible yet indispensable" for his frequent disagreements with Prime Minister Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne over policy while being responsible for several of the government's political successes. where he presided over the scuttling of the Strategic Defence and Security Review white paper which would have seen substantial cuts made to the defence budget

Intervention in the Libyan Civil War

Strident proponent of intervention... used materiel shortages to argue for increased spending... rallied support for transitional assistance mission to disarm militias with "clear objectives"... helped foster close ties, constitutional compromise, monarchy, and aid for transitional government and institution-building... credited with successful intervention and has said Libya "could have ended up like Syria" without involvement.

Prime Minister (2016–)

Main article: Premiership of Bill Portland

2017 general election

Portland called for snap elections on 24 January following the Supreme Court denial of the Government's appeal in R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, saying that Parliament, and his government, needed a mandate to proceed with the process of withdrawing from the European Union as well as his program of "comprehensive economic and regional rebalancing". Portland requested and received exemption from the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013, enabling elections to be held 17 working days after dissolution instead of 25. Parliament approved the motion the next day and was dissolved on 31 January, setting elections for Thursday, 23 February.

The Conservatives made significant gains, winning 47.4% of the vote and 418 seats, winning the largest majority since the 1931 elections, but slightly underperformed polls. Labour, which had been expected to fall under 150 seats, was able to keep 172, and leader Jeremy Corbyn succeeded in retaining control of the party leadership.

The Tories significantly exceeded expectations in Scotland, however, where they won 38.2% of the vote, surpassing the SNP—which had won in a landslide with 50% of the vote just two years prior—and its 36.1% of the vote. However, the SNP won 31 seats vs the Conservatives' 25. This was the Conservatives' best performance there since 1970, and the first time they led the vote in Scotland since 1959. The SNP's unexpected second-place finish led to the resignation of party leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her replacement by John Swinney.

The wide range of the Conservatives' victory led Portland to proclaim that the party had won a mandate "from Land's End to John o' Groats," both of which now lay in Conservative constituencies (St Ives and Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, respectively).

Foreign policy

Main page: Foreign policy of Bill Portland

Portland, prior to becoming Prime Minister, had long been seen as one of the Conservatives "leading minds" on foreign policy, both in terms of political policy and academic interest, having authored several scholarly publications on British foreign policy. An underlying theme identified in his views has been the need for a guiding, coherent strategic approach to British foreign policy, which he has regarded as absent. In a "landmark" policy speech in September 2016, Portland declared that the United Kingdom's foreign policy should henceforth be based on "Three Pillars": relations with the Commonwealth, relations with Europe, and the "transatlantic relationship". The Three Pillars policy has been hailed by some as "the most coherent vision of the UK's foreign policy goals since the Victorian period", while others have expressed skepticism of its "vague and over-ambitious objectives".

United States

A August 2016 Politico article, written shortly after Portland's becoming Prime Minister, described him as a "pragmatic rather than doctrinaire Atlanticist", who believes "that the United Kingdom and the United States have generally been possessed of converging sets of strategic interests and foreign-policy aims," but who "does not regard the Special Relationship as inherently self-perpetuating", and, as such, holds "a less idealistic view of US-UK relations than previous Prime Ministers".

Portland and his government were said to largely share the apprehension widely felt throughout the international community following the generally unexpected victory of Donald Trump in the United States presidential election in November 2016; he and several other members had previously condemned his campaign rhetoric and proposals prior to the election. Portland congratulated Trump on his victory, saying that the British government hoped that his election "would only strengthen the deep, profound, and robust ties between our two nations, the closeness of which is with few parallels in the history of diplomatic affairs, which are rooted in our common heritage, and founded upon our shared fundamental values of personal liberty, representative democracy, and the rule of law." However, Portland shortly thereafter found himself compelled to rebuke President-elect Trump, who had previously claimed inspiration from the Brexit vote (having once tweeted "they will soon be calling me MR. BREXIT!"), for publicly suggesting on Twitter that former UKIP leader Nigel Farage "would be a good choice" to serve as the United Kingdom's ambassador to the United States, noting in a statement that Farage was not a member of the Government nor of the ruling party, expressing full confidence in incumbent Ambassador Sir Kim Darroch, and noting that ambassadors were not appointed upon the recommendation of their host country; the Guardian in an editorial describing the last assertion as "remarkably patronising", and the fact that it "genuinely needed to be made" at all "even more so".

Trump's victory was also reported as having been a "decisive factor" in Portland's decision to call snap elections, in order to gain an electoral mandate and increase the Conservatives' parliamentary majority in order to "strengthen their position" in the face of an expected increase in global uncertainty. In late November 2016, Portland announced that he would travel the the US and Canada on a working visit in mid-December, following the snap elections (presuming the Conservatives were not defeated). On 15 December he met with Trump, and held a high-level working lunch with several of his cabinet appointees and a delegation of U.K. Cabinet ministers. Portland described the meeting as "very productive" and as laying "a strong foundation for future cooperation", while Trump reiterated support for the U.K.'s decision to leave the European Union and his desire to quickly conclude an advantageous free trade deal with the U.K., contrary to outgoing President Obama's declaration prior to the referendum that Britain would have to go "to the back of the queue" for a trade agreement if it voted to Leave.

Despite this, rifts were said to have re-emerged in January 2017, following the revelation that a dossier claiming Russia possessed compromising information on Trump had been compiled by Christopher Steele, a former MI6 agent. These were compounded by Trump's assertion a few days later, in an interview with The Times and Bild that NATO had become "obsolete", which reportedly was regarded "deeply unsettling" by the British government. Relations with the incoming administration were also reported as being negatively impacted by the United Kingdom's vote in favour of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334. However Portland was also said to have come into conflict with President Barack Obama in his last days in office, after it was announced that he would commute the sentence of Cablegate hacker Chelsea Manning; Portland is reported to have sent a "bluntly worded letter" to Obama that the decision was incongruous with previous claims by U.S. intelligence on WikiLeaks' role in Russian interference in the American presidential elections and undermined efforts to oppose similar Russian interference in other nations' domestic politics, especially with regards to upcoming elections in Germany and France.

Portland was the first world leader to congratulate Trump on his inauguration on 20 January 2017, and Foreign Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Theresa May was the first foreign leader to visit Trump, on 26-27 January 2017.

The Commonwealth

See also: Community of common destiny

Middle East

Friendly ties with Bahrain, whose pro-British attitude was reflected by its King, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who at a 2013 diplomatic reception had expressed agreement with the sentiment of his father and predecessor Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, upon being told that Whitehall intended to grant them independence, who remarked "Why? Has anyone asked you to leave?". Has opened Britain's first new base East of Suez, HMS Juffair. These are mirrored in ties with Oman, which will host another new British overseas base.

Has however been cool towards Saudi Arabia, and in October 2016, following an air raid on a funeral in Sana'a by the Saudi-led coalition, announced a moratorium on arms sales to the Saudi military. Previously, he has expressed concern at Saudi support for the dissemination of fundamentalist Salafi beliefs about Islam, saying that they had "done much to spread extremism across the Islamic world" and "radicalising in place" Muslims in Europe. In 2015, at a G7 summit, he was reported to have stated his fears about Saudi-funded Salafi preachers radicalising Syrian refugees. Portland condemned the Saudi-led Qatar blockade, calling it "non-constructive and pointless". After the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Portland initially described the killing as "profoundly disturbing", before harshly denouncing Saudi Arabia as "acting like a rogue state" and "holding the international community in rank contempt with such transparently implausible denials". On 20 October, Portland announced the "freezing" of UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia, including the massive, 30-year old Al-Yamamah deal. Sales were quietly unfrozen in April 2019, after the FCO expressed its "satisfaction" with the investigation and prosecution of those linked to the murder.

Shown support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and was reported as the first European leader to call Erdogan to condemn the attempted coup d'état attempt in July 2016, just two days after Portland entered office. Continued close ties at a time when Turkish relations with other European states have been strained have led to Portland being termed the "Erdogan whisperer", although this closeness has been the subject of criticism.

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

In the past, Portland has expressed support for Israel and its actions in the Arab-Israeli conflict. During the 2006 Lebanon War he claimed that Israel's invasion was "justified by Hezbollah's terrorist attacks" and said their blockade of Gaza against the ruling "Hamas", which he labelled a "terrorist gang", was not only fully justified, but enjoyed the support of both Fatah and the Egyptian government. As Foreign Secretary, Portland later softened on the latter view (which was contrary to official government policy opposing the blockade). However, more recently, Portland has been increasingly critical of Israeli policy; during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, he said that while the "terrorists" in Hamas's use of civilians and civilian facilities such as homes, schools, and hospitals as human shields was "abominable, diabolical, and odious to any person with even the slightest sense of moral judgement" and reflected their "utter disregard for human life aside from serving as martyred victims in a propaganda war", Israeli airstrikes were "disproportionate" and only served to undermine Israel's standing in the international community and "affirm the worst notions about Israeli views on peace". He argued that the Iron Dome missile defence system, whose development the United Kingdom had "fully supported", all but neutralised the threat of Hamas rockets and meant that its air campaign in Gaza served "no strategic purpose".

In 2016, following the United Kingdom's vote in favour of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemned Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank as illegal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to retaliate against the UK and impose sanctions. This set into motion a diplomatic row between Israel and the U.K., in which an Israeli diplomat, who was revealed to have made threats against pro-Palestinian junior minister Alan Duncan, was declared persona non grata and expelled from the country. Portland commented that Israeli settlement policy and "talk of 'Judea and Samaria'" seemed "to betray a refusal to acknowledge any part whatsoever of the West Bank as Palestinian territory". Reiterating that he was "fundamentally pro-Israel", Portland said that Israel was "veering towards a one-state reality" which would "extinguish permanently its chances of remaining either a Jewish or democratic state", which prompted condemnations from the Israeli foreign ministry. However, he has rejected calls from opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn to set up an inquiry into Israeli influence in British politics, saying that it would "do nothing but stir-up tired and pernicious anti-Semitic tropes."

Libya

Chief accomplishment to date

Cyprus and peace deal

Taken a leading role in talks. In August 2018 a diplomatic breakthrough occurred following a British-sponsored round of talks at Gleneagles and Portland's mediation. Under the terms of the Gleneagles Agreement, Turkey would withdraw all but 6,000 troops from the island, and Turkey and Greece would mutually withdraw their status of guarantors of Cypriot security (which both had used to justify their military interventions on the island) in favor of a bipartite, multilateral guarantee from the European Union and the Commonwealth. The deal was signed on 21 August by the Presidents of Cyprus, Northern Cyprus, Turkey, and Greece, and Prime Minister Portland, with Antonio Guterres, Jean-Claude Juncker, Donald Tusk, and Patricia Scotland acting as witnesses.

In September 2018 the deal was ratified by the Northern Cypriot parliament, followed by Southern Cyprus later that month, pending simultaneous referenda in November 2019. Accordingly, in October 2018 it was announced that Portland would be the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, but he announced his decision to decline the prize until when and if the deal received approval in the referendum, stating that it would be premature to accept the honour before the peace deal's success was certain.

British diplomatic sources have however expressed fear that Russia may be trying to undermine a potential accord. In September 2018 Russia vetoed a UN resolution welcoming the peace deal, expressing "grave concerns" about "serious flaws" and intimating that the peace deal was little more than a fig leaf to bring Cyprus into NATO's sphere of influence. Portland echoed these concerns in September 2019, when he said that "certain state actors have made clear their intent to exploit divisions and frustrate the peace process by any means possible, both in the domestic and international spheres," and warned that it was very possible that this "cynical campaign" could lead to the deal's failure.

On a subsequent visit to Turkey, after meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Portland explicitly tied "blatant Russian interference in Cyprus's internal affairs" to its "campaign to undermine the Ecumenical Patriarchate" and said that Russia was working to prevent the re-opening of the Halki seminary. In January 2019, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, along with Archbishops Ieronymos II of Athens and Chrysostomos II of Cyprus had issued a statement endorsing the peace deal, although falling short of ordering the faithful to vote in favour. As of October 2019, Russia continued to block any Security Council resolution endorsing the peace deal in Cyprus, prompting Secretary-General Guterres to voice his "frustration", leading to condemnation in turn from Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova about a lack of impartiality.

EU withdrawal

Main article: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union

Portland signalled his intent to personally oversee the process of withdrawal from the European Union by assuming the new post of Secretary of State for European Affairs upon his becoming Prime Minister. However, in his inaugural address he said that he would not allow the government's agenda to be "monopolised" by the withdrawal process, a point which he has consistently emphasised in subsequent remarks.

On 2 December 2016 Portland unveiled the plan for Brexit as part of the Conservative election platform, which called for the United Kingdom to leave the European Economic Community entirely and seek a comprehensive trade and economic agreement with the EU in its stead.

He has announced the UK's intention to increase its contributions to the European Space Agency and the Erasmus Programme.

Domestic policy

Main article: Domestic policy of Bill Portland

In 2017, Parliament approved the Succession to Peerages Act, originally tabled as a private member's bill by Lord Trefgarne but subsequently adopted by the Government, allowing daughters of peers to inherit a peerage if the peerage would otherwise become extinct due to the absence of a male heir., and which applied retrospectively to peerages that had become extinct since the start of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952, resulting in the revival of approximately 76 peerages.

Started the National Kindness Movement...

Economic policy

Portland's policies in the economic sphere are considered to represent a "break" with his immediate predecessors and the Thatcherism that has dominated the Conservative Party since the 1980s. Promising an "economy that works for everyone" and that "both makes and innovates" during his Conservative leadership bid and the 2017 election, Portland has drawn from pre-Thatcher one-nation conservative economic thinking as well as German-influenced thought on the social market economy, which he had previously promoted through his Social Market Foundation, proposing policies such as industrial strategy, government action to defend important UK sectors such as automotive manufacturing, steel, and pharmaceuticals, and a comprehensive regional economic development plan as opposed to limited schemes such as the Northern Powerhouse.

During the election campaign, Portland criticised the growing pay gap between workers and executives that he called “irrational and unhealthy”; and cartels in highly consolidated markets such as energy, proposing by way of solution consumer and employee representation on company boards, to encouragement of mutuals in the public services, to binding shareholder votes on executive pay, and full transparency on bonus targets and pay multiples. Portland tied these critiques to the realisation of David Cameron's vision of the "Big Society".

While in Cabinet, Portland opposed efforts to privatise Royal Mail, joining with members of the traditionally pro-privatisation Bow Group to successfully prevent a proposed partial privatisation backed by the Conservatives’ Liberal Democrat coalition partners, saying that even Thatcher had “drawn the line at ‘privatising the Queen’s head’”, and that the proposal was deeply unpopular amongst the general public.

Upon becoming Prime Minister, Portland announced that the proposed Royal Mail privatisation would be shelved; he also scrapped an almost-completed deal to sell the Old War Office in Whitehall to overseas investors. However, during the 2017 general election campaign, he declined to back Labour’s proposal to renationalise the railway network, saying that "in this case", privatisation had been a success and renationalisation would be "a solution in search of a problem". In 2020, however, he reversed his position and announced that private franchises would not be renewed and rail transport gradually would be unified under a revived state-run British Railways.

Industrial policy

Portland has presided over a "revival" of industrial policy. During the 2017 elections he pledged to take a "broader view" of what constituted a strategic industry and "strategic capacity" In January 2017 he was said to be encouraging a takeover of Canada's Bombardier by BAE Systems in order to facilitate its diversification from the defence industry, a longstanding goal. In June, he was reported as the main force in organizing a €3.0 billion bid for Adam Opel AG by a British-led consortium, in response to a €2.3 billion bid by Peugeot S.A.. As part of the deal, Opel would be renamed Vauxhall Opel plc and be relisted on the London Stock Exchange. Free-market thinkers accused Portland of "dirigism", seeking to have the government coordinate private industry and engaging in "soft protectionism".

Portland has labelled his economic program the "economics of prosperity", founding on boosting lagging productivity, establishing British leadership in emerging technological fields such as wind energy, hydrogen energy, nuclear power, AI, and battery storage, stimulating R&D spending, investing in large-scale infrastructure projects like HS2 and the Thames Estuary Airport, and planning reform to accelerate homebuilding and accelerate the approvals process for other projects. This was done with a view towards raising GDP per capita to £40,000 by 2025, which, internal documents noted (as this element was not openly publicised), would give the United Kingdom the largest economy in Europe. In all these fields large scale investment has been envisaged to facilitate the re-emergence of national champions able to compete globally.

Financial policy

Immediately after his victory in the 2017 elections, Portland announced the "breakup" of HM Treasury into three components—a budgetary component, whose responsibilities would be assumed by a new Office of Management and Budget in the Cabinet Office, an economic component, which would be managed by an expanded Department for the Economy, Business, Industry, and Trade, and a core financial regulation component, which would be conducted by a new Department of Finance. To underline this radical change, the ancient Treasury would be abolished entirely, although the title of Lord High Treasurer (as opposed to First Lord of the Treasury would be retained by the Prime Minister. The Department of Finance was to be headquartered at the Old War Office, rather than the Government Offices Great George Street, which was taken over in part by the Home Office and the Cabinet Office.

Cabinets

Second Portland ministry (2017 – 2021)

Cabinet of the United Kingdom
Portfolio	Minister	Term
Cabinet ministers
Prime Minister Lord High Treasurer Minister for the Civil Service Secretary of State for European Affairs	The Rt Hon. William Portland MP	2016–
Deputy Prime Minister Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs	The Rt Hon. Theresa May MP	2016–
Secretary of State for Finance	The Rt Hon. Nicky Morgan MP	2016–19
	The Rt Hon. Amber Rudd MP	2019–
Secretary of State for the Home Department	The Rt Hon. Priti Patel MP	2016–
Secretary of State for the Economy, Business, Industry, and Trade President of the Board of Trade	The Rt Hon. Philip Hammond MP	2016–
Secretary of State for Defence	The Rt Hon. Boris Johnson MP	2017–19
	The Rt Hon. Rory Stewart OBE MP	2019–
Lord Chancellor Secretary of State for Justice	The Rt Hon. Theresa Villiers QC MP	2017–19
	The Rt Hon. Dominic Raab QC MP	2019–
Secretary of State for Education Minister for Women and Equalities	The Rt Hon. Justine Greening MP	2017–19
	The Rt Hon. Sarah Newton MP	2019–
Secretary of State for Health	The Rt Hon. Chris Grayling MP	2016–19
	The Rt Hon. Rishi Sunak MP	2019–
Secretary of State for Work, Skills, and Social Security	The Rt Hon. Amber Rudd MP	2017–19
	The Rt Hon. Sajid Javid MP	2019–
Leader of the House of Lords Lord President of the Council	The Most Hon. The Marquess of Lothian KCB PC QC	2017–
Secretary of State for Infrastructure and Transport	The Rt Hon. Sajid Javid MP	2017–19
	The Rt Hon. Theresa Villiers QC MP	2019–
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Information Technology	The Rt Hon. Greg Clark MP	2016–
Secretary of State for Environment, Energy, and Sustainable Development	The Rt Hon. Elizabeth Truss MP	2017–19
	The Rt Hon. Penny Mordaunt MP	2019–
Secretary of State for Local Government and the Regions	The Rt Hon. Damian Green MP	2017–17
	The Rt Hon. Kwasi Kwarteng MP	2017–
Leader of the House of Commons Lord Privy Seal	The Rt Hon. Rory Stewart OBE MP	2017–19
	The Rt Hon. Claire Perry MP	2019–
Secretary of State for Scotland	The Rt Hon. The Baroness McIntosh of Pickering PC	2016–18
	The Rt Hon. Ian Duncan MP	2018-
Secretary of State for Wales	The Rt Hon. Alun Cairns MP	2016–19
	The Rt Hon. Simon Hart MP	2019–
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland	The Rt Hon. Penny Mordaunt MP	2016–19
	The Rt Hon. Lucy Frazer MP	2019–
Secretary of State for Agriculture, Conservation, and Rural Affairs	The Rt Hon. James Brokenshire MP	2017–19
	The Rt Hon. Harriet Baldwin MP	2019
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport	The Rt Hon. Dame Caroline Spelman DBE MP	2016–19
	The Rt Hon. Rebecca Harris MP	2019–
Also attending cabinet meetings
Minister for the Cabinet Office Paymaster General	The Rt Hon. Sam Gyimah MP	2016–19
	The Rt Hon. Jeremy Hunt MP	2019–
Director of the Office of Management and Budget	The Rt Hon. Rishi Sunak MP	2017–19
	The Rt Hon. James Brokenshire MP	2019–2021
	The Rt Hon. Helen Whately MP	2021–
Attorney General	The Rt Hon. Jeremy Wright QC MP	2014–18
	The Rt Hon. Suella Braverman QC MP	2018–
Minister of State for International Development (Senior Minister of State for International Cooperation and Development) Deputy Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (2017–)	The Rt Hon. Sarah Newton MP	2016–17
	The Rt Hon. Sir Alan Duncan KCMG MP	2017–
Minister of State for European Affairs Chief Negotiator for Withdrawal from the European Union	The Rt Hon. The Lord Rifkind KCMG PC QC	2016–
Minister of State for Commonwealth Affairs	The Rt Hon. Kwasi Kwarteng MP	2016–19
	The Rt Hon. Shailesh Vara MP	2019–
Chief Whip in the House of Lords Treasurer of the Household	The Rt Hon. The Baroness Evans of Bowes Park PC	2016–19
	The Rt Hon. The Baroness Fairhead PC	2019–
Chief Whip in the House of Commons Comptroller of the Household	The Rt Hon. Victoria Atkins MP	2017–17
	The Rt Hon. Esther McVey MP	2017–19
	The Rt Hon. James Cleverly MP	2019–
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Chairman of the Conservative Party (Unpaid)	The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Fallon KCB MP	2016–17
	The Rt Hon. Victoria Atkins MP	2017–

There post-election reshuffle was fairly minor. As a result of the re-merger of the Department for International Development into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the office of Secretary of State for International Development was eliminated; however, its last holder, Sarah Newton (who had technically only been appointed ad interim), continued as Minister of State for International Development in the FCO, and invited to Cabinet meetings.

The only other change was the inclusion of the newly-created junior ministerial post of Minister of State for Commonwealth Affairs, held by Kwasi Kwarteng, and Sir Malcolm Rifkind as Minister for European Affairs and Chief Negotiator for Withdrawal from the European Union as invited participants in Cabinet meetings.

Political policies and and issues

Main page: Political positions of Bill Portland

Said to be "firmly within the One-nation tradition", Portland's policy stances, while, individually, falling within the mainstream of British politics, have often eluded easy or precise ideological categorisation as a whole. Portland, himself, has said they constituted a "sort of semi-oxymoronic" "progressive traditionalism", and has previously said that he is "not a doctrinaire Thatcherite". An article in Bloomberg Businessweek stated that, unlike his predecessor David Cameron, whose politics combined "moderate stances on social issues with firmly conservative fiscal policy", Portland was "considerably softer regarding economic matters" while being "fairly conservative and traditionalist on social policy". A Guardian editorial, in contrast, said that while Portland was not a "hardline proponent of austerity policies", his commitment to expanded defence expenditure meant that he would likely support continued cuts to social spending, and identified "the unifying element in his political views" as a "pronounced paternalism", "in line with a sense of noblesse oblige". Others have described Portland's policies as reflecting communitarian views; Portland has pledged to continue supporting David Cameron's "Big Society".

Economic issues

Portland, who has long expressed concern over the “excesses” of Thatcherism, has widely been viewed as taking a more centrist stance on economic issues than other Conservatives. An Independent article in 2012 observed that “while he has generally been moderate with his criticism, lest his stridency do harm to his political future,” Portland “has for two decades consistently shown scepticism of policies justified in the name of the ‘market’.” Portland's critiques of privatization and, to a more limited extent, globalization, have been said to have been influenced by, among others, economists Dani Rodrik, Amartya Sen, and Daron Acemoglu, the latter particularly with respect to development economics. Portland, along with his deputy Theresa May, has expressed admiration for the views of Joseph Chamberlain and his support for Imperial Preference, reflected in contemporary proposals for Commonwealth free trade, but is said to consider his contemporary Lord Randolph Churchill and his Tory Democracy as a greater influence.

Proclaiming "property ownership as the bedrock on which social cohesion, and indeed conservatism, is founded", Portland pursued a programme of sweeping and controversial planning reform aimed at building 2 million new homes, with a view towards resolving Britain's endemic housing crisis and making homeownership attainable to younger generations. This agenda was met with considerable opposition, including a number of conservative MPs, and was credited with cutting into the Conservatives' majority in the 2021 elections.

Privatisation

Portland’s most significant breaks with Conservative policy have generally been regarding privatisation; one critic remarked that he “never met a privatization case he didn’t think needed to be ‘thought very carefully’ about”. In a 1991 speech to the House of Lords, while saying the state “had no business taking control of the 'means of production’ in the first place,” Portland unfavourably compared “premature” privatisation to throwing “an animal, grown weak during a long confinement, out into the wild to its likely death, rather than carefully and patiently nursing it back to good health, until it is strong enough to survive on its own.”

In 1999, after his party had lost power, and shortly before ceasing to be a member of the Lords, he said that “fire-sale privatisations” had largely negated the impact of Thatcher’s labour reforms, as they resulted in firms being “sold-off, stripped, and, in the end, shuttered entirely”, an outcome “no better than if the unions had been let to continue driving them into the ground,” and that the low price for which nationalised firms had been sold had only encouraged exploitative asset stripping rather than investment.

He has also questioned outsourcing practices, arguing that while “until recently, would-be foreign competitors had to acquire technical know-how,” the directors of outsourcing firms now “saw fit to pay them for the privilege”, for a while “satisfied to collect a slightly higher profit,” until invariably being surprised when their partners “discovered some improvement and realised they no longer had any need for their Western middlemen.”

In 2005, lamenting the purchase of P&O by Maersk, Portland said that the United Kingdom had ceased to be involved “in almost every major industrial sector,” an outcome which he claimed was “entirely avoidable” and “virtually without parallel” elsewhere in Europe. He has also has said that revenues from North Sea oil should have been used to invest in the modernisation of state-owned firms in so that they “would have been able to compete in the open market” after privatisation, decrying what he saw as the revenues’ having been wasted on “funding benefits for an entire sector of the population which now seems unlikely to ever return to productive employment”, although noting that the government “was not left with much choice” in the matter.

Trade and foreign investment

Despite his scepticism of privatisation, and the long Tory tradition in favour of protectionist policies (e.g., the Corn Laws, Import Duties Act 1932), Portland has generally supported trade liberalisation, noting that Britain has a long history as a “trading nation”, and that historic “whiggish notions” of unilaterally removing trade barriers without reciprocal treatment are “vastly different” in nature to modern free trade agreements, which “encourage genuine competitiveness” rather than “economic cannibalisation”. However, he has been claimed as having held that import substitution policies and "moderate support" (i.e, protectionism), while "fatal in large doses", can be "beneficial in smaller ones", and that his "preoccupation" with Commonwealth free trade in fact represented a "disguised return" revival of Imperial Preference.

Portland strongly supports the finalisation of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), and the proposed EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, and has claimed that the failure of the European Union to conclude those and other free trade agreements contributed to British dissatisfaction with the organisation. Portland has previously called for new free trade agreements between the EU and India, Australia and New Zealand, the Southern African Customs Union, and other members of the Commonwealth, and has argued that free trade agreements with emerging economies in Africa and Asia would benefit their development and reduce income inequality. In a 2014 New Statesman editorial he said it was time for Western nations to embrace the developing world's call for "trade, not aid".

Following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union and his ascension to the premiership, Portland has vowed to forge new free trade agreements with several countries and has revived calls for the creation of a “broad and inclusive” Commonwealth Free Trade Zone that would include both developed and developing member states. New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in addition to backing future bilateral trade agreements with the UK, have expressed support for a Commonwealth FTZ, while Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said it “could very well be an idea whose time has come”. Several African members of the Commonwealth have also backed the proposal; the leaders of Botswana and Rwanda have shown interest in the idea, while newly-elected Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo endorsed the call, as did Gambian President-elect Adama Barrow, who had already promised to reverse incumbent Yahya Jammeh’s decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth in 2013. Seperately, US President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to conclude a trade agreement with the UK “quickly and properly”.

However, while in Cabinet, Portland strongly opposed proposals for an EU free trade agreement with China, supposedly backed by then-Chancellor George Osborne, as “economically suicidal”; upon becoming Prime Minister, he was said to have “immediately withdrawn” the Cameron government’s objections to EU anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese steel exports. At an EU summit in September 2016, Portland reportedly said that Chinese exports of excess industrial output was “suffocating” manufacturing in developed countries while also “strangling new-born industry” in developing countries “in the cradle”.

Portland has previously argued that foreign buyouts of privatised firms were “chiefly enabled by their undervaluation” and, while regrettable, could not practically be reversed, nor were restrictions on foreign ownership desirable. He has, however, expressed scepticism of the Hinkley Point nuclear power project, backed by the state-owned China General Nuclear Power Group and the mostly state-owned Électricité de France, prior to assuming office as Prime Minister. In November 2016 he was purported to be attempting to undermine the deal by encouraging EDF shareholders sceptical of the project’s chances of profitability to force the firm to withdraw, thereby giving the British government “no other choice” but to cancel the project, while avoiding raising the ire of the Chinese government, which has previously spoken harshly about the possibility. The Government strongly denied these claims, but its declared energy policy has emphasised Hinkley Point in favor of renewables, domestically-produced natural gas, and small-scale nuclear power generation. In February 2017, however, in the run-up to the Copeland by-election, 2017, he reaffirmed the government's commitment to building the Moorside Nuclear Power Station.

Immigration

In 2004, Portland joined Conservative leader Michael Howard in criticising then-Prime Minister Tony Blair's plan to not place any restrictions on migrant workers from the Eastern European A8 countries acceding to the European Union, accusing the government of vastly underestimating the potential number of immigrants at only 130,000 (in 2014, the actual number was 423,000. In 2017, when Blair called for the United Kingdom to stay in the European Union in exchange for immigration restrictions, Portland denounced what he termed as the former Prime Minister's "belated epiphany" and said that his failure to place transitional controls on the A8 countries meant that he "bore a significant amount of responsibility" for "fomenting the sentiment that led EU withdrawal".

In line with his strongly pro-Commonwealth stance, however, Portland has long said however that Commonwealth migrants should not "really be regarded as foreigners" and given preference over non-Commonwealth migrants. As Prime Minister, Portland attracted controversy from the right by liberalizing work and study visa rules for Indian students and businesspeople.

Relationship with the Royal Family

Portland has had longstanding personal ties to several members of the Royal Family. He has been regarded as a member of the Prince of Wales's inner circle of associates and has had a close relationship with Prince Andrew, Duke of York since their passing out of the same course at the Naval Academy in 1979. As Equerry to the Duke of Edinburgh he was involved in the day-to-day work of the Royal Household for two years. The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, and Prince Andrew all attended both his own wedding; subsequently, the Prince of Wales would become godfather to his eldest son, James (then Viscount Woodstock), while the Princess of Wales was godmother to his eldest daughter, Lady Venetia Cavendish-Bentinck. In her will, Princess Diana left one quarter of her "personal chattels"—her physical possessions, not including liquid assets— to be divided amongst her seventeen godchildren, including Lady Venetia, reported to be equal in value to around £150,000.

Several members of the Royal Family also attended the wedding of his son at which the Prince of Wales gave the bride—also a daughter of the late Princess of Wales—away in place of her father. Members of the Royal Family, particularly, the Prince of Wales, have stayed at the Chalet Eugenia, owned by Portland's family. Portland also is a regular patron of Linley furniture, owned by David Linley, son of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (since 2017 the 2nd Earl of Snowdon), which in 2015 he hired to redecorate the house in Carlyle Square.

Upon becoming Prime Minister, Portland broke with tradition and began formally sharing government business with the Prince of Wales on a regular basis, sending copies of the Queen's briefing papers to Clarence House in red despatch boxes. Portland said that this decision had been taken in consultation with Buckingham Palace and that it was "more than time" to brief the heir to the throne on the work of Her Majesty's Government. Portland and the Prince of Wales have since begun to hold "bi-monthly meetings" to discuss the Government's plans, on the lines of the Queen's weekly audience with the Prime Minister.

Science and research

As part of his vision to "seize the future" and a "Global Britain for the 21st century and beyond", Portland has vowed to increase UK space exploration and research spending to 0.5% of the annual budget, or £3.65 billion. In a speech at the European Space Agency headquarters, Portland promised to increase the UK's contribution to the ESA by £1 billion, making it the largest contributor, with the remaining £2.6 billion making up the budget of the UK Space Agency (renamed the Space Research and Exploration Agency—SERA), comprising an eight-fold increase in its budget, and the world's third largest national space budget after NASA and Roscosmos. In 2016, SERA took over as leading partner in the Skylon spacecraft programme, taking a 49% percent stake in its parent company and jumpstarting development, with first flight scheduled for 2020. In December 2016, it was announced that Glasgow Prestwick Airport, on the nomination of the Scottish Government, would serve as the UK's first commercial spaceport, and its runway would be doubled in length.

Portland also pledged to more than double British public and private sector research and development spending by 2020, with Chancellor Nicky Morgan announcing an immediate £2 billion boost for basic research funding in the 2016 Autumn Statement and promising further tax credits to encourage private sector expenditure with the aim of reaching 2.5% of GDP in 2020. He has said the UK must "rebuild" its R&D infrastructure and spur innovation.

Defence policy

Defence funding

In the 2017 manifesto the Conservatives pledged to raise defence spending to 3.0% of GDP and restore the armed forces to their 1997 size.

Observers have described the Royal Navy as the largest beneficiary of increased defence expenditure. The two aircraft carriers of the Queen Elizabeth-class are to be fully fitted out with CATOBAR systems with electromagnetic EMALS catapults, as a result of assurances secured by Portland as Defence Secretary that the United States would underwrite the cost of the US-developed system's installation. Two Landing helicopter docks, likely based on the Australian Canberra-class landing helicopter dock are to be commissioned to replace the existing HMS Ocean, which will remain in service through 2025. There are unconfirmed plans that another six Type 45 destroyers will be commissioned, in line with original plans, while the existing six undergo upgrades. The number of Type 26 frigates is to be increased from eight to twelve, while the orders of Type 31 frigates has been doubled from five to ten. The total number of River-class patrol vessels will go from five to eight. The Vanguard-class submarines will be extended in service, while an additional Astute-class submarine will be built, building the total number to eight. Two civilian hospital ships operated by the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service will also be commissioned, funded from the aid budget.

Arms exports

Portland has controversially aimed to double UK annual arms exports to £12 billion by 2022, defending arms deals as a means of defraying high research and development costs and enabling the retention of indigenous capabilities. Portland has been described as having a "unique talent" in concluding arms deals, particularly for large conventional systems, which was said to be one of his "greatest assets" while Defence Secretary. In 2017, Portland was said to have received "assurances" that the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy would select the Type 26 frigate for their respective SEA 5000 and Single Class Surface Combatant Project schemes as a result of his regular "Commonwealth Four" conversations, corresponding to 20-25 export orders.

Education

Supports grammar schools.

Personal life

Portland is a practicing member of the Church of England. He is known to attend Anglo-Catholic services and known as a supporter of the traditionalist group Forward in Faith. In London, he regularly attends services at St Cuthbert's, Earls Court, which is associated with both groups. In 2016, he described his faith as being the "cornerstone" of his "life and moral worldview". In 2017, he met with Cardinal Robert Sarah, the traditionalist Catholic Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, for whom he expressed his admiration, sparking speculation that Portland was considering converting to Roman Catholicism, which he denied. Portland however has supported ecumenical dialogue and stated his hope that the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches may one day be brought into full communion.

Portland is an accomplished yachtsman, and owner of the 91-foot sloop RYS Pantaleon, designed by Rob Humphreys and named after the brig sloop Pantaloon, which was designed in 1832 by William Symonds for the 4th Duke. Other than on official occasions, Portland abstains from alcohol, citing his father's struggle with and ultimately premature death from alcoholism as having compelled him from avoiding drink, although sources have claimed he is "known to drink when on holiday".

Considered "eminently clubbable", Portland is a member of the Carlton, White's, Turf, Royal Automobile, and Naval and Military Clubs, as well as the Royal Yacht Squadron and the Lindrick Golf Club, among others.

Family

Portland, then Marquess of Titchfield, married Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, daughter of John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough, on 7 November 1981 at St Mary Magdalene Church, Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Titchfield had proposed on 22 July following a fourteen-month relationship. Guests included the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Andrew, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and several other senior members of the peerage.

Together, they have three sons and two daughters:

• James Charles Hugh Cavendish-Bentinck, Marquess of Titchfield (born 6 September 1982) educated at Winchester and read Economics at Trinity College, Cambridge; was a member of the First and Third Trinity Boat Club and the University Boat Club. Studied at Harvard Business School and received an MBA. Previously worked with Barclays and Goldman Sachs in New York. In October 2014 he cofounded a venture capital firm, Woolsthorpe Partners, focused on cleantech and renewable energy.
  On 23 July 2016, at Romsey Abbey, Romsey, in Hampshire, he married the Hon. Alexandra Knatchbull, daughter of Lord Brabourne, whose married name thereafter became Alexandra Cavendish-Bentinck, Marchioness of Titchfield. They have three children:
  • Lady Amelia Leonora Mary Cavendish-Bentinck (born 21 December 2017)
  • Frederick William Louis Cavendish-Bentinck, Viscount Woodstock (born 27 March 2020)
  • Lord Theodore George Norton Cavendish-Bentinck (born 12 April 2023)
• Lord David Benedict Andrew Cavendish-Bentinck (born 9 August 1985) educated at Winchester and read Law at Trinity, Cambridge, where he received first-class honours. Read for the BCL at Keble College, Oxford, was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 2009; practices commercial Chancery law at Maitland Chambers. He married Samantha Ward, a solicitor, on 6 June 2014. He is also a literary critic who writes regularly for Apollo and the Literary Review. They have two children, a daughter and a son:
  • Thea Shelagh Marie Cavendish-Bentinck (born 15 October 2016)
  • Frederick John William Cavendish-Bentinck (born 3 March 2019)
• Lady Amelia Venetia Cavendish-Bentinck (born 18 January 1989) educated at Wycombe Abbey School and read Economics at the University of Edinburgh, and then for a MPP and MBA at the Blavatnik School of Government and the Said School of Business, Oxford. Was a researcher at the Conservative Party headquarters,and worked at Quiller Consultants in public affairs; currently an accounts executive at Bloomberg LP.
• Lord Philip Ferdinand John Cavendish-Bentinck (born 18 January 1989) educated at Marlborough College. He read Modern History at the University of Bristol and went to Royal Military Academy Sandhurst before being commissioned in the Blues and Royals in 2012. Transferred to the reserves in 2017 at the rank of Captain. Works as a portfolio manager for Lansdowne Partners. In September 2019 his engagement was announced to Tess Rowe, chef and author. They have one daughter:
  • Isla Téo Mary Cavendish-Bentinck (born 15 May 2021)
  • Benedict Arthur Quincy Cavendish-Bentinck (born 14 May 2023)
• Lady Eleanor Irene Cavendish-Bentinck (known as Ella; born 18 September 1993) educated at Wycombe Abbey and read History of Art at Downing College, Cambridge, where she was President of the Cambridge University Light Entertainment Society. Previously worked at Sotheby's in New York and London. Currently pursuing graduate studies in Art History at Yale University.

Properties, business, and wealth

In the 1930s, William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland (1857-1943), had broken the entail of the family estates and placed them in a trust, to be inherited by the daughters of the seventh Duke, a Conservative politician, if he were to have no heirs and the Dukedom were to pass to his distant relatives. The validity of this transfer was however questioned by Portland's grandfather, the future ninth Duke, following the seventh Duke's death in 1977. In order to resolve any disputes—and partially resulting from the close materteral relationship between the heiress, Lady Anne Cavendish-Bentinck, who was childless, and Bill Bentinck— the Portland Trust was created in 1969 to provide a long-term framework for the estate and avoid death duties.

In the early 21st century, the Portland estate comprised 22,000 acres of the East Midlands, chiefly the 15,000 acre Welbeck estate, an additional 62,000 acres in Scotland, most of it in the Braemore and Langwell Estates in Caithness, and further property holdings in Northumberland and London. In 2012 the Scottish estates were enlarged through the re-acquisition of the 9,500-acre Sandside Estate in Caithness, which had been owned by the family until 1930, for £2.45 million, bringing the total acreage to 93,500 acres. In 2014, these land holdings were collectively valued at £240 million. As of 2015, the primary beneficiaries of the Trust's disbursements are the families of Lady Anne's nephew, William Parente (since 2017 the 4th Baron Bolsover, following the promulgation of the Succession to Peerages Act 2017) and the Duke. The Trust's landed holdings, placed within the Welbeck Estates Company, are largely managed by Parente as the Company's managing director, while Portland oversaw its investments, assisted by an in-house management office, Portland Trust Asset Management Ltd, which in 2013 spent paid a total of £2.6 million in compensation for 18 employees.

Parente and Portland were previously on the board of the Portland Trust as its co-chairmen, alongside three independent trustees and two executive trustees. Portland and Parente resigned as chairmen in 2016 in order to avoid potential conflicts of interest, although Parente remained on the board as an executive trustee. Lord O'Donnell, former Cabinet Secretary, was appointed to replace them as the sole non-executive Chairman.

The total value of the Portland Trust's assets has been a matter of speculation. Low-end estimates, usually from the Trust itself, have ranged from £600-700 million, while the Times in 2014 said "consensus" valuations were in the range of £800 million-1.2 billion, and that the Trust had grown "tremendously" thanks to Portland's management of its investments. In 2016 Forbes estimated the "Cavendish-Bentinck Family" as having a net worth of $2.2 billion, or £1.5 billion. Downing Street, in a statement, declared these estimates as "deeply flawed", and repeated Portland's claim of a personal net worth of £63 million.

Investments and business ventures

In 1985, on the initiative of the then-Marquess of Titchfield, the Trust set up a fund for equity investments with an initial capitalisation of £10 million, borrowed using the estate's land as collateral. In its first two years it registered strong growth, and with additional capital had grown to £25 million in just two years, and by 1990 was worth £35 million, with further capital. While challenged shortly thereafter in the aftermath of Black Monday (1987), the fund soon recovered, and as of 2016 its equities had a net value of at least £460 million—more than twice that of the Trust's landed holdings—having grown at an average rate of nearly 12% per annum, a performance comparable to that of the Wellcome Trust. Most of its equity holdings, administered by Portland Trust Asset Management (PTAM) are outside of the United Kingdom.

While most of the Portland Trust's investments have been in stocks and bonds, PTAM has diversified its holdings since the 1990s, and increasingly since the 2000s taking an active role in investments and initiating its own ventures. One particularly lucrative investment came in 1992, when, on Portland's direction, the Trust led a consortium that purchased Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire for £3 million. Portland initiated the construction of the airport's railway station on the existing Ayrshire Coast Line, which runs past the airfield, making it the first Scottish airport with its own railway station. In her book about Prestwick Airport, South Ayrshire councillor Ann Galbraith writes about this tough time in the airport's history, saying that "if it hadn't been for the Duke the airport wouldn't be here today". Then, Irish budget airline Ryanair opened a route to the airport from Dublin. This led to another route to London the following year. The resulting rapid growth of European no-frills airlines in the late 1990s saw a surge in passenger numbers, as the airport became a cargo hub. In 2003 Portland sold the airport to Infratil for over £82 million, turning a profit of over £65 million for the Portland Trust. At the same time, the Trust developed an office park and several hotels in the airport's vicinity.

In 1996 Welbeck Estates launched their "Sherwood" brand gourmet organic food products, selling to upscale and independent grocers, starting with artisanal bread and organic milk sold in distinctive glass milk bottles, rapidly spreading across the United Kingdom and Ireland into cheeses, meats, parbaked pastries, chocolates, and over 80 other product lines. The estate and its subsidiaries are by far and away the largest employer in Bassetlaw District, employing some 3,200 people in total.

The Trust has developed several office and industrial parks in the Midlands and North of England (such as Manton Wood) and has engaged in residential development . In 2016 a Guardian article speculated that these could be worth between £150 and £200 million, comprising 3 million sq ft of across 60 locations under its subsidiary, Portland Langtree. In 2006, PTAM partnered with the Blackstone Group LP to acquire a 20% stake in Center Parcs UK, estimated at £53 million; it had already owned the freehold to the company's 400-acre Sherwood Forest location, and exchanged the property for stock. In 2015 Centre Parcs was sold to the Canadian investment firm Brookfield Asset Management for £2.4 billion, which would have valued the Trust's stake at approximately £480 million. It however has not confirmed the value of its share.

Residences and other properties

Welbeck Abbey, Nottinghamshire, during the 2007 summer floods

Branksea Castle in Dorset

Aubrey House, Holland Park

Upon becoming Duke in 1990, Portland personally inherited his grandfather's Chelsea townhouse at 21 Carlyle Square, and Branksea Castle in Dorset, whose estate comprised the 560-acre (226 ha) eponymous island (known as Brownsea), and which had been in that branch of the family since 1873. Most of the island is however has been under the care of the Dorset Wildlife Trust and English Heritage since 1953, as per an agreement under which the island avoided being sold off to meet death duties in return for being opened to the public; in 2012 visitors numbered 130,114.

Furthermore, he came into ownership of the estates of the late 8th Duke, his granduncle, in Kenya's Rift Valley, the full extent of which has remained a matter of speculation. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, before and shortly after his marriage, he occupied at a "set" (flat) also formerly owned by the 8th Duke at Albany, Piccadilly. The then-Marquess and Marchioness of Titchfield then let a house on Alexander Square, Chelsea, until 1992.

Portland's primary residence is Welbeck Abbey in north Nottinghamshire, owned by the Portland Trust. Until 1996 most of the Abbey, with the exception of a suite of state rooms, was occupied by the Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College, until it relocated to a new purpose-built facility. After the college vacated the premises, a substantial renovation was carried out with the intention of returning the Abbey to residential use, with the first phase of works completed by 2000.

Other properties owned by the Trust include Bothal Castle, Northumberland; Langwell Lodge and Keiss Castle in Caithness; and Chalet Eugenia in Klosters. For the use of these properties Portland pays a nominal rent; many properties, particularly those in Scotland, are let for holidays or occupied outright by long-term tenants. Chalet Eugenia in particular has been let by members of the Royal Family for over three decades. Furthermore, in the 1990s the Trust acquired the 1,850-acre Worksop Manor estate, adjacent to their Welbeck estate.

In 1990 Portland purchased the Grade II listed Old Rectory at 56 Old Church Street in Chelsea for £4.3 million. Up until that time occupied by squatters, the house underwent a complete renovation, tripling its size from 8,000 sq ft to over 24,000. Its two-acre gardens, planted with mature trees, has been claimed to be London's largest private garden after that of Buckingham Palace. In 1998, he sold it to Norwegian shipping magnate John Fredriksen for £40 million, buying a new house in Holland Park where he has resided since. In the early 2010s, following the death of Portland's step-grandmother, the house at Carlyle Square was renovated and later bequeathed as a wedding gift to the Marquess and Marchioness of Titchfield to serve as their London residence.

Portland has declined the use of 10 Downing Street as a personal residence (aside from its official use as the Prime Minister's office), opting to remain in his private London home, Aubrey House, as has been done by several of his predecessors. Likewise, he turned down the right to use Chequers, the ministerial country residence, citing the fact that he already had use of a more than suitable residence in Welbeck Abbey, at which, since becoming Prime Minister, he has entertained and held official meetings, including, controversially, the 2021 G7 Summit. Both houses have instead been allocated to the Deputy Prime Minister, Theresa May. When not in London, Portland has generally spent the summer months between Branksea, August and early September in Scotland, and most of the rest of the year at Welbeck.

Charitable activities

Patronages

In his capacity as Duke, Portland is patron of a number of organisations active in the fields of charity, health and education, many of which have been traditionally associated with the Dukes of Portland. These include:

• Patron, Worksop College, Worksop, Nottinghamshire
• Patron, Portland College, Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire
• Patron, Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College, Woodhouse, Leicestershire

Books and writing

Portland, writing under the name W. C. B. Portland, is the author of three books and the editor of two edited volumes. In addition to several columns and articles in various journalistic outlets, he has been published in scholarly journals and contributed chapters to edited collections. Since 2004 he has also maintained a blog.

His first book,Suez and the End of Empire in 1999 by Cambridge University Press. In it, Portland argues that the failure of the Franco-British coalition during the Suez Crisis of 1956 was political, rather than military, and that the campaign's objectives would have likely been achieved if not for loss of political will. Suez and the End of Empire received generally positive reviews; the London Review of Books, in a somewhat negative review, described it as "revisionism, if well argued". In contrast The Journal of Military History was extremely positive, describing it as an "indispensable" account of the Suez Crisis for "both the new student and the seasoned scholar", and as making a "singular contribution" to the study of why military interventions fail.

Portland's second book, The Politics of British Defence Policy, 1979-98, dealt with defence policy under the Thatcher and Major governments, and was compiled from fourteen of his own articles, some of which had been published previously. Many of the book's topics were issues in which Portland had been directly involved, having served in the Major government and taken part in Royal Navy planning for the 1998 Strategic Defence Review. As its audience was primarily academic, the book's sales were limited, but reviews were mostly positive. A review in the RUSI Journal described it as providing "first-hand insights" into defence policy-making, while a review in the Journal of Cold War Studies characterised it as a "perceptive and articulate" commentary on defence issues. In 2015, after being out of print for several years, a new print run of the book was published.

His third book, At Heaven's Command: The Royal Navy and Britain's Battle to End Slavery, was published in 2006. Developed from his Harvard thesis written twenty-five years prior, the book expands in scope to British efforts to suppress both the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean slave trade, with a focus on the role of the Royal Navy, while taking a critical look at the views of abolitionists, decision-makers, and military personnel that shaped British policy. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the book goes beyond a purely naval history and evaluates slave-trade suppression in its broader socio-political context. While it firmly presents slave-trade suppression as having been guided by sincerely-held convictions on the evils of the slave trade, convictions which often came into conflict with other interests, the book takes a critical approach, contrasting overseas suppression efforts with Britain's slowness to ban slavery outright in its colonies, and British racial attitudes regarding Africans.

Released a year before the bicentenary of the Slave Trade Act 1807, At Heaven's Command was a best-seller and received widespread acclaim; otherwise critical, left-leaning publications such as the The Guardian and the London Review of Books gave generally mixed-to-positive reviews, frequently saying that it had defied expectations, but most other reviews were highly positive. the Observer named At Heaven's Command as one of the best books of 2006, as did The Economist, The Spectator, The Daily Telegraph, Foreign Affairs, and The Times, the latter of which in its review wrote:

Portland's quarter-century of research and reflection is reflected in his masterfully-crafted narrative, which deftly counters more critical interpretations of British actions and intentions by taking a critical perspective of its own. It is exhaustively comprehensive without being exhausting, avoiding even the slightest hint of polemic or hagiography while making a forceful case for seeing the anti-slavery crusade, simply, as nothing short of moral triumph... The book is not only an extraordinary work of research, but convincing proof of the potential of humanitarian intervention to do good, a conclusion only more welcome at a time where belief in such potential has been vastly diminished.

At Heaven's Command won the 2007 Longman-History Today Book of the Year Award, History Book of the Year at the National Book Awards, the Mountbatten Maritime Prize, and was shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize and the Orwell Prize.

Public image

Portland's public image has been both shaped by and transcended his status as a senior member of the aristocracy. His place as a "paragon of privilege" for many years was seen as a hinderance to his political career both within the party and among the historically class-sensitive public. Portland's advancement on the Conservative benches, the Spectator wrote, came only once his reputation as a "moderniser" had been established, while, ironically, his background ensured he remained well regarded by the Tory right.

In contrast to his predecessor David Cameron, Portland has been perceived as "authentic" and "unashamed" where Cameron was sensitive to and sought to downplay, often unsuccessfully, his own upper class background. An illustrative incident recounted in the Telegraph involved Portland berating Cameron when the latter suggested he might wear a business suit, rather than a morning suit to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Portland has been seen as more "approachable", with his regular travel by train on the East Coast Main Line between London and Nottinghamshire and regular constituency work cited as cause.

Portland "has been able to temper the burden of privilege with a certain paternalistic, if not populist, sensibility," wrote a columnist in the Times, "through his long record of skepticism of the 'excesses' of austerity and neo-liberal prioritisation of finance, and the credibility bestowed by his distinguished military service to his claim that he is involved in politics to serve the public." The Economist likewise cited an Ipsos MORI poll showing a majority of British people saw Portland's wealth as making it less likely he would use the office for financial gain, in contrast to former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Following the 2017 election victory, many commentators proclaimed an end to "class politics", citing the aristocratic Portland's strong support across class groups.

Portland has also been described as inspiring "fierce loyalty" among his subordinates and colleagues, cultivated through regularly hosting dinners, cocktail hours, receptions, and garden parties at his London residence and elsewhere, the latter of which the Guardian termed as "sumptuous". At these events MPs and civil servants could mingle with "business magnates, generals, and celebrities", many of whom Portland had known from his youth. Portland's diplomatic background and military service "meant that he has known top defence and diplomatic officials since his school years," with the result that he was able to exercise an "unparalleled" degree over control over his portfolio when Defence and Foreign Secretary, whose interests he championed aggressively and by whose civil servants he was "beloved, even adored".

Portland's network in the Ministry of Defence was such that he was described as retaining "significant influence" there even after becoming Foreign Secretary. "Portland's popularity among military commanders, and even the rank and file, is strong enough," the Economist wrote, "that in a less established democracy the spectre of a coup would have loomed over David Cameron. In practical terms he was virtually 'unsackable' even as he resisted implementing deep cuts." Likewise his connections in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office enabled him to take a far more leading role in Libya's reconstruction than would have otherwise been possible.

Portland's lifestyle has been of frequent interest to the press, with an exploration of the topic by the Daily Mail concluding that, as a result of the family's healthy finances, he lived in "Edwardian splendor", employing dozens of staff across his numerous houses. At Welbeck, the Mail found, many of the staff were dually employed by the estate and some of the numerous separate enterprises by the Trust, meaning that Portland was able "to call upon an army of chefs and specialists", including a sommelier, librarians, curators, brewers, and chocolatiers, and "dozens more" groundskeepers and gardeners. Welbeck was said to be "virtually self-sufficient" in terms of food and "almost everything, from plumbing to event planning", done in-house, a "point of pride" for Portland. The Trust Estate manager, Spencer Watkins, and Portland's personal aide, Tom Mackenzie (variously described as a valet or body man), a former Navy steward, have also been the subject of media attention.

Titles and styles

• 12 October 1957 – 13 December 1980: Mr William Cavendish-Bentinck (Esq.)
• 13 December 1980 – 30 July 1990: [the] Marquess of Titchfield
• 30 July 1990 – 11 June 1992: His Grace The Duke of Portland MVO ...
• 6 October 1995 – 1 August 1997: His Grace The Duke of Portland MVO PC ...
• 31 December 1999 – 30 December 2014: His Grace The Duke of Portland CB MVO PC ...
• 30 December 2014 – present: His Grace The Duke of Portland KCB MVO PC ...
  • 7 June 2001 – present: (in Parliament): The Right Honourable William Portland MP

The series of titles reflect the (somewhat unusual) path of Portland's succession to the Dukedom; William Cavendish-Bentinck enjoyed no courtesy title until his grandfather succeeded as the ninth Duke in 1980. This was because his grandfather had never been heir apparent to the Dukedom—having inherited it from his brother, the eighth Duke, who in turn had succeeded a third cousin, the seventh Duke—and since baronies, such as that created for his grandfather in 1960, by definition have no lesser title for eldest sons of the holder's eldest son to use as courtesy, nor allow them to enjoy the style of The Honourable. However, once his grandfather became the 9th Duke in 1980, Bentinck took the courtesy title of Marquess of Titchfield since, eldest (and only) son of an eldest (and also only) son, he was heir apparent to his grandfather in the Dukedom, despite not being the ninth Duke's eldest son.

In 1990 Portland succeeded as Duke, becoming William Cavendish-Bentinck, 10th Duke of Portland, with the style of His Grace. He also holds the substantive subsidiary titles of (10th) Marquess of Titchfield, (11th) Earl of Portland, (11th) Viscount Woodstock, (11th) Baron Cirencester, and (2nd) Baron Bentinck of Branksea. The discrepancy in numbering reflects that the barony of Cirencester, the viscountcy of Woodstock, and the earldom of Portland, created in 1689, predate the marquessate and the dukedom, created in 1716 for the first Earl's son, as well as and the barony of Bentinck of Branksea, which was only created in 1960 for the future ninth Duke. Portland's eldest son thus assumed the courtesy title of Marquess of Titchfield, while his younger sons and daughters assumed the titles of Lord and Lady, respectively.

As is customary for peers and their heirs in familiar or casual reference, Portland has been referred to by his title, as a territorial suffix, rather than actual surname, hence the name of "William Portland", which he has adopted professionally since his election to the Commons (see below), similarly to other peers who have been elected to the Commons since 1999, e.g. John Thurso and . Before succeeding to the Dukedom he was similarly known as "William Titchfield", going by this name throughout his active naval service (i.e., Lt Cdr William Titchfield, cf. Captain Harry Wales), even for the two years after he had become duke. Before becoming Marquess he was simply called "William Bentinck", usually dropping the name of Cavendish, as was frequently done in the family.

Title and style as Prime Minister

Portland's succession as Prime Minister while a peer brought to the fore questions of his title and style while in office. Traditionally, peers in such a position, would use unmodified the title and style accorded by their peerage, but such custom was made superfluous by the emergence of the constitutional convention that Prime Ministers should come from the House of Commons, and the fact that few peers in Cabinet were entitled to a style higher than that of The Right Honourable also used by Privy Counsellors. Since entering Cabinet in 2010, Portland had gone by the style of the Rt Hon., and by the name of "William Portland", using Portland as a surname (see above).

Shortly after entering office, it was announced that Portland should, in general use, continue to be addressed as The Rt Hon. William Portland MP, in lieu of any higher title and style and omitting all other postnominals. However, the official recommendation released by the Prime Minister's Office also added that Portland should be addressed for certain "formal diplomatic uses" by the hybrid style of His Grace the Right Honourable The Duke of Portland MP. A small number of other official documents have also used Portland's ducal title during his premiership. He is generally referred to in the British press as "Bill Portland", but in foreign media he is regardless often referred to as "The Duke of Portland".

Furthermore, as a peer, Portland is entitled to be referred to by the style of The Noble Lord during debate in either house of Parliament. This has been rare in the Commons, although used occasionally by MPs, particularly those wishing to draw (negative) attention to his status as a peer.

Naval ranks

• 1979–1981: Acting Sub Lieutenant, Britannia Royal Naval College, HMS Dryad, HMS Ardent;
• 1981–1986: Lieutenant, on HMS Battleaxe; HMS Brazen; HMY Britannia
• 1986–1991: Lieutenant Commander, Pilot, HMS Redpole; Captain, HMS Brazen; Royal Naval College, Greenwich; Equerry to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
• 1991–1999: Commander, Diplomacy Section of the Naval Staff; Inspector of Riverine Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia
• 1999–2010: Captain, Directorate of Naval Operations, British Ministry of Defence

Orders and decorations

Orders

• 15 June 1990 – Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO)
• 1 August 1997 – 31 December 2014 Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) (CB)
  • 31 December 2014 – Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (Civil Division) (KCB)

Decorations and medals

• 1977 Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
• 1982 South Atlantic Medal, with Rosette, and palm for Mentioned in Despatches
• 1987 General Service Medal for Northern Ireland
• 1993 Military Cross
• 1993 United Nations Medal for UNTAC
• 2002 Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal

Appointments

• 1994 Deputy Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire (DL)
• 2000 Deputy Lieutenant of Ayrshire (DL)

Foreign honours

• 2015: Sash of the Order of the Aztec Eagle (Mexico)
• 2017: Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spain)
• 2017: Special Class of the Order of King Abdulaziz (Saudi Arabia)
• 2018: Grand Cordon of the Order of Idris I (Kingdom of Libya)
• 2018: Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín (Argentina)
• 2019: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands)

Ancestry

Ancestors of William Cavendish-Bentinck, 10th Duke of Portland

32. Lord Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck 16 George Cavendish-Bentinck 33. Lady Mary Lowther 8. William George Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck 34. Col. Charles Powell Leslie 17. Prudentia Penelope Leslie 35. Christiana Fosbery 4. Victor Cavendish-Bentinck, 9th Duke of Portland 36. Edward St Maur, 11th Duke of Somerset 18. Ferdinand Seymour, Earl St. Maur 37. Lady Charlotte Douglas-Hamilton 9. Ruth Mary St. Maur 38. 19. Rosina Elizabeth Swan 39. 2. William James Cavendish-Bentinck 40. James Bruce 20. Henry Bruce Quigley 41. Martha Ogburn 10. James Bruce Quigley 42. 21. Ellen Parkham 43. 5. Clothilde Bruce Quigley 22. Bill Williams 11. Margaret Williams 23. Sarah Williams 1. William Cavendish-Bentinck, 10th Duke of Portland 24. 12. Niels Christensen 25. 6. Jens Peder Christensen 13. Karen Marie Christensen 3. Inger Grantzau-Christensen 14. Anders Carlsen 7. Valborg Augusta Grantzau 60. Frederik Wilhelm Grantzau 30. Wilhelm Emanuel Johan Grantzau 61. Sophie Theresia Lye 16. Frederikke Sophie Grantzau 62. Lars Nielsen Aackermann 31. Augusta Oline Aackermann 63. Bodil Kristine ...

Family Tree

Bentinck Family Tree: Earls of Portland, Dukes of Portland and Counts Bentinck

EARL OF PORTLAND, 1689

Hans William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland (1649–1709)

DUKE OF PORTLAND, 1715

COUNT BENTINCK, 1732

Willem Bentinck (1681–1689)

Henry Bentinck, 1st Duke of Portland 2nd Earl of Portland (1682–1726)

William Bentinck, 1st Count Bentinck (1704–1774)

William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland 3rd Earl of Portland (1709–1762)

Christian Frederick Anthony Bentinck (1734–1768)

William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland 4th Earl of Portland (1738–1809) P.M. 1783, 1807–09

William Gustavus Frederic Bentinck, 2nd Count Bentinck (1762–1835)

John Charles Bentinck, 3rd Count Bentinck (1763–1833)

William Henry Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland 5th Earl of Portland (1768–1854)

Lord William Charles Augustus Cavendish-Bentinck (1780–1826)

Lord Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck (1781–1828)

Charles Anthony Ferdinand Bentinck, 4th Count Bentinck (1792–1864)

William Henry Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, Marquess of Titchfield (1796–1824)

William John Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland 6th Earl of Portland (1800–1879)

Arthur Cavendish-Bentinck (1819–1877)

George Augustus Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck (1821–1891)

Henry Charles Adolphus Frederick William Bentinck, 5th Count Bentinck (1846–1903)

William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland 7th Earl of Portland (1857–1943)

William George Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck (1856–1948)

Robert Charles Bentinck, 6th Count Bentinck (1875–1932)

William Arthur Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland 8th Earl of Portland (1893–1977)

Ferdinand William Cavendish-Bentinck, 8th Duke of Portland 9th Earl of Portland (1888–1980)

Victor Frederick William Cavendish-Bentinck, 9th Duke of Portland 10th Earl of Portland (1897–1990)

William James Cavendish-Bentinck (1925–1966)

Henry Noel Bentinck, 7th Count Bentinck (1919–1997)

William Frederick Victor Cavendish-Bentinck, 10th Duke of Portland 11th Earl of Portland (born 1957) P.M. 2016-present

Timothy Charles Robert Noel Bentinck, 8th Count Bentinck (born 1953)

James Charles Hugh Cavendish-Bentinck, Marquess of Titchfield (born 1982)

William Jack Henry Bentinck (born 1984)

Frederick George Louis Cavendish-Bentinck, Viscount Woodstock (born 2020)

Arms

Coat of arms of William Victor Cavendish-Bentinck, 10th Duke of Portland

Notes The title Duke of Portland was created by George I in 1716 . Coronet A Coronet of a Duke Crest Out of a ducal coronet proper two arms counter-embowed vested Gules, on the hands gloves Or, each holding an ostrich feather Argent (Bentinck); A snake nowed proper (Cavendish) Escutcheon Quarterly: 1st and 4th, Azure a cross moline Argent (Bentinck); 2nd and 3rd, Sable three stags' heads cabossed Argent attired Or, a crescent for difference (Cavendish) Supporters Two lions double queued, the dexter Or and the sinister sable Motto Craignez Honte (Fear Dishonour)

Bibliography

Books

Portland, William C. B. (1999). Suez and the End of Empire. London: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521618959.
Portland, William C. B. (2001). The Politics of British Defence Policy, 1979-98. London: Palgrave. ISBN 0333746678.
Portland, William C. B. (2006). At Heaven's Command: The Royal Navy and Britain's Battle to End Slavery. London: Allen Lane, Penguin Press. ISBN 978-0-71399-088-1.
Portland, William C. B.; Tapsell, Victoria (2007). Do-Nothing Politics: What It Is, Why It Exists, and How to Fix It. London: William Collins, HarperCollins. ISBN 9781840467956.

Edited volumes

Portland, William C. B., ed. (2009). Facing the Winds of Change: the foreign policy of the Macmillan government. London: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-137-45644-1. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |authormask= ignored (|author-mask= suggested) (help)

Selected publications

Portland, William C. B.; Freedman, Lawrence D. (May–June 2006). "The Special Relationship, Then and Now". Foreign Affairs. 85 (3). Council on Foreign Relations: 61–74. doi:10.2307/20031967. JSTOR 20031967. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
in The development of British naval thinking : essays in memory of Bryan McLaren Ranft

Notes and references