The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the principal minister of the crown of His Majesty's Government, and the head of the British Cabinet.

There is no specific date for when the office of prime minister first appeared, as the role was not created but rather evolved over time through a merger of duties.[1] The term was regularly, if informally, used by Robert Walpole by the 1730s.[2] It was used in the House of Commons as early as 1805,[3] and it was certainly in parliamentary use by the 1880s,[4] although did not become the official title until 1905, when Henry Campbell-Bannerman was prime minister.

Historians generally consider Robert Walpole, who led the government of the Kingdom of Great Britain for over twenty years from 1721,[5] to be the first prime minister. Walpole is also the longest-serving British prime minister by this definition.[6] The first prime minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was William Pitt the Younger at its creation on 1 January 1801.[7] The first to use the title in an official act was Benjamin Disraeli who signed the 1878 Treaty of Berlin as "Prime Minister of Her Britannic Majesty".[8]

In 1905, the post of prime minister was officially given recognition in the order of precedence,[9] with the incumbent Henry Campbell-Bannerman the first officially referred to as "prime minister". The first prime minister of the current United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland upon its creation in 1922 (when 26 Irish counties seceded and created the Irish Free State) was Andrew Bonar Law,[10] although the country was not renamed officially until 1927, when Stanley Baldwin was the serving prime minister.[11]

The current prime minister is Keir Starmer, who assumed the office on 5 July 2024.

Before the Kingdom of Great Britain

Before the Union of England and Scotland in 1707, the Treasury of England was led by the Lord High Treasurer.[12] By the late Tudor period, the Lord High Treasurer was regarded as one of the Great Officers of State,[12] and was often (though not always) the dominant figure in government: Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (lord high treasurer, 1547–1549),[13] served as lord protector to his young nephew King Edward VI;[13] William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (lord high treasurer, 1572–1598),[14] was the dominant minister to Queen Elizabeth I;[14] Burghley's son Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, succeeded his father as Chief Minister to Elizabeth (1598–1603) and was eventually appointed by King James I as lord high treasurer (1608–1612).[15]

By the late Stuart period, the Treasury was often run not by a single individual (i.e., the lord high treasurer) but by a commission of lords of the Treasury,[16] led by the first lord of the Treasury. The last lords high treasurer, Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin (1702–1710) and Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford (1711–1714),[17] ran the government of Queen Anne.[18]

From 1707 to 1721

Following the succession of George I in 1714, the arrangement of a commission of lords of the Treasury (as opposed to a single lord high treasurer) became permanent.[19] For the next three years, the government was headed by Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend, who was appointed Secretary of State for the Northern Department.[20] Subsequently, Lords Stanhope and Sunderland ran the government jointly,[21] with Stanhope managing foreign affairs and Sunderland domestic.[21] Stanhope died in February 1721 and Sunderland resigned two months later;[21] Townshend and Robert Walpole were then invited to form the next government.[22] From that point, the holder of the office of first lord also usually (albeit unofficially) held the status of prime minister. It was not until the Edwardian era that the title prime minister was constitutionally recognised.[23] The prime minister still holds the office of first lord by constitutional convention,[24] the only exceptions being the Earl of Chatham and the Marquess of Salisbury.[25]

Since 1721

Prime ministers

List of prime ministers of Great Britain or the United Kingdom since 1721
Portrait Prime ministerOffice(lifespan) Term of office Mandate[a] Ministerial offices held as prime minister Party Government MonarchReign
Start End Duration
​ Robert Walpole[26]
  • MP for King's Lynn (to 1742)
  • 1st Earl of Orford (from 1742)[b]
  • (1676–1745)
 3 April 1721 11 February 1742 20 years, 315 days 1722 Whig Walpole–Townshend George Ir. 1714–1727
1727 George IIr. 1727–1760
1734 Walpole
1741
Spencer Compton[27]
  • 1st Earl of Wilmington
  • (1673–1743)
 16 February 1742 2 July 1743 1 year, 137 days[c] —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
 Carteret
Henry Pelham[28]
  • MP for Sussex
  • (1694–1754)
 27 August 1743[d] 6 March 1754[d] 10 years, 192 days[c] — Broad Bottom I
1747 Broad Bottom II
Thomas Pelham-Holles[29]
  • 1st Duke of Newcastle
  • (1693–1768)
 16 March 1754 11 November 1756 2 years, 241 days 1754
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Newcastle I
William Cavendish[30]
  • 4th Duke of Devonshire
  • (1720–1764)
 16 November 1756 29 June 1757 226 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
  • Lord Treasurer of Ireland
 Pitt–Devonshire
1757 Caretaker
Thomas Pelham-Holles[31]
  • 1st Duke of Newcastle
  • (1693–1768)
 29 June 1757 26 May 1762 4 years, 332 days 1761
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Pitt–Newcastle
Bute–Newcastle(Tory–Whig) George IIIr. 1760–1820
John Stuart[32]
  • 3rd Earl of Bute[e]
  • (1713–1792)
 26 May 1762 8 April 1763 318 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Tory Bute
George Grenville[33]
  • MP for Buckingham
  • (1712–1770)
 16 April 1763 10 July 1765 2 years, 86 days — Whig(Grenvillite) Grenville(mainly Whig)
Charles Watson-Wentworth[34]
  • 2nd Marquess of Rockingham
  • (1730–1782)
 13 July 1765 30 July 1766 1 year, 18 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Whig(Rockinghamite) Rockingham I
William Pitt the Elder[35]
  • MP for Bath (to 1766)
  • 1st Earl of Chatham (from 1766)[f]
  • (1708–1778)
 30 July 1766 14 October 1768 2 years, 77 days 1768 Whig(Chathamite) Chatham
Augustus FitzRoy[36]
  • 3rd Duke of Grafton
  • (1735–1811)
 14 October 1768 28 January 1770 1 year, 107 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Grafton
Frederick North[37]
  • Lord North
  • MP for Banbury[g]
  • (1732–1792)
 28 January 1770 27 March 1782 12 years, 59 days 1774 Tory(Northite) North
1780
Charles Watson-Wentworth[34]
  • 2nd Marquess of Rockingham
  • (1730–1782)
 27 March 1782 1 July 1782 97 days[c] —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
 Whig(Rockinghamite) Rockingham II
William Petty[38]
  • 2nd Earl of Shelburne
  • (1737–1805)
 4 July 1782 26 March 1783 266 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Whig(Chathamite) Shelburne
William Cavendish-Bentinck[39]
  • 3rd Duke of Portland
  • (1738–1809)
 2 April 1783 18 December 1783 261 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Whig Fox–North
William Pitt the Younger[40]
  • MP for Appleby, later Cambridge University[h]
  • (1759–1806)
 19 December 1783 14 March 1801 17 years, 86 days 1784 Tory(Pittite) Pitt I
1790
1796
Henry Addington[41]
  • MP for Devizes
  • (1757–1844)
 17 March 1801 10 May 1804 3 years, 55 days 1801 Tory(Addingtonian) Addington
1802
William Pitt the Younger[42]
  • MP for Cambridge University
  • (1759–1806)
 10 May 1804 23 January 1806 1 year, 259 days[c] — Tory(Pittite) Pitt II
William Grenville[43]
  • 1st Baron Grenville
  • (1759–1834)
 11 February 1806 25 March 1807 1 year, 43 days 1806
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Whig All the Talents(Whig–Tory)
William Cavendish-Bentinck[44]
  • 3rd Duke of Portland
  • (1738–1809)
 31 March 1807 4 October 1809 2 years, 188 days 1807
  • First Lord of the Treasury
 Tory(Pittite) Portland II
Spencer Perceval[45]
  • MP for Northampton
  • (1762–1812)
 4 October 1809 11 May 1812 2 years, 221 days[c] —
  • Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
  • Chancellor of the Exchequer
  • Commissioner of the Treasury for Ireland (1810–1812)
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons
 Perceval
Robert Jenkinson[46]
  • 2nd Earl of Liverpool
  • (1770–1828)
 8 June 1812 9 April 1827 14 years, 306 days 1812
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Liverpool
1818 George IVr. 1820–1830
1820
1826
George Canning[47]
  • MP for Seaford
  • (1770–1827)
 12 April 1827 8 August 1827 119 days[c] — Tory(Canningite) Canning(Canningite–Whig)
Frederick John Robinson[48]
  • 1st Viscount Goderich
  • (1782–1859)
 31 August 1827 8 January 1828 131 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Tory(Canningite) Goderich
Arthur Wellesley[49] 22 January 1828 16 November 1830 2 years, 299 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Tory Wellington–Peel
(1830) William IVr. 1830–1837
Charles Grey[50]
  • 2nd Earl Grey
  • (1764–1845)
 22 November 1830 9 July 1834 3 years, 230 days 1831
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Whig Grey
1832
William Lamb[51]
  • 2nd Viscount Melbourne
  • (1779–1848)
 16 July 1834 14 November 1834 122 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Melbourne I
Arthur Wellesley[52] 17 November 1834 9 December 1834 23 days (—)
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
  • Sec. of State for Foreign Affairs
  • Sec. of State for the Home Dept
  • Sec. of State for War & Colonies
 Tory Wellington Caretaker
Robert Peel[53]
  • Baronet
  • MP for Tamworth
  • (1788–1850)
 10 December 1834 8 April 1835 120 days (—) Conservative Peel I
William Lamb[54]
  • 2nd Viscount Melbourne
  • (1779–1848)
 18 April 1835 30 August 1841 6 years, 135 days 1835
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Whig Melbourne II
1837 Victoriar. 1837–1901
Robert Peel[53]
  • Baronet
  • MP for Tamworth
  • (1788–1850)
 30 August 1841 29 June 1846 4 years, 304 days 1841
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons
 Conservative Peel II
Lord John Russell[55]
  • MP for City of London
  • (1792–1878)
 30 June 1846 21 February 1852 5 years, 237 days (1847)
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons
 Whig Russell I
Edward Smith-Stanley[56]
  • 14th Earl of Derby
  • (1799–1869)
 23 February 1852 17 December 1852 299 days 1852
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Conservative Who? Who?
George Hamilton-Gordon[57]
  • 4th Earl of Aberdeen
  • (1784–1860)
 19 December 1852 30 January 1855 2 years, 43 days (—)
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Peelite Aberdeen(Peelite–Whig–others)
Henry John Temple[58]
  • 3rd Viscount Palmerston
  • MP for Tiverton[i]
  • (1784–1865)
 6 February 1855 19 February 1858 3 years, 14 days 1857
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons
 Whig Palmerston I
Edward Smith-Stanley[59]
  • 14th Earl of Derby
  • (1799–1869)
 20 February 1858 11 June 1859 1 year, 112 days (—)
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Conservative Derby–Disraeli II
Henry John Temple[60]
  • 3rd Viscount Palmerston
  • MP for Tiverton[i]
  • (1784–1865)
 12 June 1859 18 October 1865 6 years, 129 days[c] 1859
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons
 Liberal Palmerston II
1865
John Russell[55]
  • 1st Earl Russell
  • (1792–1878)
 29 October 1865 26 June 1866 241 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Russell II
Edward Smith-Stanley[61]
  • 14th Earl of Derby
  • (1799–1869)
 28 June 1866 25 February 1868 1 year, 243 days (—)
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Lords
 Conservative Derby–Disraeli III
Benjamin Disraeli[62]
  • MP for Buckinghamshire
  • (1804–1881)
  • Premierships
 27 February 1868 1 December 1868 279 days (—)
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons
William Ewart Gladstone[63]
  • MP for Greenwich
  • (1809–1898)
  • Premierships
 3 December 1868 17 February 1874 5 years, 77 days 1868 Liberal Gladstone I
Benjamin Disraeli[64]
  • MP for Buckinghamshire (to 1876)
  • Earl of Beaconsfield (from 1876)[j]
  • (1804–1881)
  • Premierships
 20 February 1874 21 April 1880 6 years, 62 days 1874
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons (1874–1876)
  • Leader of the House of Lords (1876–1880)
  • Lord Privy Seal (1876–1878)
 Conservative Disraeli II
William Ewart Gladstone[65]
  • MP for Midlothian
  • (1809–1898)
  • Premierships
 23 April 1880 9 June 1885 5 years, 48 days 1880 Liberal Gladstone II
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil[66]
  • 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
  • (1830–1903)
 23 June 1885 28 January 1886 220 days (—)
  • Leader of the House of Lords
  • Sec. of State for Foreign Affairs
 Conservative Salisbury I
William Ewart Gladstone[65]
  • MP for Midlothian
  • (1809–1898)
  • Premierships
 1 February 1886 20 July 1886 170 days (1885) Liberal Gladstone III
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil[67]
  • 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
  • (1830–1903)
 25 July 1886 11 August 1892 6 years, 18 days (1886)
  • First Lord of the Treasury (1886–1887)
  • Leader of the House of Lords
  • Sec. of State for Foreign Affairs (1887–1892)
 Conservative Salisbury II
William Ewart Gladstone[65]
  • MP for Midlothian
  • (1809–1898)
  • Premierships
 15 August 1892 2 March 1894 1 year, 200 days (1892) Liberal Gladstone IV
Archibald Primrose[68]
  • 5th Earl of Rosebery
  • (1847–1929)
 5 March 1894 22 June 1895 1 year, 110 days (—) Rosebery
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil[69]
  • 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
  • (1830–1903)
 25 June 1895 11 July 1902 7 years, 17 days 1895
  • Leader of the House of Lords
  • Lord Privy Seal (1900–1902)
  • Sec. of State for Foreign Affairs (1895–1900)
 Conservative Salisbury III(Con–Lib.U)
1900 Salisbury IV(Con–Lib.U)
Edward VIIr. 1901–1910
Arthur Balfour[70]
  • MP for Manchester East
  • (1848–1930)
 12 July 1902 4 December 1905 3 years, 146 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons
  • Lord Privy Seal (1902–1903)
 Balfour(Con–Lib.U)
Henry Campbell-Bannerman[71]
  • MP for Stirling Burghs
  • (1836–1908)
 5 December 1905 3 April 1908 2 years, 121 days 1906
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons
 Liberal Campbell-Bannerman
H. H. Asquith[72]
  • MP for East Fife
  • (1852–1928)
 8 April 1908 5 December 1916 8 years, 243 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons
  • Sec. of State for War (1914)
 Asquith I
(Jan.1910) Asquith II George Vr. 1910–1936
(Dec.1910) Asquith III
(—) Asquith Coalition(Lib–Con–others)
David Lloyd George[73]
  • MP for Carnarvon Boroughs
  • (1863–1945)
 6 December 1916 19 October 1922 5 years, 318 days (—)
  • First Lord of the Treasury
 Lloyd George War
1918 Lloyd George II(Lib–Con)
Bonar Law[74]
  • MP for Glasgow Central
  • (1858–1923)
 23 October 1922 20 May 1923 210 days 1922
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons
 Conservative(Scot.U.) Law
Stanley Baldwin[75]
  • MP for Bewdley
  • (1867–1947)
 22 May 1923 22 January 1924 246 days — Conservative Baldwin I
Ramsay MacDonald[76]
  • MP for Aberavon
  • (1866–1937)
 22 January 1924 4 November 1924 288 days (1923)
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons
  • Sec. of State for Foreign Affairs
 Labour MacDonald I
Stanley Baldwin[77]
  • MP for Bewdley
  • (1867–1947)
 4 November 1924 4 June 1929 4 years, 213 days 1924
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons
 Conservative Baldwin II
Ramsay MacDonald[78]
  • MP for Seaham
  • (1866–1937)
 5 June 1929 7 June 1935 6 years, 3 days (1929)
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons
 Labour MacDonald II
(—) National Labour National I(Nat.Lab–Con–others)
1931 National II
​ Stanley Baldwin[79]
  • MP for Bewdley
  • (1867–1947)
 7 June 1935 28 May 1937 1 year, 356 days 1935
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons
 Conservative National III
Edward VIIIr. 1936
George VIr. 1936–1952
Neville Chamberlain[80]
  • MP for Birmingham Edgbaston
  • (1869–1940)
 28 May 1937 10 May 1940 2 years, 349 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons
 National IV
Chamberlain War
Winston Churchill[81]
  • MP for Epping
  • (1874–1965)
 10 May 1940 26 July 1945 5 years, 78 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Leader of the House of Commons (1940–1942)
  • Minister of Defence
 Churchill War
Churchill Caretaker(Con–Nat.Lib)
Clement Attlee[82]
  • MP for Limehouse
  • (1883–1967)
 26 July 1945 26 October 1951 6 years, 93 days 1945
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister of Defence (1945–1946)
 Labour Attlee I
1950 Attlee II
Winston Churchill[83]
  • MP for Woodford
  • (1874–1965)
 26 October 1951 5 April 1955 3 years, 162 days 1951
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister of Defence (1951–1952)
 Conservative Churchill III
Elizabeth IIr. 1952–2022
Anthony Eden[84]
  • MP for Warwick and Leamington
  • (1897–1977)
 6 April 1955 9 January 1957 1 year, 279 days 1955
  • First Lord of the Treasury
 Eden
Harold Macmillan[85]
  • MP for Bromley
  • (1894–1986)
 10 January 1957 18 October 1963 6 years, 282 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
 Macmillan I
1959 Macmillan II
Alec Douglas-Home[86]
  • 14th Earl of Home (to 1963)
  • MP for Kinross and Western Perthshire (from 1963)[k]
  • (1903–1995)
 19 October 1963 16 October 1964 364 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
 Conservative(Scot.U.) Douglas-Home
Harold Wilson[87]
  • MP for Huyton
  • (1916–1995)
Premiership 		16 October 1964 19 June 1970 5 years, 247 days 1964
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister for the Civil Service (1968–1970)
 Labour Wilson I
1966 Wilson II
Edward Heath[88]
  • MP for Bexley
  • (1916–2005)
 19 June 1970 4 March 1974 3 years, 259 days 1970
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister for the Civil Service
 Conservative Heath
Harold Wilson[87]
  • MP for Huyton
  • (1916–1995)
Premiership 		4 March 1974 5 April 1976 2 years, 33 days (Feb.1974)
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister for the Civil Service
 Labour Wilson III
Oct.1974 Wilson IV
James Callaghan[89]
  • MP for Cardiff South East
  • (1912–2005)
 5 April 1976 4 May 1979 3 years, 30 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister for the Civil Service
 Callaghan
Margaret Thatcher[90]
  • MP for Finchley
  • (1925–2013)
  • Premiership
 4 May 1979 28 November 1990 11 years, 209 days 1979
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister for the Civil Service
 Conservative Thatcher I
1983 Thatcher II
1987 Thatcher III
John Major[91]
  • MP for Huntingdon
  • (born 1943)
  • Premiership
 28 November 1990 2 May 1997 6 years, 156 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister for the Civil Service
 Major I
1992 Major II
Tony Blair[92]
  • MP for Sedgefield
  • (born 1953)
  • Premiership
 2 May 1997 27 June 2007 10 years, 57 days 1997
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister for the Civil Service
 Labour Blair I
2001 Blair II
2005 Blair III
Gordon Brown[93]
  • MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath
  • (born 1951)
  • Premiership
 27 June 2007 11 May 2010 2 years, 319 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister for the Civil Service
 Brown
David Cameron[94]
  • MP for Witney
  • (born 1966)
  • Premiership
 11 May 2010 13 July 2016 6 years, 64 days (2010)
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister for the Civil Service
 Conservative Cameron–Clegg(Con–Lib.Dem)
2015 Cameron II
Theresa May[95]
  • MP for Maidenhead
  • (born 1956)
  • Premiership
 13 July 2016 24 July 2019 3 years, 12 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister for the Civil Service
 May I
(2017) May II
(DUP confidence & supply)
Boris Johnson[96]
  • MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip
  • (born 1964)
  • Premiership
 24 July 2019 6 September 2022 3 years, 45 days (—)
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister for the Civil Service
  • Minister for the Union
 Johnson I
(DUP confidence & supply)
2019 Johnson II
Liz Truss[97]
  • MP for South West Norfolk
  • (born 1975)
  • Premiership
 6 September 2022 25 October 2022 50 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister for the Civil Service
  • Minister for the Union
 Truss
Charles IIIr. 2022–present
Rishi Sunak[98]
  • MP for Richmond (Yorks)
  • (born 1980)
  • Premiership
 25 October 2022 5 July 2024 1 year, 255 days —
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister for the Civil Service
  • Minister for the Union
 Sunak
Keir Starmer[99]
  • MP for Holborn and St Pancras
  • (born 1962)
  • Premiership
 5 July 2024 Incumbent 1 year, 257 days 2024
  • First Lord of the Treasury
  • Minister for the Civil Service
  • Minister for the Union
 Labour Starmer

Living former prime ministers

Currently, there are eight living former prime ministers of the United Kingdom. The most recent death of a former prime minister was that of Margaret Thatcher (1979–1990) on 8 April 2013.

Disputed prime ministers

Due to the gradual evolution of the post of prime minister, the title is applied to early prime ministers only retrospectively;[23] this has sometimes given rise to academic dispute. William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath, and James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave, are sometimes listed as prime ministers.[100] Bath was invited to form a ministry by George II when Henry Pelham resigned in 1746,[101] as was Waldegrave in 1757 after the dismissal of William Pitt the Elder,[102] who dominated the affairs of government during the Seven Years' War. Neither was able to command sufficient parliamentary support to form a government; Bath stepped down after two days[100] and Waldegrave after four.[102] Modern academic consensus does not consider either man to have held office as prime minister;[103] they are therefore listed separately.

List of disputed prime ministers of the United Kingdom since 1721
Portrait Prime ministerOffice(lifespan) Term of office Mandate[a] Ministerial offices held as prime minister Party Government MonarchReign
Start End Duration
​ William Pulteney 
  • 1st Earl of Bath
  • (1684–1764)
 10 February 1746 12 February 1746 3 days –
  • First Lord of the Treasury
 Whig Short-lived George IIr. 1727–1760
James Waldegrave 
  • 2nd Earl Waldegrave
  • (1715–1763)
 8 June 1757 12 June 1757 5 days –
  • First Lord of the Treasury
 Waldegrave

List notes

  1. Legend for the Mandate column:
    1722 a year
    indicates a general election won by the government or that led to the formation of a government (the year links to the election's article);
    (1830) a parenthesised year
    indicates an election resulting in no single party winning a Commons majority (the year links to the election's article);
    — a dash
    indicates the formation of a majority government without an election;
    (—) a parenthesised dash
    indicates the formation of a minority or coalition government during a hung parliament.
  2. Walpole was made a peer five days before his resignation as Prime Minister (6 February) and thus relinquished his seat in the House of Commons.
  3. Died in office
  4. Resigned on 10 February 1746, reappointed by George II on 12 February 1746.
  5. As a peer of Scotland, Lord Bute sat in the House of Lords as a Scottish representative peer.
  6. Pitt served as a Member of Parliament for the first five days of his premiership (30 July – 4 August 1766). He relinquished his Commons seat in order to take the office of Lord Privy Seal, which required his elevation to the House of Lords.
  7. Lord North was the heir to an earldom and himself a commoner while using the courtesy title.
  8. Pitt was returned an MP for a different constituency in the 1784 British general election.
  9. As a peer of Ireland, Lord Palmerston sat in the House of Commons as a Member of Parliament for an English constituency which was enabled by the Acts of Union 1800.
  10. Disraeli was elevated to the House of Lords in 1876, two years into his second premiership. Consequently, he relinquished his Commons seat as MP for Buckinghamshire.
  11. Douglas-Home disclaimed his peerage as the Earl of Home on 23 October 1963, 4 days after his appointment as Prime Minister. He was returned an MP and took his seat in the House of Commons on 12 November 1963. He had no seats in either of the Houses of Parliament between the two dates.

Timeline

See also

References

Citations

  1. Hennessy 2001, pp. 39–40.
  2. "Walpole, Robert, first earl of Orford (1676–1745), prime minister". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/28601. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
  3. Castlereagh 1805.
  4. Eardley-Wilmot 1885; Macfarlane 1885.
  5. Clarke 1999, p. 266; Hennessy 2001, pp. 39–40.
  6. BBC News 1998.
  7. Burt 1874, p. 106; Castlereagh 1805.
  8. Bogdanor 1997.
  9. Marriott 1923, p. 83.
  10. Law 1922.
  11. Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927.
  12. Chisholm 1911f.
  13. Pollard 1904.
  14. Chisholm 1911a.
  15. Chisholm 1911c.
  16. Chapman 2002.
  17. Fisher Russell Barker 1890; Stephen 1890.
  18. Morrill 2018.
  19. Chapman 2002, p. 15.
  20. McMullen Rigg 1899.
  21. Chisholm 1911d; Chisholm 1911e.
  22. Chisholm 1911b; McMullen Rigg 1899.
  23. Leonard 2010, p. 1.
  24. UK Government 2013.
  25. Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, p. 413; Locker-Lampson 1907, p. 497.
  26. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, pp. 1, 5; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 1–5; Pryde et al. 1996, pp. 45–46.
  27. Cook & Stevenson 1988, p. 41; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 14; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 7–10; Jones & Jones 1986, p. 222.
  28. Cook & Stevenson 1988, pp. 41–42; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 17; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 11–15.
  29. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 28; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 16–21.
  30. Cook & Stevenson 1988, p. 44; Courthope 1838, p. 19; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 34; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 23–26; Schumann & Schweizer 2012, p. 143.
  31. Cook & Stevenson 1980, p. 11; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 28; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 16–21; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 46; Tout 1910, p. 740.
  32. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 36; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 28–31; Jones & Jones 1986, p. 223; Tout 1910, p. 740.
  33. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 42; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 33–35; Tout 1910, p. 740.
  34. The British Magazine and Review 1782, p. 79; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, pp. 46, 50; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 39–43.
  35. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 54; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 45–50; Kebbel 1864, p. 143; Venning 2005, p. 93.
  36. Courthope 1838, p. 9; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 61; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 52–56; Venning 2005, p. 93; Vincitorio 1968, p. 156.
  37. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 64; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 58–62; Whiteley 1996, p. 24.
  38. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 73; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 64–68; Venning 2005, p. 93.
  39. Cook & Stevenson 1980, p. 11; Courthope 1838, p. 25; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 77; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 69–74; Venning 2005, p. 93.
  40. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 85; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 75–78; Evans 2008, p. 4.
  41. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 94; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 83–85; Styles 1829, p. 266.
  42. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 85; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 75–77; Evans 2008, p. 4.
  43. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 98; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 90–92; Tout 1910, p. 740.
  44. Courthope 1838, p. 25; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 77; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 69–74; Evans 2008, p. 4.
  45. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 101; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 98–101; Evans 2008, p. 4.
  46. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 106; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 104–108; Evans 2008, p. 4; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 47.
  47. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, pp. 116, 133; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 110–115.
  48. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, pp. 120, 133; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 118–120.
  49. Courthope 1838, p. 33; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 123; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 124–130; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 47; Shaw 1906, p. 447; Tout 1910, p. 740.
  50. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 128; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 133–139.
  51. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 136; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 141–143.
  52. Courthope 1838, p. 33; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 123; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 124–130; Evans 2001, p. 471; Mahon & Cardwell 1856, p. 17; Shaw 1906, p. 447.
  53. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 142; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 148–153.
  54. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 136; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 141–145; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 47.
  55. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 151; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 155–160.
  56. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 161; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 162–164.
  57. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, pp. 159, 167; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 169–174; Royal Society of Edinburgh 2006, p. 375; Tout 1910, p. 741.
  58. Disraeli 1855; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 174; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 177–184; Royal Society 2007, p. 349.
  59. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 161; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 162–164; Tout 1910, p. 741.
  60. Balfour 1910; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 174; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 177–184; Royal Society 2007, p. 349.
  61. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 161; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 162–167; Tout 1910, p. 741.
  62. Disraeli 1868; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 183; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 187–189; Tout 1910, p. 741.
  63. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 196; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 195–198; Royal Statistical Society 1892, p. 9.
  64. Chamberlain 1884; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 183; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 187–192.
  65. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 196; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 195–202; Royal Statistical Society 1892, p. 9.
  66. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 213; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 205–210; Mosley 2003, p. 3505.
  67. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 213; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 205–210; Locker-Lampson 1907, p. 497; Mosley 2003, p. 3505; Sandys 1910, p. 287.
  68. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 222; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 212–215.
  69. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, pp. 213, 221; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 205–210; Mosley 2003, p. 3505; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 47; Sandys 1910, p. 287.
  70. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 231; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 217–221; Mosley 1999, p. 173; Tout 1910, p. 741.
  71. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 239; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 223–227.
  72. Butler & Butler 2010, p. 5; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 244; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 229–235; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 48.
  73. Butler & Butler 2010, pp. 6–9; The Constitutional Yearbook 1919, p. 42; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 252; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 237–243.
  74. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 262; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 246–248; Scully 2018.
  75. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 273; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 253–255; Mosley 1999, p. 172.
  76. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 281; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 262–264.
  77. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 273; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 253–259; Mosley 1999, p. 172.
  78. Butler & Butler 2010, p. 13; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 281; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 262–268.
  79. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 273; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 253–259; Mosley 1999, p. 172; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 48.
  80. The Annual Register 1941, p. 11; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 289; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 270–274.
  81. The Annual Register 1946, p. 11; Butler & Butler 2010, pp. 17–21, 77; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 295; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 276–282; The London Gazette 1924.
  82. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 305; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 284–289.
  83. BBC On This Day 2005; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 295; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 276–282; The London Gazette 1924; Mosley 1999, p. 1868; Pryde et al. 1996, p. 48.
  84. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 315; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 291–295.
  85. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 320; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 297–303.
  86. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 329; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 306–310; Scully 2018.
  87. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 333; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 313–320.
  88. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 343; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 322–328; UK Parliament 2005a.
  89. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 350; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 331–333; UK Parliament 2005b.
  90. Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 358; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 340–347; UK Parliament 2013.
  91. Butler & Butler 2010, p. 61; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 384; Englefield, Seaton & White 1995, pp. 350–352.
  92. Butler & Butler 2010, pp. 61, 270; Eccleshall & Walker 2002, p. 392; Seldon 2007, pp. 77, 371, 647; UK Parliament 2017b.
  93. Butler & Butler 2010, pp. 61, 86; UK Parliament 2012.
  94. Butler & Butler 2010, pp. 61, 65; Lee & Beech 2011; Royal Communications 2016; Wheeler 2016.
  95. BBC News 2017; Stamp 2016; UK Parliament 2017a.
  96. BBC News 2019; Kuenssberg 2019; UK Parliament 2022.
  97. BBC News 2022a; Nevett & Whannel 2022; UK Parliament 2024a.
  98. BBC News 2022b; Nevett 2022; UK Parliament 2024b.
  99. BBC News 2024c; UK Parliament 2024e.
  100. Carpenter 1992, p. 37.
  101. Leonard 2010, p. 47.
  102. Leonard 2010, p. 65.
  103. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2011.

Works cited

Further reading