List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the leader of His Majesty's Government. They chair Cabinet meetings. It is the highest civil office in the United Kingdom.^[source?] The present prime minister has been Keir Starmer since 5 July 2024.^[1]

The procedure

The appointment of a prime minister by the monarch is based on advice. However, though the advice is technically informal, the monarch would create a constitutional crisis if they did not comply. Therefore, in practice, what is decided in the House of Commons is the decisive event. The voters elect Members of Parliament (MPs), and the MPs choose the prime minister. The system grew in stages as the Commons grew in power and the monarch's authority dwindled.

The present Prime Minister Keir Starmer since 5 July 2024

List of prime ministers

Name	Time in office	Political party
Keir Starmer	2024 - present	Labour
Rishi Sunak	2022 – 2024	Conservative
Liz Truss	2022	Conservative
Boris Johnson	2019 – 2022^[2]	Conservative
Theresa May	2016 – 2019	Conservative
David Cameron	2010 – 2016	Conservative
Gordon Brown	2007 – 2010	Labour
Tony Blair	1997 – 2007	Labour
John Major	1990 – 1997	Conservative
Margaret Thatcher	1979 – 1990	Conservative
James Callaghan	1976 – 1979	Labour
Harold Wilson	1974 – 1976	Labour
Edward Heath	1970 – 1974	Conservative
Harold Wilson	1964 – 1970	Labour
Alec Douglas-Home	1963 – 1964	Conservative
Harold Macmillan	1957 – 1963	Conservative
Anthony Eden	1955 – 1957	Conservative
Winston Churchill	1951 – 1955	Conservative
Clement Attlee	1945 – 1951	Labour
Winston Churchill	1940 – 1945	Conservative
Neville Chamberlain	1937 – 1940	Conservative
Stanley Baldwin	1935 – 1937	Conservative
Ramsay MacDonald	1929 – 1935	Labour
Stanley Baldwin	1924 – 1929	Conservative
Ramsay MacDonald	1924	Labour
Stanley Baldwin	1923 – 1924	Conservative
Andrew Bonar Law	1922 – 1923	Conservative
David Lloyd George	1916 – 1922	Liberal
Herbert Asquith	1908 – 1916	Liberal
Henry Campbell-Bannerman	1905 – 1908	Liberal
Arthur Balfour	1902 – 1905	Conservative
Marquess of Salisbury	1895 – 1902	Conservative
Earl of Rosebery	1894 – 1895	Liberal
William Ewart Gladstone	1892 – 1894	Liberal
Marquess of Salisbury	1886 – 1892	Conservative
William Ewart Gladstone	1886 – 1886	Liberal
Marquess of Salisbury	1885 – 1886	Conservative
William Ewart Gladstone	1880 – 1885	Liberal
Benjamin Disraeli	1874 – 1880	Conservative
William Ewart Gladstone	1868 – 1874	Liberal
Benjamin Disraeli	1868 – 1868	Conservative
The Earl of Derby	1866 – 1868	Conservative
Lord John Russell	1865 – 1866	Whig
Viscount Palmerston	1859 – 1865	Whig
The Earl of Derby	1858 – 1859	Conservative
Viscount Palmerston	1855 – 1858	Whig
Earl of Aberdeen	1852 – 1855	Conservative
The Earl of Derby	1852	Conservative
Lord John Russell	1846 – 1852	Whig
Sir Robert Peel	1841 – 1846	Conservative
Viscount Melbourne	1835 – 1841	Whig
Sir Robert Peel	1834 – 1835	Conservative
Duke of Wellington	1834	Tory
Viscount Melbourne	1834	Whig
Earl Grey	1830 – 1834	Whig
Duke of Wellington	1828 – 1830	Tory
Viscount Goderich	1827 – 1828	Tory
George Canning	1827 – 1827	Tory
Earl of Liverpool	1812 – 1827	Tory
Spencer Perceval	1809 – 1812	Tory
Duke of Portland	1807 – 1809	Whig
William Grenville	1806 – 1807	Whig
William Pitt the Younger	1804 – 1806	Tory
Henry Addington	1801 – 1804	Tory
William Pitt the Younger	1783 – 1801	Tory
Duke of Portland	1783	Whig
Earl of Shelburne	1782 – 1783	Whig
Marquess of Rockingham	1782	Whig
Lord North	1770 – 1782	Tory
Duke of Grafton	1768 – 1770	Whig
William Pitt	1766 – 1768	Whig
Marquess of Rockingham	1765 – 1766	Whig
George Grenville	1763 – 1765	Whig
Earl of Bute	1762 – 1763	Tory
Duke of Newcastle	1757 – 1762	Whig
Duke of Devonshire	1756 – 1757	Whig
Duke of Newcastle	1754 – 1756	Whig
Henry Pelham	1743 – 1754	Whig
Spencer Compton	1742 – 1743	Whig
Robert Walpole	1721 – 1742	Whig