The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom and the Head of Her Majesty's Government. The office holder is responsible for selecting all other members of the government, chairing Cabinet meetings and deciding when to call a new general election for the House of Commons.[1][2] The Prime Minister can also make appointments to senior positions in the Church of England, appoint judges and propose the creation of new life peers.[3]
There is no specific date when the office of Prime Minister first appeared, as the role was not created but evolved over a period of time.[4] However, modern historians generally apply the title of "First" Prime Minister to Sir Robert Walpole, who led the country for 21 years from 1721 to 1742.[5][6] As of 2008[update], Walpole is the longest serving Prime Minister of the country.[7]
Early Prime Ministers were appointed to a large extent on the whim of the reigning Monarch. Kings were able and often willing to overrule Parliament's attempts to remove a Prime Minister, as in the case of George III refusing to accept calls for the resignation of William Pitt "the Younger" after successive defeats in 1784 during the early months of his premiership.[8] Over time the strength of Parliament has waxed as the Monarch's has waned.[9] The only requirement of eligibility for a modern Prime Minister is to command a majority of the seats in the House of Commons, meaning that the Prime Minister is the leader of the largest party or largest coalition of parties within the House.[2] No Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has ever lost an election in their own constituency.
As of November 2008[update], the office is held by Gordon Brown, the current Leader of the Labour Party.[10]
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Colour key
(for political parties)
Whig Tory Conservative Peelite/Whig Liberal Labour National Labour
The title "Prime Minister" was first used in the Kingdom of Great Britain as a term of abuse for Robert Harley, a leading politician during the reign of Queen Anne.[11] However, modern historians generally apply the title of "First" Prime Minister to Sir Robert Walpole who was appointed by King George I in 1721.[7]
Portrait | Name | Entered office | Left office | Political party | Other ministerial offices held while Prime Minister | Monarchs served | Birth Place | Refs | |
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Sir Robert Walpole | 4 April 1721 | 11 February 1742 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons |
George I, George II |
Houghton, Norfolk, England | [12][7] | |
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The Earl of Wilmington | 16 February 1742 | 2 July 1743 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury | George II | Compton Wynyates House, Warwickshire, England | [13] | |
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Henry Pelham | 27 August 1743 | 6 March 1754 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons |
George II | Laughton, East Sussex, England | [14] | |
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The Duke of Newcastle (1st ministry) |
16 March 1754 | 16 November 1756 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
George II | London, England | [13] | |
The Duke of Devonshire | 16 November 1756 | 25 June 1757 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
George II | Britain | [13] | ||
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The Duke of Newcastle (2nd ministry) |
2 July 1757 | 26 May 1762 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
George II, George III |
London, England | [13] | |
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The Earl of Bute | 26 May 1762 | 8 April 1763 | Tory | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
George III | Edinburgh, Scotland | [15] | |
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George Grenville | 16 April 1763 | 13 July 1765 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons |
George III | Westminster, London, England | [16] | |
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The Marquess of Rockingham (1st ministry) |
13 July 1765 | 30 July 1766 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
George III | Wentworth Woodhouse, South Yorkshire, England | [17] | |
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The Earl of Chatham, "William Pitt the Elder" | 30 July 1766 | 14 October 1768 | Whig | Lord Privy Seal | George III | Westminster, London, England | [18] | |
The Duke of Grafton | 14 October 1768 | 28 January 1770 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
George III | Britain | [19] | ||
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Lord North | 28 January 1770 | 22 March 1782 | Tory | First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons |
George III | Piccadilly, London, England | [20] | |
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The Marquess of Rockingham (2nd ministry) |
27 March 1782 | 1 July 1782 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
George III | Wentworth Woodhouse, South Yorkshire, England | [13] | |
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The Earl of Shelburne | 4 July 1782 | 2 April 1783 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
George III | Dublin, Ireland | [13] | |
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The Duke of Portland (1st ministry) |
2 April 1783 | 19 December 1783 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
George III | Nottinghamshire, England | [13] | |
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William Pitt the Younger (1st ministry) |
19 December 1783 | 14 March 1801 | Tory | First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons |
George III | Hayes, Kent, England | [21] |
The 19th century began with the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland following the Act of Union between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland. As the century progressed, the power of Parliament increased; the Great Reform Act of 1832 led to a doubling of the number of eligible voters. Against the increasing electoral mandate of Parliament, the ability of the Monarch to influence the decisions of the Prime Minister was much reduced.[9]
Portrait | Name | Entered office | Left office | Political party | Other ministerial offices held while Prime Minister | Monarchs served | Birth Place | Refs | |
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Henry Addington | 17 March 1801 | 10 May 1804 | Tory | First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons |
George III | Holborn, London, England | [13] | |
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William Pitt the Younger (2nd ministry) |
10 May 1804 | 23 January 1806 | Tory | First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons |
George III | Hayes, Kent, England | [13] | |
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The Lord Grenville | 11 February 1806 | 31 March 1807 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
George III | Wotton House, Wotton Underwood, Buckinhamshire, England | [13] | |
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The Duke of Portland (2nd ministry) |
31 March 1807 | 4 October 1809 | Tory | First Lord of the Treasury | George III | Nottinghamshire, England | [13] | |
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Spencer Perceval | 4 October 1809 | 11 May 1812 | Tory | First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster & Leader of the House of Commons |
George III | Audley Square, London, England | [22] | |
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Lord Liverpool | 8 June 1812 | 9 April 1827 | Tory | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
George III, George IV |
London, England | [23] | |
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George Canning | 10 April 1827 | 8 August 1827 | Tory | First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons |
George IV | Queen Anne Street, Marylebone, London, England | [13] | |
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The Viscount Goderich | 31 August 1827 | 21 January 1828 | Tory | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
George IV | London, England | [13] | |
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The Duke of Wellington (1st ministry) |
22 January 1828 | 16 November 1830 | Tory | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
George IV, William IV |
Ireland | [13] | |
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The Earl Grey | 22 November 1830 | 9 July 1834 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
William IV | Fallodon, Northumberland, England | [24] | |
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The Viscount Melbourne (1st ministry) |
16 July 1834 | 14 November 1834 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
William IV | London, England | [25] | |
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The Duke of Wellington (2nd ministry) |
14 November 1834 | 10 December 1834 | Tory | First Lord of the Treasury, Secretary of State for the Home Department, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies & Leader of the House of Lords |
William IV | Ireland | [26] | |
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Sir Robert Peel (1st ministry) |
10 December 1834 | 8 April 1835 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons |
William IV | Bury, Lancashire, England | [27][28] | |
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The Viscount Melbourne (2nd ministry) |
18 April 1835 | 30 August 1841 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
William IV, Victoria |
London, England | [29] | |
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Sir Robert Peel (2nd ministry) |
30 August 1841 | 29 June 1846 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons |
Victoria | Bury, Lancashire, England | [30] | |
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The Lord John Russell (1st ministry) (afterwards PM as Earl Russell) |
30 June 1846 | 21 February 1852 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons |
Victoria | London, England | [31] | |
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The Earl of Derby (1st ministry) |
23 February 1852 | 17 December 1852 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
Victoria | Knowsley Hall, Merseyside, Lancashire, England | [32] | |
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The Earl of Aberdeen | 19 December 1852 | 30 January 1855 | Peelite/Whig | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
Victoria | Edinburgh, Scotland | [33] | |
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The Viscount Palmerston (1st ministry) |
6 February 1855 | 19 February 1858 | Whig | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons |
Victoria | Westminster, London, England | [34] | |
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The Earl of Derby (2nd ministry) |
20 February 1858 | 11 June 1859 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
Victoria | Knowsley Hall, Merseyside, Lancashire, England | [35] | |
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The Viscount Palmerston (2nd ministry) |
12 June 1859 | 18 October 1865 | Liberal | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons |
Victoria | Westminster, London, England | [36] | |
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The Earl Russell (2nd ministry) (previously PM as Lord John Russell) |
29 October 1865 | 26 June 1866 | Liberal | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
Victoria | London, England | [37] | |
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The Earl of Derby (3rd ministry) |
28 June 1866 | 25 February 1868 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords |
Victoria | Knowsley Hall, Merseyside, Lancashire, England | [38] | |
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Benjamin Disraeli (1st ministry) |
27 February 1868 | 1 December 1868 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons |
Victoria | London, England | [39] | |
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William Ewart Gladstone (1st ministry) |
3 December 1868 | 17 February 1874 | Liberal | First Lord of the Treasury, Leader of the House of Commons & Chancellor of the Exchequer (1873–1874) |
Victoria | Liverpool, Merseyside, Lancashire, England | [40] | |
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Benjamin Disraeli (2nd ministry) (from 1876 as Earl of Beaconsfield) |
20 February 1874 | 21 April 1880 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury, Leader of the House of Commons (1874–1876), Lord Privy Seal (1876–1878) & Leader of the House of Lords (1876–1880) |
Victoria | London, England | [41] | |
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William Ewart Gladstone (2nd ministry) |
23 April 1880 | 9 June 1885 | Liberal | First Lord of the Treasury, Leader of the House of Commons & Chancellor of the Exchequer (1880–1882) |
Victoria | Liverpool, Merseyside, Lancashire, England | [42] | |
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The Marquess of Salisbury (1st ministry) |
23 June 1885 | 28 January 1886 | Conservative | Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs & Leader of the House of Lords |
Victoria | Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England | [43] | |
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William Ewart Gladstone (3rd ministry) |
1 February 1886 | 20 July 1886 | Liberal | First Lord of the Treasury, Lord Privy Seal & Leader of the House of Commons |
Victoria | Liverpool, Merseyside, Lancashire, England | [44] | |
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The Marquess of Salisbury (2nd ministry) |
25 July 1886 | 11 August 1892 | Conservative | Leader of the House of Lords, First Lord of the Treasury (1886–1887) & Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1887–1892) |
Victoria | Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England | [45] | |
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William Ewart Gladstone (4th ministry) |
15 August 1892 | 2 March 1894 | Liberal | First Lord of the Treasury, Lord Privy Seal & Leader of the House of Commons |
Victoria | Liverpool, Merseyside, Lancashire, England | [46] | |
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The Earl of Rosebery | 5 March 1894 | 22 June 1895 | Liberal | First Lord of the Treasury, Lord President of the Council & Leader of the House of Lords |
Victoria | Berkeley Square, London, England | [47] | |
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The Marquess of Salisbury (3rd ministry) |
25 June 1895 | 11 July 1902 | Conservative | Leader of the House of Lords, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1895–1900) & Lord Privy Seal (1900–1902) |
Victoria, Edward VII |
Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England | [48] |
Though the head of the government had been referred to as "Prime Minister" since the 18th century, it wasn't until 1917 that the title was first recognised in legislation.[49] The Chequers Estate Act, passed on 20 December 1917, designated Chequers as the "official country residence of the British Prime Minister".[50]
The jurisdiction of the Parliament of the United Kingdom changed in 1922 when, following the Anglo-Irish War, 26 counties in Ireland seceded from the United Kingdom, forming the Irish Free State.[51] The other six counties, in the northeast region of Ireland, remained in the Union, becoming Northern Ireland.[51] The official name of the United Kingdom became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1927.[52]
Portrait | Name | Entered office | Left office | Political party | Other ministerial offices held while Prime Minister | Monarchs served | Birth Place | Refs | |
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Arthur Balfour | 11 July 1902 | 5 December 1905 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons |
Edward VII | Whittingehame, East Lothian, Scotland | [13] | |
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Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman | 5 December 1905 | 7 April 1908 | Liberal | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons |
Edward VII | Kelvinside, Glasgow, Scotland | [13] | |
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H. H. Asquith | 7 April 1908 | 7 December 1916 | Liberal | First Lord of the Treasury, Leader of the House of Commons & Secretary of State for War (1914) |
Edward VII, George V |
Morley, Leeds, Yorkshire, England | [13] | |
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David Lloyd George | 7 December 1916 | 19 October 1922 | Liberal | First Lord of the Treasury | George V | Manchester, England | [53] | |
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Andrew Bonar Law | 23 October 1922 | 20 May 1923 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons |
George V | Rexton, Kent County, New Brunswick, Canada | [54] | |
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Stanley Baldwin (1st ministry) |
23 May 1923 | 16 January 1924 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury, Leader of the House of Commons & Chancellor of the Exchequer (1923) |
George V | Bewdley, Worcestershire, England | [55] | |
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Ramsay MacDonald (1st ministry) |
22 January 1924 | 4 November 1924 | Labour | First Lord of the Treasury, Leader of the House of Commons & Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs |
George V | Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland | [56] | |
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Stanley Baldwin (2nd ministry) |
4 November 1924 | 5 June 1929 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons |
George V | Bewdley, Worcestershire, England | [57] | |
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Ramsay MacDonald (2nd ministry) |
5 June 1929 | 24 August 1931 | Labour | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons |
George V | Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland | [58] | |
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Ramsay MacDonald (3rd ministry) |
24 August 1931 | 7 June 1935 | National Labour (National Government) | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons |
George V | Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland | [59] | |
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Stanley Baldwin (3rd ministry) |
7 June 1935 | 28 May 1937 | Conservative (National Government) | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons |
George V, Edward VIII, George VI |
Bewdley, Worcestershire, England | [60] | |
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Neville Chamberlain | 28 May 1937 | 10 May 1940 | Conservative (National Government) | First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons |
George VI | Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands, England | [13] | |
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Winston Churchill (1st ministry) |
10 May 1940 | 23 May 1945 | Conservative (Coalition) | First Lord of the Treasury, Minister of Defence & Leader of the House of Commons (1940–1942) |
George VI | Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England | [61] | |
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Winston Churchill (2nd ministry) |
23 May 1945 | 26 July 1945 | Conservative (Caretaker) | First Lord of the Treasury & Minister of Defence |
George VI | Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England | [62] | |
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Clement Attlee | 26 July 1945 | 26 October 1951 | Labour | First Lord of the Treasury & Minister of Defence (1945–1946) |
George VI | Putney, London, England | [63] | |
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Winston Churchill (3rd ministry) |
26 October 1951 | 7 April 1955 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury & Minister of Defence (1951–1952) |
George VI, Elizabeth II |
Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England | [64] | |
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Anthony Eden | 7 April 1955 | 10 January 1957 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury | Elizabeth II | West Auckland, County Durham, England | [65] | |
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Harold Macmillan | 10 January 1957 | 19 October 1963 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury | Elizabeth II | Chelsea, London, England | [66] | |
Alec Douglas-Home | 19 October 1963 | 16 October 1964 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury | Elizabeth II | Mayfair, London, England | [67] | ||
Harold Wilson (1st ministry) |
16 October 1964 | 19 June 1970 | Labour | First Lord of the Treasury | Elizabeth II | Huddersfield, Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England | [68] | ||
Edward Heath | 19 June 1970 | 4 March 1974 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury | Elizabeth II | Broadstairs, Kent, United Kingdom | [69] | ||
Harold Wilson (2nd ministry) |
4 March 1974 | 5 April 1976 | Labour | First Lord of the Treasury | Elizabeth II | Huddersfield, Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England | [70] | ||
James Callaghan | 5 April 1976 | 4 May 1979 | Labour | First Lord of the Treasury & Minister for the Civil Service |
Elizabeth II | Portsmouth, Hampshire, England | [71][72] | ||
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Margaret Thatcher | 4 May 1979 | 28 November 1990 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury & Minister for the Civil Service |
Elizabeth II | Grantham, Lincolnshire, England | [73][74] | |
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John Major | 28 November 1990 | 2 May 1997 | Conservative | First Lord of the Treasury & Minister for the Civil Service |
Elizabeth II | Carshalton, Surrey, England | [75][76] | |
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Tony Blair | 2 May 1997 | 27 June 2007 | Labour | First Lord of the Treasury & Minister for the Civil Service |
Elizabeth II | Edinburgh, Scotland | [77][78] |
Portrait | Name | Entered office | Left office | Political party | Other ministerial offices held while Prime Minister | Monarchs served | Birth Place | Refs | |
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Gordon Brown | 27 June 2007 | Incumbent | Labour | First Lord of the Treasury & Minister for the Civil Service |
Elizabeth II | Govan, Glasgow, Scotland | [79] |