List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom

Current Prime Minister David Cameron was appointed on 11 May 2010 and re-elected on 7 May 2015^[1]

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the head of Government of the United Kingdom and chairs Cabinet meetings. 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.^[2] The term was used in the House of Commons in 1805,^[3] it was certainly in Parliamentary use by the 1880s,^[4] and in 1905 the post of Prime Minister was officially given recognition in the order of precedence.^[5] Modern historians generally consider Sir Robert Walpole, who led the government of Great Britain for twenty-one years from 1721 to 1742,^[6][7] to be the first Prime Minister; he is also the longest serving Prime Minister of the country.^[8]

Due to the gradual evolution of the post of Prime Minister, the title is applied to early Prime Ministers only retrospectively; this has sometimes given rise to academic dispute. William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath and James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave are both sometimes listed as Prime Ministers. Bath was invited to form a ministry following the resignation of Henry Pelham in 1746, as was Waldegrave in 1757 following the dismissal of William Pitt the Elder (the dominant figure of the first Devonshire Ministry). Neither was able to command sufficient Parliamentary support to form a government; Bath stepped down after two days, and Waldegrave after four. Modern academic consensus does not consider either man to have held the office of Prime Minister, and they are not listed.

Before 1721

Prior to the creation of the United Kingdom, the Treasury of England was led by the Lord High Treasurer. From Tudor times the Lord High Treasurer was regarded as one of the Great Officers of State, and was often (though not always) the dominant figure in the government: Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (Lord High Treasurer 1547–1549) served as Lord Protector to his nephew Edward VI; William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (Lord High Treasurer 1572–1598) served Elizabeth I as chief advisor; Burghley's son Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury (Lord Privy Seal and Secretary of State; Lord High Treasurer 1608–1612) succeeded his father as chief minister to Elizabeth I and then James I.

From the 17th century onwards, the Treasury was often run not by a single individual (the Lord High Treasurer) but by a commission (i.e. a committee) of Lords of the Treasury, led by the First Lord of the Treasury.

The last Lords High Treasurer, Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin (Lord High Treasurer 1702–1710) and Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Mortimer (Lord High Treasurer 1711–1714), led the government of Queen Anne.

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. From 1714–1717 the ministry was led by Viscount Townshend, who was nominally Northern Secretary, having three different First Lords. From 1717–1721 Lords Stanhope and Sunderland led the administration jointly, with Stanhope managing foreign affairs and Sunderland managing domestic affairs. Stanhope died in February 1721 and Sunderland resigned in April 1721; Townshend and Walpole returned to office. From this point, the First Lord was known unofficially as the "Prime Minister"; the Prime Minister still holds the office of First Lord of the Treasury.

Since 1721

18th century

Portrait		Name Honorifics & Constituency (Birth–Death)	Term of office — Electoral mandates		Other ministerial offices held while Prime Minister	Political party	Government	Monarch (Reign)	Refs
			The Right Honourable Sir Robert Walpole KG KB MP for King's Lynn until 1742 Earl of Orford from 1742 (1676–1745)	4 April 1721	15 May 1730	– First Lord of the Treasury – Chancellor of the Exchequer – Leader of the House of Commons	Whig	Walpole/Townshend	George I (1714–1727)	[6] [8] [9] [10]
15 May 1730				11 February 1742	Walpole
1722, 1727, 1734, 1741
Regarded as the first Prime Minister in the modern sense; aftermath of the South Sea Bubble crash in 1720; the Licensing Act 1737; resigned, five days after being raised from House of Commons to the Lords, after a failing performance in dealing with the War of Jenkins' Ear, which began in 1739, and accusations of corruption in 1742.					George II (1727–1760)
			The Right Honourable Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington KG KB PC (1673–1743)	16 February 1742		2 July 1743†	– First Lord of the Treasury	Whig	Carteret	[11]
—
Titular head of the Carteret Ministry, first Prime Minister to begin office from House of Lords and first to serve without occurrence of a General Election; Increased tax on spirits; in poor health for much of his time as Prime Minister. †Died in office.
			The Right Honourable Henry Pelham FRS MP for Sussex (1694–1754)	27 August 1743		10 February 1746	– First Lord of the Treasury – Chancellor of the Exchequer – Leader of the House of Commons	Whig	Carteret; Broad Bottom	[12] [13] [14] [15]
12 February 1746				6 March 1754†
1747
First Prime Minister never to have sat in the House of Lords. Entered and saw to completion British involvement in the War of the Austrian Succession from 1744 to 1748; Jacobite Rising from 1745–1746; two Carnatic Wars between 1746-1754; reorganisation of the Royal Navy in the Consolidation Act 1749; adoption of the Gregorian Calendar in 1752; Jewish Naturalization Act 1753; Marriage Act 1753. †Died in office.
		His Grace Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle KG PC FRS (1693–1768)	16 March 1754	16 November 1756		– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Whig	Newcastle I	[11] [16] [17]
			1754
			First Prime Minister to have never sat in the House of Commons. Took over government from after his brother died in office; Controversially attempted to reduce interest on National Debt; Led Britain into the French and Indian War in 1754, absorbed, after the Fall of Minorca into the Seven Years' War; replaced due to poor performance in the war.
		His Grace William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire KG PC (1720–1764)	16 November 1756	25 June 1757	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Whig	Devonshire/Pitt; 1757 Caretaker	[11] [18]
			—
			Replaced Newcastle. First non-graduate Prime Minister. The government was largely run by William Pitt the Elder until dismissed for his opposition to the course of the continental war and the court-martial and execution of Admiral Byng; resigned at will of the King and due to public outrage at the execution of Byng.
		His Grace Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle KG PC FRS (1693–1768)	2 July 1757	26 May 1762	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Whig	Newcastle II	[11] [19]
			1761
			Focused on the Seven Years War, prosecuted largely by Pitt the Elder as Secretary of State; Executed a strategy of continental war combined with expeditions against French colonies; Annus Mirabilis of 1759- Captured Senegal, Gambia, Louisbourg, Quebec, defended Madras and prevented a French invasion of Britain with naval victories at Lagos and Quiberon; George III's personal opposition led to a change of ministry.						George III (1760–1820)
		The Right Honourable John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute KG PC (1713–1792)	26 May 1762	8 April 1763	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Tory	Bute	[20]
			—
			First Scottish Prime Minister, and (as member of the Scottish Episcopal Church) first non-Anglican British Prime Minister. Ended the dominance of the Whigs; Treaty of Paris (1763) ending the Seven Years' War; resigned after fierce criticism of Treaty of Paris concessions.
		The Right Honourable George Grenville PC MP for Buckingham (1712–1770)	16 April 1763	13 July 1765	– First Lord of the Treasury – Chancellor of the Exchequer – Leader of the House of Commons	Whig (Grenvillite)	Grenville	[21]
			—
			Briefly lowered domestic tax at the expense of the colonies, though this was rapidly repealed; introduced the unenforceable Stamp Act 1765 (popularly cited as one of the causes of the American Revolution). His repealing of the taxes he rolled out were for all except that on tea, which was used as a reason for the Boston Tea Party. At home rocked by his prosecution of John Wilkes over issue 45 of The North Briton.
		The Most Honourable Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham KG PC FRS (1730–1782)	13 July 1765	30 July 1766	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Whig (Rockingham)	Rockingham I	[22]
			—
			Repealed the controversial Stamp Act 1765, inspired by protests from both American colonists and British manufacturers who were affected by it and its difficulty to enforce; introduced the Declaratory Act 1766.
		The Right Honourable William Pitt ‘the Elder’, 1st Earl of Chatham PC FRS MP for Bath until 1766 Earl of Chatham from 1766 (1708–1778)	30 July 1766	14 October 1768	– Lord Privy Seal	Whig (Chathamite)	Chatham	[23]
			1768
			Brother-in-law of George Grenville. Raised to House of Lords from Commons five days into his term. Due to struggles with gout, remained distant from his colleagues. Under his ministry, the Chancellor Charles Townshend, acting largely independently, brought forth the Townshend Acts, which inflamed the situation in the American colonies.
		His Grace Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton KG PC FRS (1735–1811)	14 October 1768	28 January 1770	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Whig (Chathamite)	Grafton	[24]
			-
			Attempted to reconcile with the American colonies.
		The Right Honourable Frederick North, Lord North KG PC MP for Banbury (1732–1792)	28 January 1770	22 March 1782	– First Lord of the Treasury – Chancellor of the Exchequer – Leader of the House of Commons	Tory	North	[25]
			1774, 1780
			Led Great Britain into the American Revolution; John Wilkes released; the Gordon Riots; attempted reform in Ireland; resigned after a vote of no confidence against the will of the King.
		The Most Honourable Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham KG PC (1730–1782)	27 March 1782	1 July 1782†	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Whig (Rockingham)	Rockingham II	[11]
			—
			Acknowledged the independence of the United States; began a process of economic reform. †Died in office.
		The Right Honourable William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne KG PC (1737–1805)	4 July 1782	2 April 1783	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Whig (Chathamite)	Shelburne	[11]
			—
			First Irish-born Prime Minister and first of only two to have been a general; planned political reform; secured peace with the United States, France and Spain.
		His Grace William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland PC FRS (1738–1809)	2 April 1783	19 December 1783	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Whig	Fox–North Coalition	[11]
			—
			Son-in-law of the 4th Duke of Devonshire (above). Titular head of the Fox–North Coalition. Attempted to reform the British East India Company, but was blocked by George III.
		The Right Honourable William Pitt ‘the Younger’ MP for Appleby until 1784 MP for Cambridge University from 1784 (1759–1806)	19 December 1783	14 March 1801	– First Lord of the Treasury – Chancellor of the Exchequer – Leader of the House of Commons	Tory (Pittite)	Pitt I	[26]
			1784, 1790, 1796
			Son of Earl of Chatham (aka Pitt the Elder). Youngest Prime Minister. India Act 1784; attempted to remove rotten boroughs; personally opposed to the slave trade; reduced the national debt due to the rebellion in the North American colonies; formed the Triple Alliance; Constitutional Act of 1791; the Macartney Embassy (1792–1794), first of its kind to China; war with France starting in 1793; Cape Colony (South Africa) taken 1795; introduced the first income tax; Act of Union 1800; first national Census, held in March 1801. Resigned due to opposition of George III to Catholic Emancipation.

19th century

Portrait		Name Honorifics & Constituency (Birth–Death)	Term of office — Electoral mandates		Other ministerial offices held while Prime Minister	Political party	Government	Monarch (Reign)	Refs
		The Right Honourable Henry Addington MP for Devizes (1757–1844)	17 March 1801	10 May 1804	– First Lord of the Treasury – Chancellor of the Exchequer – Leader of the House of Commons	Tory (Pittite)	Addington	George III (1760–1820)	[11]
			1801 co-option, 1802
			First Speaker of the House of Commons to become Prime Minister. Negotiated the Treaty of Amiens with France in 1802. Although Addington had been a Pittite, and had invited Pitt to join his government, Pitt went into opposition and ousted Addington.
		The Right Honourable William Pitt ‘the Younger’ MP for Cambridge University (1759–1806)	10 May 1804	23 January 1806†	– First Lord of the Treasury – Chancellor of the Exchequer – Leader of the House of Commons	Tory (Pittite)	Pitt II		[11]
			—
			Alliance with Russia, Austria and Sweden against France (Third Coalition) which lasted until the Battles of Ulm and Austerlitz; Battle of Trafalgar; †Died in office.
		The Right Honourable William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville PC FRS (1759–1834)	11 February 1806	31 March 1807	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Whig	Ministry of All the Talents		[11]
			1806
			Son of George Grenville and cousin of Pitt the Younger. Second and most recent Speaker of the House of Commons to become Prime Minister. Abolition of the slave trade.
		His Grace William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland KG PC FRS (1738–1809)	31 March 1807	4 October 1809	– First Lord of the Treasury	Tory (nominally Whig)	Portland II		[11]
			1807
			Although Portland described himself as a Whig, he was invited to head a Tory government. Was old and ill, leaving the Cabinet to their own devices (largely headed by Spencer Perceval); died twenty-six days after leaving office.
		The Right Honourable Spencer Perceval KC MP for Northampton (1762–1812)	4 October 1809	11 May 1812†	– First Lord of the Treasury – Chancellor of the Exchequer – Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – Leader of the House of Commons	Tory	Perceval		[27]
			—
			Two-greats-nephew of Lord Wilmington (above). His administration was notable for the lack of senior statesmen (note concurrent offices served); descent of George III into madness and the outset of the Regency era; Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars. †The only Prime Minister to have been assassinated.
		The Right Honourable Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool KG PC FRS (1770–1828)	8 June 1812	9 April 1827	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Tory	Liverpool		[28]
			1812, 1818, 1820, 1826
			Oversaw the United Kingdom's victory in the Napoleonic Wars; The War of 1812 (in Britain, the American War of 1812 to 1815); the Congress of Vienna; an economic recession in 1817; the Luddite movement; Peterloo Massacre, return to the gold standard and victory over the Marathas in the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1819; end of Regency era and the Cato Street Conspiracy to assassinate Liverpool in 1820. Retired when he suffered a cerebral haemorrhage; died the following year.					George IV (1820–1830)
		The Right Honourable George Canning FRS MP for Seaford (1770–1827)	10 April 1827	8 August 1827†	– First Lord of the Treasury – Chancellor of the Exchequer – Leader of the House of Commons	Tory (Canningite)	Canning (Canningite–Whig)		[11]
			—
			To this day the shortest-serving British prime minister. †Died shortly after taking office.
		The Right Honourable Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich PC (1782–1859)	31 August 1827	21 January 1828	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Tory (Canningite)	Goderich (Canningite–Whig)		[11]
			—
			Lacked support amongst colleagues; resigned shortly after taking office.
		Field Marshal His Grace Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington KG GCB GCH PC (1769–1852)	22 January 1828	16 November 1830	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Tory	Wellington		[11]
			1830					William IV (1830–1837)
			Second Irish-born Prime Minister and second of only two British Prime Ministers to have been a general (in both cases after Lord Shelburne); Catholic Emancipation Bill (over which he fought a duel).
		The Right Honourable Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey KG PC (1764–1845)	22 November 1830	9 July 1834	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Whig	Grey		[29]
			1831, 1832
			Reform Act 1832; quelled Swing Riots; restriction of employment of children; reform of the Poor Laws; abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire.
		The Right Honourable William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne PC (1779–1848)	16 July 1834	14 November 1834	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Whig	Melbourne I		[30]
			—
			The last prime minister to be dismissed by a king (William IV) shortly after taking office. Accidental Burning of Parliament took place during that time (October), following which the Palace of Westminster was rebuilt in present form.
		Field Marshal His Grace Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington KG GCB GCH PC (1769–1852)	14 November 1834	10 December 1834	– 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	Tory	Wellington Caretaker		[31]
			—
			Caretaker government while Sir Robert Peel was located and returned to London. Concurrently held many of the major posts himself, becoming only Prime Minister to also be Home Secretary.
		The Right Honourable Sir Robert Peel, Bt FRS MP for Tamworth (1788–1850)	10 December 1834	8 April 1835	– First Lord of the Treasury – Chancellor of the Exchequer – Leader of the House of Commons	Conservative	Peel I		[32] [33]
			1835§
			§Minority government. Unable to form a majority in Parliament so resigned.
		The Right Honourable William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne PC FRS (1779–1848)	18 April 1835	30 August 1841	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Whig	Melbourne II; Melbourne III		[34]
			1835, 1837					Victoria (1837–1901)
			Returned by re-election after dismissal; a father figure to Queen Victoria; Municipal Corporations Act 1835; Bedchamber Crisis; Uniform Penny Post; Treaty of Waitangi.
		The Right Honourable Sir Robert Peel, Bt FRS MP for Tamworth (1788–1850)	30 August 1841	29 June 1846	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons	Conservative	Peel II		[35]
			1841
			Mines Act 1842; reintroduction of income tax; Factory Act 1844; Railway Regulation Act 1844; repeal of the Corn Laws (triggered by the Great Irish Potato Famine) and other tariffs; Maynooth Grant.
		The Right Honourable Lord John Russell GCMG PC FRS MP for City of London (1792–1878)	30 June 1846	21 February 1852	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons	Whig	Russell I		[36]
			1847§
			§Minority government, but with the Conservatives split between Protectionists and Peelites, the Whigs held power. Education Act 1847; Don Pacifico affair; Chartist demonstrations; Australian Colonies Government Act; The Great Exhibition; improved the Poor laws; the John Russell Ministry was ended by a vote of "no confidence" on a militia bill.
		The Right Honourable Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby PC (1799–1869)	23 February 1852	17 December 1852	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Conservative	Derby I (‘Who? Who?’)		[37]
			1852
			Considered by some to be the father of the modern Conservative Party. Government collapsed when his Chancellor's Budget was defeated.
		The Right Honourable George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen KG KT FRSE FRS PC FSA(Scot) (1784–1860)	19 December 1852	30 January 1855	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Peelite	Aberdeen (Peelite–Whig)		[38]
			—
			Led the country into the Crimean War; resigned after defeat in the vote for an inquiry into the conduct of the war.
		The Right Honourable Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston KG GCB PC FRS MP for Tiverton (1784–1865)	6 February 1855	19 February 1858	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons	Whig	Palmerston I		[39]
			1857
			An Irish peer, enabling him to sit in the House of Commons. Responded to the Indian mutiny of 1857; introduced the India Bill.
		The Right Honourable Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby KG PC (1799–1869)	20 February 1858	11 June 1859	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Conservative	Derby II		[40]
			—
			Government of India Act 1858, transferring ownership of the East India Company to the Crown; Jews Relief Act, allowing Jews to become MPs.
		The Right Honourable Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston KG GCB PC FRS MP for Tiverton (1784–1865)	12 June 1859	18 October 1865†	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons	Liberal	Palmerston II		[41]
			1859, 1865
			Between periods in office he founded the Liberal Party; term dominated by policy concerning the American Civil War; attempts to alleviate suffering caused by the Lancashire Cotton Famine. †Died in office (last and oldest Prime Minister to have done so).
		The Right Honourable John Russell, 1st Earl Russell KG GCMG PC FRS (1792–1878)	29 October 1865	26 June 1866	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Liberal	Russell II		[42]
			—
			Returned to take over government after Lord Palmerston died in office. Only Prime Minister to have served separate terms of office respectively from House of Commons (previous term) and the Lords (this term). Attempted to introduce a further Reform Bill, but was opposed by his Cabinet.
		The Right Honourable Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby KG PC (1799–1869)	28 June 1866	25 February 1868	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Lords	Conservative	Derby III		[43]
			—
			Reform Act 1867; Canada becomes first Dominion within British Empire.
		The Right Honourable Benjamin Disraeli MP for Buckinghamshire (1804–1881)	27 February 1868	1 December 1868	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons	Conservative	Disraeli I		[44]
			—
			Only ethnically Jewish Prime Minister; dissolved Parliament as the Conservatives did not have a majority.
		The Right Honourable William Ewart Gladstone FSS MP for Greenwich (1809–1898)	3 December 1868	17 February 1874	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons – Chancellor of the Exchequer (1873–74)	Liberal	Gladstone I		[45]
			1868
			Introduced reforms to the British Army, Civil Service and local government; made peacetime flogging illegal; Irish Church Act 1869; Irish Land Act 1870; Education Act 1870; Trade Union Act 1871; Ballot Act 1872; Licensing Act 1872; failed to prevent the Franco-Prussian War; allowed mitigation of the Bihar famine of 1873–74.
		The Right Honourable Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield KG PC FRS MP for Buckinghamshire until 1876 Earl of Beaconsfield from 1876 (1804–1881)	20 February 1874	21 April 1880	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons (1874–76) – Lord Privy Seal (1876–78) – Leader of the House of Lords (1876–80)	Conservative	Disraeli II		[46]
			1874
			Last Prime Minister to be raised from House of Commons to the Lords in office. Various social reforms including the Climbing Boys Act, the Public Health Act and the Artisans' Dwellings Act of 1875; oversaw the Great Indian Famine of 1876–78; purchase of shares in the Suez Canal Company; Congress of Berlin; reintroduction of Queen Victoria to public life, including bestowing the title Empress of India; Second Anglo-Afghan War; breaking up of the League of the Three Emperors; the Zulu War; start of Long Depression.
		The Right Honourable William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS MP for Midlothian (1809–1898)	23 April 1880	9 June 1885	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons – Chancellor of the Exchequer (1880–82)	Liberal	Gladstone II		[47]
			1880
			First Prime Minister representing a Scottish constituency in office. First Boer War; Childers reforms of British Army; Irish Coercion Act; Kilmainham Treaty; Phoenix Park Murders; Married Women's Property Act 1882; Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883; Reform Act 1884, Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (sometimes known collectively as the Third Reform Act); failure to rescue General Gordon in Khartoum, Sudan.
		The Most Honourable Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury KG GCVO PC FRS (1830–1903)	23 June 1885	28 January 1886	– Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs – Leader of the House of Lords	Conservative	Salisbury I		[48]
			1885§
			§Minority government. Legislation providing for housing the working class. Iddesleigh First Lord of the Treasury.
		The Right Honourable William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS MP for Midlothian (1809–1898)	1 February 1886	20 July 1886	– First Lord of the Treasury – Lord Privy Seal – Leader of the House of Commons	Liberal	Gladstone III		[49]
			1885
			First introduction of the Home Rule Bill for Ireland, which split the Liberal Party, resulting in the end of Gladstone's third elected government.
		The Most Honourable Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury KG GCVO PC FRS (1830–1903)	25 July 1886	11 August 1892	– Leader of the House of Lords – First Lord of the Treasury (1886–87) – Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1887–92)	Conservative	Salisbury II		[50]
			1886
			Opposed Irish home rule; repeal of final Contagious Diseases Act; Local Government Act 1888; Partition of Africa; Prevention of Cruelty to, and Protection of, Children Act 1889; Free Education Act 1891; creation of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe); New Unionism and London Dock Strike of 1889.W.H.Smith, First Lord of the Treasury 1887-92
		The Right Honourable William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS MP for Midlothian (1809–1898)	15 August 1892	2 March 1894	– First Lord of the Treasury – Lord Privy Seal – Leader of the House of Commons	Liberal	Gladstone IV		[51]
			1892§
			§Minority government. Reintroduction of the Home Rule Bill, which was passed by the House of Commons but rejected by the House of Lords leading to his fourth and final resignation. To date the oldest elected prime minister.
		The Right Honourable Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery KG PC FRS (1847–1929)	5 March 1894	22 June 1895	– First Lord of the Treasury – Lord President of the Council – Leader of the House of Lords	Liberal	Rosebery		[52]
			—
			Imperialist; plans for expanding the Royal Navy caused disagreement within the Liberal Party; resigned following a vote of censure over military supplies.
		The Most Honourable Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury KG GCVO PC FRS (1830–1903)	25 June 1895	11 July 1902	– Leader of the House of Lords – Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1895–1900) – Lord Privy Seal (1900–02)	Conservative	Salisbury III (Cons.–Lib.U.)		[53]
			1895, 1900
			Workmen's Compensation Act 1897; Anglo-Zanzibar War; Fashoda Incident; Second Boer War and Khaki election; Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Last Prime Minister to serve office entirely from the House of Lords, throughout his terms. Resigned in ill health; died the following year.					Edward VII (1901–1910)

20th century

Portrait		Name Honorifics & Constituency (Birth–Death)	Term of office — Electoral mandates		Other ministerial offices held while Prime Minister	Political party	Government	Monarch (Reign)	Refs
		The Right Honourable Arthur Balfour OM FRS DL MP for Manchester East (1848–1930)	11 July 1902	5 December 1905	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons	Conservative	Balfour (Cons.–Lib.U.)	Edward VII (1901–1910)	[11]
			—
			Nephew (via mother) of the Marquess of Salisbury. Had poor relations with Edward VII; his cabinet was split over free trade; establishment of the Committee of Imperial Defence; Entente Cordiale; Education Act 1902; Taff Vale case; Dogger Bank Incident.
		The Right Honourable Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman GCB MP for Stirling Burghs (1836–1908)	5 December 1905	7 April 1908	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons	Liberal	Campbell-Bannerman		[11]
			1906
			Restored autonomy to Transvaal and the Orange Free State; Anglo-Russian Entente; Haldane Reforms of British Army; Probation Act 1907; first Prime Minister to be referred to as such in Parliamentary legislation. Resigned due to ill health; died nineteen days after leaving office.
		The Right Honourable Herbert Henry Asquith KC FRS MP for East Fife (1852–1928)	7 April 1908	25 May 1915	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons – Secretary of State for War (1914)	Liberal	Asquith I		[11]
			25 May 1915	7 December 1916			Asquith II (Lib.–Cons.–Lab.)	George V (1910–1936)
			Jan.1910§, Dec.1910§
			§Hung Parliaments. Liberal Welfare Reforms; People's Budget; Old Age Pensions Act 1908 and National Insurance Act 1911; Parliament Act 1911; Suffragettes and the Cat and Mouse Act; Home Rule Act 1914; World War I begins; Easter Rising. Last Prime Minister to concurrently serve as War Secretary (between Curragh Mutiny and World War I outbreak).
		The Right Honourable David Lloyd George OM MP for Caernarvon Boroughs (1863–1945)	7 December 1916	19 October 1922	– First Lord of the Treasury	Liberal	Lloyd George (Lib.–Cons.–Lab.)		[54]
			1918
			Welsh-speaking: only Prime Minister whose mother tongue was not English, and first Prime Minister to represent a Welsh constituency in office. End of World War I with added alliance of the United States, and Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War; Paris Peace Conference; Chanak Crisis. All adult males and women over 30 years of age enfranchised 1918. Aided in ending the Irish War of Independence and the establishment of the Irish Free State by means of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Geddes Axe 1921; BBC incorporated. Last Prime Minister who was not a member of either the Conservative or Labour parties.
		The Right Honourable Andrew Bonar Law MP for Glasgow Central (1858–1923)	23 October 1922	20 May 1923	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons	Conservative	Bonar Law		[55]
			1922
			Canadian-born: only Prime Minister born outside the British Isles. Became Prime Minister following Conservative backbenchers' decision at the Carlton Club meeting to withdraw from the Lloyd George Coalition; shortest premiership of the 20th century (211 days). De facto last Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Resigned due to ill health; died six months after leaving office.
		The Right Honourable Stanley Baldwin MP for Bewdley (1867–1947)	23 May 1923	16 January 1924	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons – Chancellor of the Exchequer (1923)	Conservative	Baldwin I		[56]
			—
			Last Prime Minister concurrently Chancellor of the Exchequer. Called a general election to gain a mandate for protectionist tariffs but failed to gain a majority; resigned after losing a vote of confidence.
		The Right Honourable Ramsay MacDonald MP for Aberavon (1866–1937)	22 January 1924	4 November 1924	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons – Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	Labour	MacDonald I		[57]
			1923§
			§Hung Parliament; minority government reliant on Liberal support. First Labour Prime Minister; did not have a majority so could not introduce radical legislation. Last Prime Minister concurrently Foreign Secretary; settled reparations with Germany following World War I; Zinoviev letter.
		The Right Honourable Stanley Baldwin FRS MP for Bewdley (1867–1947)	4 November 1924	5 June 1929	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons	Conservative	Baldwin II		[58]
			1924
			Treaty of Locarno; signatory of the Kellogg-Briand Pact; Pensions Act 1925; UK General Strike of 1926; National Grid founded. enfranchisement of women over 21; De jure last Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
		The Right Honourable Ramsay MacDonald FRS MP for Seaham (1866–1937)	5 June 1929	24 August 1931	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons	Labour	MacDonald II		[59]
			24 August 1931	7 June 1935		National Labour	1st National; 2nd National (Lab.Nat.–Cons.–Lib.Nat. –Lib. until 1932)
			1929§, 1931
			§Hung Parliament. Appointed the first female minister, Margaret Bondfield; economic crises following the Wall Street Crash of 1929. In 1931, the Labour Government split on measures to resolve a budget crisis; MacDonald resigned, but was reappointed at the head of a National Government with the support of the Conservative and Liberal parties. He was subsequently expelled from the Labour Party; the National Government fought and won the election on the basis of a 'Doctor's Mandate'. Ottawa Conference supports protectionism, after which the free trade Ministers (the Liberals and Viscount Snowden) resigned. Motoring legislation reformed by Road Traffic Acts 1930 and 1934.
		The Right Honourable Stanley Baldwin FRS MP for Bewdley (1867–1947)	7 June 1935	28 May 1937	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons	Conservative	3rd National (Cons.–Lab.Nat.–Lib.Nat.)		[60]
			1935					Edward VIII (1936)
			Government of India Act 1935; Edward VIII abdication crisis; started rearmament but later criticised for failing to rearm more when Adolf Hitler broke Germany's Treaty of Versailles obligations. Only PM to have served under three monarchs (George V, Edward VIII and George VI).					George VI (1936–1952)
		The Right Honourable Neville Chamberlain FRS MP for Birmingham Edgbaston (1869–1940)	28 May 1937	3 September 1939	– First Lord of the Treasury – Leader of the House of Commons	Conservative	4th National (Cons.–Lab.Nat.–Lib.Nat.)	[11]
			3 September 1939	10 May 1940			Chamberlain War (Cons.–Lab.Nat.–Lib.Nat.)
			—
			1939 IRA bombings in Britain; attempted to maintain peace for our time through appeasement of Germany, settling the Munich Agreement; widely criticised following the German invasion of Poland and consequent outbreak of World War II; resigned after failing to form a coalition government; died six months after leaving office.
		The Right Honourable Winston Churchill CH TD DL FRS RA MP for Epping (1874–1965)	10 May 1940	23 May 1945	– First Lord of the Treasury – Minister of Defence – Leader of the House of Commons (1940–42)	Conservative	Churchill War (All parties)	[61] [62]
			23 May 1945	26 July 1945			Churchill Caretaker (Cons.–Lib.Nat.)
			—
			World War II continued; formed alliances with United States and Soviet Union and reactively declared war on Fascist Italy and Japan; led a Coalition Government; foundation of the United Nations; proposed what would eventually lead to the European Union; Beveridge Report and Butler Education Act. Following the ending of his all-party coalition after defeat of Nazi Germany, Churchill formed a "caretaker" government out of Conservatives, Liberal Nationals and non-party figures. However after two months it was defeated in the 1945 general election.
		The Right Honourable Clement Attlee OM CH FRS MP for Limehouse until 1950 MP for Walthamstow West from 1950 (1883–1967)	26 July 1945	26 October 1951	– First Lord of the Treasury – Minister of Defence (1945–46)	Labour	Attlee	[63]
			1945, 1950
			Victory over Japan ends World War II; Potsdam Conference; initiated the post-war consensus; introduced nationalisation of Bank of England and utilities; foundation of the National Health Service; extended national insurance scheme; economic austerity characterized by continued and deepened wartime food and fuel rationing; Independence of India and the end of the British role in Palestine; foundation of NATO; beginning of the Cold War; the Berlin Blockade and the resulting Berlin Airlift; National Service Act 1948 revives conscription; start of British involvement in the Korean War.
		The Right Honourable Sir Winston Churchill KG OM CH TD DL FRS RA MP for Woodford (1874–1965)	26 October 1951	6 April 1955	– First Lord of the Treasury – Minister of Defence (1951–52)	Conservative	Churchill III	[64]
			1951						Elizabeth II (1952–)
			Last Prime Minister to be concurrently Minister of Defence. Domestic policy (notably end of rationing) interrupted by foreign disputes (Korean War, Operation Ajax, Mau Mau Uprising, Malayan Emergency). Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
		The Right Honourable Sir Anthony Eden KG MC MP for Warwick and Leamington (1897–1977)	6 April 1955	10 January 1957	– First Lord of the Treasury	Conservative	Eden	[65]
			1955
			Egyptian nationalisation of the Suez Canal, which sparked the Suez Crisis. Premium bonds introduced. Resigned due to ill health.
		The Right Honourable Harold Macmillan FRS MP for Bromley (1894–1986)	10 January 1957	19 October 1963	– First Lord of the Treasury	Conservative	Macmillan	[66]
			1959
			The UK applied to join the European Economic Community for the first time, the application split the Conservatives and was vetoed by Charles de Gaulle; acceptance of Keynesianism; Rent Act 1957; Wind of Change speech; Notting Hill race riots and New Commonwealth immigration; opening of the BBC Television Centre; end of National Service; beginning of Beeching cuts; Night of the Long Knives (1962); Cuban missile crisis; Profumo Affair, following which he resigned due to ill health.
		The Right Honourable Sir Alec Douglas-Home KT Earl of Home until 1963 MP for Kinross and Western Perthshire from 1963 (1903–1995)	19 October 1963	16 October 1964	– First Lord of the Treasury	Conservative	Douglas-Home	[67]
			—
			Was the 14th Earl of Home when he became Prime Minister, and renounced his peerage on 23 October 1963 in order to stand for the House of Commons. Oversaw the independence of colonies Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland; abolition of the resale price maintenance.
		The Right Honourable Harold Wilson OBE FRS MP for Huyton (1916–1995)	16 October 1964	19 June 1970	– First Lord of the Treasury – Minister for the Civil Service (1968–70)	Labour	Wilson I	[68]
			1964, 1966
			Social reforms, including legalisation of abortion, abolition of capital punishment and decriminalisation of homosexuality; Rhodesian UDI; adopted, then abandoned, the National Plan for the economy; Devaluation of the pound; foundation of the Open University; disputes with trade unions over In Place of Strife and prices and incomes policy.
		The Right Honourable Edward Heath MBE MP for Bexley (1916–2005)	19 June 1970	4 March 1974	– First Lord of the Treasury – Minister for the Civil Service	Conservative	Heath	[69]
			1970
			U-turned over intervention in industry; negotiated Britain's entry to the European Community; violence due to Northern Ireland's "Troubles" peaked ("Bloody Sunday"); the Sunningdale Agreement agreed; Three-Day Week; Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; introduction of VAT; called early election in backfiring attempt to confront striking miners. Last unmarried Prime Minister.
		The Right Honourable Harold Wilson OBE FRS MP for Huyton (1916–1995)	4 March 1974	5 April 1976	– First Lord of the Treasury – Minister for the Civil Service	Labour	Wilson II	[70]
			Feb.1974§, Oct.1974
			§Hung parliament. Ended dispute with miners; Social Contract with trade unions over the economy; Health and Safety at Work Act; renegotiated terms for EC membership, then 1975 referendum validated entry; North Sea oil; Cod War. Resigned due to ill health.
		The Right Honourable James Callaghan MP for Cardiff South East (1912–2005)	5 April 1976	4 May 1979	– First Lord of the Treasury – Minister for the Civil Service	Labour	Callaghan	[71] [72]
			—
			International Monetary Fund loan to support the pound; Race Relations Act 1976; the Lib-Lab pact; enacted devolution to Scotland and Wales but referendums stopped them; breakdown of relations with trade unions and Winter of Discontent. Callaghan is to date the only politician in British history who has served in all four ‘Great Offices of State’, and last armed forces veteran Prime Minister .
		The Right Honourable Margaret Thatcher FRS MP for Finchley (1925–2013)	4 May 1979	28 November 1990	– First Lord of the Treasury – Minister for the Civil Service	Conservative	Thatcher (I, II, III)	[73] [74]
			1979, 1983, 1987
			First female Prime Minister of the UK. Irish hunger strike; Falklands War; sold council housing to tenants (right to buy); miners' strike 1984–85; privatisation of many previously government-owned industries; decreased the power of trade unions; negotiation of the UK rebate towards the European Community budget; Brighton hotel bombing; Sino-British Joint Declaration; Anglo-Irish Agreement; Westland Affair; abolition of GLC; Section 28; the "Poll tax" and Poll Tax Riots; Lockerbie bombing; the end of the Cold War; the Gulf War.
		The Right Honourable John Major MP for Huntingdon (1943–)	28 November 1990	2 May 1997	– First Lord of the Treasury – Minister for the Civil Service	Conservative	Major	[75] [76]
			1992
			Early 1990s recession; Gulf War; Downing Street mortar attack 1991; ratification of the Maastricht Treaty and the Maastricht Rebels; forced exit from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism ("Black Wednesday"); the Downing Street Declaration (initiating the Northern Ireland peace process); Privatisation of British Rail; The National Lottery; Citizen's Charter; Sunday Shopping; "Back to Basics" campaign; Cones Hotline; Dangerous Dogs Act. To date last non-graduate Prime Minister.
		The Right Honourable Tony Blair MP for Sedgefield (1953–)	2 May 1997	27 June 2007	– First Lord of the Treasury – Minister for the Civil Service	Labour	Blair	[77] [78]
			1997, 2001, 2005
			Hong Kong handover; Death of Diana, Princess of Wales; independence for the Bank of England; Ecclestone tobacco controversy; Belfast Agreement; Human Rights Act; devolution to Scotland and Wales; House of Lords Reform; Minimum wage introduced; 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia; Fuel protests; creation of Greater London Authority and Mayoralty of London; Freedom of Information Act; British military intervention in the Sierra Leone Civil War; 2001 foot and mouth crisis; September 11 attacks in the United States; War in Afghanistan; Iraq War; top-up fees introduced for university tuition; Civil Partnership Act; Constitutional Reform Act; 2005 London bombings; Cash for Honours scandal; Identity Cards Act.

21st century

Portrait		Name Honorifics & Constituency (Birth–Death)	Term of office — Electoral mandates		Other ministerial offices held while Prime Minister	Political party	Government	Monarch (Reign)	Refs
		The Right Honourable Gordon Brown MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath (1951–)	27 June 2007	11 May 2010	– First Lord of the Treasury – Minister for the Civil Service	Labour	Brown	Elizabeth II (1952–)	[79]
			—
			Glasgow Airport attack; child benefit data misplaced; Donorgate; Northern Rock and other banks nationalised; Treaty of Lisbon ratified; 10p Tax rate abolished; Financial crisis of 2007–2010; Cannabis moved back to Class B; Parliamentary expenses scandal; Release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi; arrest of Damian Green; Chilcot Inquiry established; last Prime Minister to choose the date of a General Election.
		The Right Honourable David Cameron MP for Witney (1966–)	11 May 2010	8 May 2015	– First Lord of the Treasury – Minister for the Civil Service	Conservative	Cameron I (Cons.–Lib.Dem.)		[80]
			8 May 2015	Incumbent			Cameron II
			2010§, 2015
			§Hung parliament. Bloody Sunday apology; Spending and Strategic Defence reviews (budget cuts to public services resulting in anti-austerity movement); 2010 student protests; Military intervention in Libya (Operation Ellamy); Alternative Vote (AV) referendum; Welfare Reform Act; Health and Social Care Act; 2011 riots; European Fiscal Union veto; London 2012 Summer Olympics; Belfast City Hall flag protests; Same-sex marriage legalised; creation of the National Crime Agency; Woolwich attack; Referendum on Scottish independence; Privatisation of the Royal Mail; News International phone hacking scandal; Westminster paedophile dossier; Military intervention against ISIL in Iraq and in Syria (Operation Shader); European migrant crisis.

See also

• Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
• Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
• Historical rankings of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom
• Records of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom
• List of United Kingdom general elections
• List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom by longevity
• List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom by nickname
• List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom by tenure
• List of fictional Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom
• List of burial places of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom

Timelines

• Graphical list of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom
• Graphical list of Prime Ministers showing birth, death and political career of each Prime Minister from Palmerston to Cameron

References

Bibliography

External links

• Prime Ministers in History from the 10 Downing Street website

Lists relating to Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom Lists by order Service (graphical) Constituencies Historical rankings Records Term length By monarch Victoria Edward VII George V Edward VIII George VI Elizabeth II Personal life Burial places Longevity Nickname Spouse Education Coats of Arms In fiction Fictional Prime Ministers Wikipedia Books British Prime Ministers

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