List of British Prime Ministers

Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister since July 24, 2019

The list of British Prime Ministers includes everyone who has held this office since 1721.

The title of Prime Minister gradually developed out of the power that came with other offices in the government of the Kingdom of Great Britain . The name has only been documented since 1805. The first officially named office holder was Henry Campbell-Bannerman (1905-1908). In the 18th and 19th centuries, the unofficial office of the head of government was therefore linked to various official titles. If traditionally the Lord High Treasurer (Lord Treasurer), since 1714 First Lord of the Treasury (First Lord of the Treasury) acted as head of government, so could the Chancellor of the Exchequer ( Exchequer ), the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal or Lord later Privy Seal ( Lord Privy Seal ), or any other incumbent be the most important minister ( Secretary of State acted) in the government.

So did Lord Carteret as Minister for the North 1742-1744 ( Northern Department , in charge of the north of England, Scotland and the Protestant states of Northern Europe) and William Pitt the Elder as Minister for the South from 1756 to 1761 ( Southern Department , responsible for Southern England (Wales, Ireland, the American colonies, and the Catholic and Muslim countries in Europe) much of the power of a Prime Minister, though others were First Lord Treasurers. When Pitt was asked by the king to form a government in 1766, he preferred the lesser office of Lord Seal Keeper, which required membership in the House of Lords . Nevertheless, since he was entrusted by the king to form a government, he is generally considered prime minister. At the end of the 19th century, William Ewart Gladstone and Lord Salisbury still ran the affairs of state as keepers of the Lord Seal. The first lord treasurer in these terms of office was Arthur Balfour .

The List of Prime Ministers (since 1721)

When Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland , first Lord Treasurer ( First Lord of the Treasury ) and at the same time Lord President of the Council in 1718 , he was de facto Prime Minister, even if this designation was first used for his successor Sir Robert Walpole has been. In April 1721, the Earl of Sunderland resigned from all offices. This list begins here.

Please note that the numbering is only for orientation in this table. Different prime ministers had several terms in office, for example Winston Churchill or Harold Wilson. The individual terms of office are counted chronologically with No. AZ . With No. PM the individual prime ministers, in the case of prime ministers with several terms of office, their personal terms of office follow in brackets.

No. AZ	No. PM	image	prime minister	Taking office	End of office	Term of office ( days)	Political party	cabinet
1	1		Sir Robert Walpole	Apr 4, 1721	Feb 11, 1742	7618	Whig
2	2		Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington	Feb 16, 1742	July 2, 1743 (†)	0501	Whig
3	3		Henry Pelham	27 Aug 1743	March 6, 1754 (†)	3845	Whig
4th	4 (1)		Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne	March 16, 1754	Nov 16, 1756	0976	Whig
5	5		William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire	Nov 16, 1756	June 25, 1757	0221	Whig
6th	4 (2)		Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne	July 2, 1757	May 26, 1762	1789	Whig
7th	6th		John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute	May 26, 1762	Apr 8, 1763	0325	Tory
8th	7th		George Grenville	Apr 16, 1763	July 13, 1765	0819	Tory
9	8 (1)		Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham	July 13, 1765	July 30, 1766	0382	Whig
10	9		William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham	July 30, 1766	Oct 14, 1768	0807	Whig
11	10		Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton	Oct 14, 1768	Jan. 28, 1770	0471	Whig
12	11		Frederick North, Lord North	Jan. 28, 1770	March 22, 1782	4436	Tory
13	8 (2)		Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham	March 27, 1782	July 1, 1782 (†)	0096	Whig
14th	12		William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne	4th July 1782	Apr 2, 1783	0272	Whig
15th	13 (1)		William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland	Apr 2, 1783	Dec. 19, 1783	0261	coalition
16	14 (1)		William Pitt the Younger	Dec. 19, 1783	March 14, 1801	6294	Tory
17th	15th		Henry Addington	March 17, 1801	May 10, 1804	1150	Tory
18th	14 (2)		William Pitt the Younger	May 10, 1804	Jan. 23, 1806 (†)	0623	Tory
19th	16		William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville	Feb 11, 1806	March 31, 1807	0413	Whig	Government of all talents
20th	13 (2)		William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland	March 31, 1807	Oct. 4, 1809	0918	Tory
21st	17th		Spencer Perceval	Oct. 4, 1809	May 11, 1812 (murdered)	0950	Tory
22nd	18th		Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool	June 9, 1812	Apr 10, 1827	5418	Tory
23	19th		George Canning	Apr 10, 1827	8 Aug 1827 (†)	0120	Tory
24	20th		Frederick Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich	Aug 31, 1827	Jan. 22, 1828	0144	Tory
25th	21 (1)		Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington	Jan. 22, 1828	Nov 22, 1830	1035	Tory
26th	22nd		Charles Gray, 2nd Earl Gray	Nov 22, 1830	July 16, 1834	1332	Whig
27	23 (1)		William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne	July 16, 1834	Nov 17, 1834	0124	Whig
28	21 (2)		Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington	Nov 17, 1834	Dec 9, 1834	0022nd	Tory / transitional government
29	24 (1)		Sir Robert Peel	Dec 10, 1834	Apr 18, 1835	0129	Tory
30th	23 (2)		William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne	Apr 18, 1835	Aug 30, 1841	2326	Whig
31	24 (2)		Sir Robert Peel	Aug 30, 1841	June 30, 1846	1765	Tory
32	25 (1)		Lord John Russell , later 1st Earl Russell	June 30, 1846	23 Feb 1852	2064	Whig
33	26 (1)		Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby	23 Feb 1852	Dec. 19, 1852	0300	Conservative
34	27		George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen	Dec. 19, 1852	Feb 6, 1855	0779	“ Peelite Group” / coalition
35	28 (1)		Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston	Feb 6, 1855	Feb 20, 1858	1110	Whig
36	26 (2)		Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby	Feb 20, 1858	June 12, 1859	0477	Conservative
37	28 (2)		Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston	June 12, 1859	Oct. 18, 1865 (†)	2320	Liberal
38	25 (2)		John Russell, 1st Earl Russell	Oct 29, 1865	June 26, 1866	0242	Liberal
39	26 (3)		Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby	June 28, 1866	Feb. 27, 1868	0609	Conservative
40	29 (1)		Benjamin Disraeli 1st Earl of Beaconsfield since 1876	Feb. 27, 1868	3 Dec 1868	0280	Conservative
41	30 (1)		William Ewart Gladstone	3 Dec 1868	Feb. 20, 1874	1905	Liberal
42	29 (2)		Benjamin Disraeli 1st Earl of Beaconsfield since 1876	Feb. 20, 1874	Apr 23, 1880	2254	Conservative
43	30 (2)		William Ewart Gladstone	Apr 23, 1880	June 23, 1885	1887	Liberal
44	31 (1)		Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury	June 23, 1885	Feb. 1, 1886	0223	Conservative
45	30 (3)		William Ewart Gladstone	Feb. 1, 1886	July 25, 1886	0174	Liberal
46	31 (2)		Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury	Aug 3, 1886	Aug 15, 1892	2204	Conservative
47	30 (4)		William Ewart Gladstone	Aug 15, 1892	March 5, 1894	0567	Liberal
48	32		Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery	March 5, 1894	June 21, 1895	0477	Liberal
49	31 (3)		Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury	June 25, 1895	July 11, 1902	2574	Conservative / Unionist	Salisbury III cabinet
50	33		Arthur Balfour later 1st Earl of Balfour	July 11, 1902	Dec 5, 1905	1242	Conservative / Unionist	Balfour Cabinet
51	34		Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman	Dec 10, 1905	Apr 3, 1908	0854	Liberal
52	35		Herbert Henry Asquith later 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith	Apr 6, 1908	Dec 5, 1916	3166	Liberal (coalition government from May 26, 1915)	First Asquith Government. Second Asquith Government
53	36		David Lloyd George later 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor	Dec 10, 1916	Oct. 19, 1922	2146	National Liberal / Coalition Government	Lloyd George Government
54	37		Andrew Bonar Law	Oct 24, 1922	May 20, 1923	0211	Conservative
55	38 (1)		Stanley Baldwin later 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley	May 22, 1923	Jan. 23, 1924	0245	Conservative
56	39 (1)		Ramsay MacDonald	Jan. 23, 1924	Nov 4, 1924	0287	Labor
57	38 (2)		Stanley Baldwin later 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley	Nov 6, 1924	June 4, 1929	1674	Conservative
58	39 (2)		Ramsay MacDonald	June 8, 1929	June 7, 1935	2193	first Labor , then National Government (National Government from August 25, 1931)
59	38 (3)		Stanley Baldwin later 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley	June 7, 1935	May 28, 1937	0721	National Government ; PM: Conservative
60	40		Neville Chamberlain	May 28, 1937	May 10, 1940	1078	National Government ; PM: Conservative	Fourth National Government Chamberlain War Government (from September 3, 1939)
61	41 (1)		Winston Churchill later Sir Winston Churchill	May 10, 1940	July 26, 1945	1903	Conservative / coalition government	Churchill War Government Transitional Churchill Government (from May 23, 1945)
62	42		Clement Attlee later 1st Earl Attlee	July 27, 1945	Oct. 27, 1951	2283	Labor	Attlee cabinet
63	41 (2)		Sir Winston Churchill	Oct. 27, 1951	Apr 5, 1955	1258	Conservative	Churchill III cabinet
64	43		Anthony Eden later 1st Earl of Avon	Apr 6, 1955	Jan. 9, 1957	0645	Conservative	Cabinet of Eden
65	44		Harold Macmillan later 1st Earl of Stockton	Jan 10, 1957	Oct 19, 1963	2473	Conservative
66	45		Sir Alec Douglas-Home until October 23, 1963 14th Earl of Home , later Baron Home of the Hirsel	Oct 19, 1963	Oct 16, 1964	0363	Conservative
67	46 (1)		Harold Wilson later Baron Wilson of Rievaulx	Oct 16, 1964	June 19, 1970	2072	Labor
68	47		Edward Heath later Sir Edward Heath	June 23, 1970	March 4th 1974	1354	Conservative	Heath Cabinet
69	46 (2)		Harold Wilson later Baron Wilson of Rievaulx	March 4th 1974	Apr 5, 1976	0763	Labor
70	48		James Callaghan later Baron Callaghan of Cardiff	Apr 5, 1976	4th May 1979	1124	Labor
71	49		Margaret Thatcher later Baroness Thatcher	4th May 1979	Nov 22, 1990	4226	Conservative
72	50		John Major later Sir John Major	Nov 28, 1990	May 2, 1997	2347	Conservative	Cabinet major
73	51		Tony Blair	May 2, 1997	June 27, 2007	3708	Labor	Blair's cabinet
74	52		Gordon Brown	June 27, 2007	May 11, 2010	1049	Labor	Brown cabinet
75	53		David Cameron	May 11, 2010	July 13, 2016	2255	Conservative (coalition government until May 11, 2015)	Cameron I cabinet (2010-2015) Cameron II cabinet (2015-2016)
76	54		Theresa May	July 13, 2016	July 24, 2019	1106	Conservative	Cabinet May I (2016-2017) Cabinet May II (2017-2019)
77	55		Boris Johnson	July 24, 2019		399 +	Conservative	Johnson I Cabinet (2019-2020) Johnson II cabinet (since 2020)

Former prime ministers still alive

There are currently five former Prime Ministers still alive:

• John Major (* 1943)
• Tony Blair (born 1953)
• Gordon Brown (born 1951)
• David Cameron (born 1966)
• Theresa May (* 1956)

Prime Minister and ruling monarch

The Sovereign Heads of State of Great Britain: Reference to the list

monarch	End of reign († means by death )
George I.	† June 22, 1727
George II	† October 25, 1760
George III	(† January 29, 1820) represented by his son in the reign since 1811
George IV	† June 26, 1830
William IV	† June 20, 1837
Victoria	† January 22, 1901
Edward VII	† May 6, 1910
George V.	† January 20, 1936
Edward VIII	Abdication on December 11, 1936
George VI.	† February 6, 1952
Elizabeth II	...

When Victoria became Queen in June 1837, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, had been Prime Minister for over two years. His successor was appointed in August 1841, who followed 18 appointments until the Queen's death in 1901. Overall, there were in the Victorian era from 1837 to 1901 twenty of office British Prime Minister; However, ten politicians were sufficient to preside over them, because only George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen and Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery were granted only one term of office. Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby and Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury held office three times , William Ewart Gladstone four times. The remaining four politicians, including the famous Disraeli , were each appointed twice by the Queen .

Even after Victoria's death in 1901, the terms of office of the Prime Minister went beyond the change of throne:

• In July 1902 Arthur Balfour was appointed Prime Minister by King Edward VII . He thus succeeded his uncle, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, whom Queen Victoria had called. Salisbury was also the last Prime Minister to be a member of the House of Lords .
• Herbert Henry Asquith , appointed by King Edward VII , served until December 1916, including over six years under King George V.
• Stanley Baldwin , appointed by King George V in June 1935, remained in office during the brief episode with King Edward VIII in 1936 and also served under George VI. until May 1937.
• Sir Anthony Eden is finally the first Prime Minister in a long line to be appointed by Queen Elizabeth II in April 1955. But Elizabeth had been British monarch for over three years; Sir Winston Churchill was in his last term of office from October 1951 , called by Elizabeth's father.

See also

• UK Cabinet
• Westminster system
• United Kingdom Political System

literature

See also the articles in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

• Dick Leonard: A History of British Prime Ministers (Omnibus Edition). Walpole to Cameron. Palgrave MacMillan, Basingstoke 2014. (Short biographies with further literature)

Remarks

1. ↑ Viscount Castlereagh's speech on the Military Commissioners' Bill in the House of Commons. April 29, 1805 .  
2. ^ John Marriott: English Political Institutions. An Introductory Study . Second edition, Clarendon Press, Oxford 1923, p. 83.
3. ^ Q&A: The Conservative-Lib Dem coalition. BBC , accessed May 21, 2010 . 
4. ↑ Cameron takes power in Great Britain. Spiegel Online , accessed May 21, 2010 . 
5. ↑ A new era dawns in Great Britain. (No longer available online.) N24 , archived from the original on May 15, 2010 ; Retrieved May 21, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
6. ^ Coalition is in place - Great Britain starts a new era with Cameron. Die Welt , accessed on May 21, 2010 . 
7. ↑ He ended his first term of office in 1834 under King Wilhelm IV .
8. ^ Apart from the special situation in 1963 at Alec Douglas Home .