Prime ministers of Great Britain and the United Kingdom*

party** term

Robert Walpole (Walpole, Robert, 1st earl of Orford)

(from 1725, Sir Robert Walpole; from 1742, earl of Orford) Whig 1721–42

Spencer Compton (Wilmington, Spencer Compton, earl of, Viscount Pevensey),

earl of Wilmington Whig 1742–43

Henry Pelham (Pelham, Henry) Whig 1743–54

Thomas Pelham-Holles (Newcastle, Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of, Duke Of Newcastle-upon-tyne, Marquess Of Clare, Earl Of Clare, Viscount Haughton, Baron Pelham Of Laughton, Baron Pelham Of Stanmer),

1st duke of Newcastle (1st time) Whig 1754–56

William Cavendish (Devonshire, William Cavendish, 4th Duke of, Marquess Of Hartington, Earl Of Devonshire, Baron Cavendish Of Hardwick),

4th duke of Devonshire Whig 1756–57

Thomas Pelham-Holles (Newcastle, Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of, Duke Of Newcastle-upon-tyne, Marquess Of Clare, Earl Of Clare, Viscount Haughton, Baron Pelham Of Laughton, Baron Pelham Of Stanmer),

1st duke of Newcastle (2nd time) Whig 1757–62

John Stuart (Bute, John Stuart, 3rd Earl of, Viscount Kingarth, Lord Mount Stuart, Cumrae, And Inchmarnock),

3rd earl of Bute 1762–63

George Grenville (Grenville, George) 1763–65

Charles Watson Wentworth (Rockingham, Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd marquess of),

2nd marquess of Rockingham (1st time) Whig 1765–66

William Pitt (Pitt, William, the Elder),

1st earl of Chatham 1766–68

Augustus Henry Fitzroy (Grafton, Augustus Henry Fitzroy, 3rd duke of),

3rd duke of Grafton 1768–70

Frederick North (North, Frederick North, Lord),

Lord North (from 1790, 2nd earl of Guilford) 1770–82

Charles Watson Wentworth (Rockingham, Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd marquess of),

2nd marquess of Rockingham (2nd time) Whig 1782

William Petty-Fitzmaurice (Lansdowne, William Petty-Fitzmaurice, 1st marquess of),

2nd earl of Shelburne (from 1784, 1st marquess of Lansdowne) 1782–83

William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck (Portland, William Henry Cavendish Bentinck, 3rd Duke of, Marquess Of Titchfield, Earl Of Portland, Viscount Woodstock, Baron Of Cirencester),

3rd duke of Portland (1st time) Whig 1783

William Pitt (Pitt, William, The Younger), the Younger

(1st time) Tory 1783–1801

Henry Addington (Sidmouth, Henry Addington, 1st Viscount)

(from 1805, 1st Viscount Sidmouth) Tory 1801–04

William Pitt (Pitt, William, The Younger), the Younger

(2nd time) Tory 1804–06

William Wyndham Grenville (Grenville, William Wyndham Grenville, Baron),

1st Baron Grenville 1806–07

William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck (Portland, William Henry Cavendish Bentinck, 3rd Duke of, Marquess Of Titchfield, Earl Of Portland, Viscount Woodstock, Baron Of Cirencester),

3rd duke of Portland (2nd time) Whig 1807–09

Spencer Perceval (Perceval, Spencer) Tory 1809–12

Robert Banks Jenkinson (Liverpool, Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of, Baron Hawkesbury Of Hawkesbury),

2nd earl of Liverpool Tory 1812–27

George Canning (Canning, George) Tory 1827

Frederick John Robinson (Ripon, Frederick John Robinson, 1st Earl of, Viscount Goderich Of Nocton),

1st Viscount Goderich (from 1833, 1st earl of Ripon) Tory 1827–28

Arthur Wellesley (Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of, marquess of Douro, marquess of Wellington, earl of Wellington, Viscount Wellington of Talavera and of Wellington, Baron Douro or Wellesley),

1st duke of Wellington (1st time) Tory 1828–30

Charles Grey (Grey, Charles Grey, 2nd Earl),

2nd Earl Grey Whig 1830–34

William Lamb (Melbourne, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount, Lord Melbourne, Baron of Kilmore, Baron Melbourne of Melbourne),

2nd Viscount Melbourne (1st time) Whig 1834

Arthur Wellesley (Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of, marquess of Douro, marquess of Wellington, earl of Wellington, Viscount Wellington of Talavera and of Wellington, Baron Douro or Wellesley),

1st duke of Wellington (2nd time) Tory 1834

Sir Robert Peel (Peel, Sir Robert, 2nd Baronet),

2nd Baronet (1st time) Tory 1834–35

William Lamb (Melbourne, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount, Lord Melbourne, Baron of Kilmore, Baron Melbourne of Melbourne),

2nd Viscount Melbourne (2nd time) Whig 1835–41

Sir Robert Peel (Peel, Sir Robert, 2nd Baronet),

2nd Baronet (2nd time) Conservative 1841–46

John Russell (Russell, John Russell, 1st Earl, Viscount Amberley Of Amberley And Of Ardsalla),

Lord Russell (from 1861, 1st Earl Russell) (1st time) Whig-Liberal 1846–52

Edward Geoffrey Stanley (Derby, Edward Stanley, 14th earl of),

14th earl of Derby (1st time) Conservative 1852

George Hamilton-Gordon (Aberdeen, George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of, Viscount Gordon Of Aberdeen, Viscount Of Formartine, Lord Haddo, Methlick, Tarves, And Kellie),

4th earl of Aberdeen 1852–55

Henry John Temple (Palmerston, Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount, Baron Temple Of Mount Temple),

3rd Viscount Palmerston (1st time) Liberal 1855–58

Edward Geoffrey Stanley (Derby, Edward Stanley, 14th earl of),

14th earl of Derby (2nd time) Conservative 1858–59

Henry John Temple (Palmerston, Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount, Baron Temple Of Mount Temple),

3rd Viscount Palmerston (2nd time) Liberal 1859–65

John Russell (Russell, John Russell, 1st Earl, Viscount Amberley Of Amberley And Of Ardsalla),

1st Earl Russell (2nd time) Liberal 1865–66

Edward Geoffrey Stanley (Derby, Edward Stanley, 14th earl of),

14th earl of Derby (3rd time) Conservative 1866–68

Benjamin Disraeli (Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl Of Beaconsfield, Viscount Hughenden Of Hughenden)

(1st time) Conservative 1868

William Ewart Gladstone (Gladstone, William Ewart)

(1st time) Liberal 1868–74

Benjamin Disraeli (Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl Of Beaconsfield, Viscount Hughenden Of Hughenden),

(from 1876, earl of Beaconsfield) (2nd time) Conservative 1874–80

William Ewart Gladstone (Gladstone, William Ewart)

(2nd time) Liberal 1880–85

Robert Cecil (Salisbury, Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd marquess of, Earl Of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, Baron Cecil Of Essendon),

3rd marquess of Salisbury (1st time) Conservative 1885–86

William Ewart Gladstone (Gladstone, William Ewart)

(3rd time) Liberal 1886

Robert Cecil (Salisbury, Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd marquess of, Earl Of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, Baron Cecil Of Essendon),

3rd marquess of Salisbury (2nd time) Conservative 1886–92

William Ewart Gladstone (Gladstone, William Ewart)

(4th time) Liberal 1892–94

Archibald Philip Primrose (Rosebery, Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th earl of),

5th earl of Rosebery Liberal 1894–95

Robert Cecil (Salisbury, Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd marquess of, Earl Of Salisbury, Viscount Cranborne, Baron Cecil Of Essendon),

3rd marquess of Salisbury (3rd time) Conservative 1895–1902

Arthur James Balfour (Balfour, Arthur James Balfour, 1st earl of, Viscount Traprain),

(from 1922, 1st earl of Balfour) Conservative 1902–05

Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (Campbell-Bannerman, Sir Henry) Liberal 1905–08

H.H. Asquith (Asquith, H H, 1st Earl Of Oxford And Asquith, Viscount Asquith Of Morley),

(from 1925, 1st earl of Oxford and Asquith) Liberal 1908–16

David Lloyd George (Lloyd George, David),

(from 1945, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor) Liberal 1916–22

Bonar Law (Law, Bonar) Conservative 1922–23

Stanley Baldwin (Baldwin, Stanley, 1st Earl Baldwin Of Bewdley, Viscount Corvedale Of Corvedale)

(1st time) Conservative 1923–24

Ramsay Macdonald (MacDonald, Ramsay)

(1st time) Labour 1924

Stanley Baldwin (Baldwin, Stanley, 1st Earl Baldwin Of Bewdley, Viscount Corvedale Of Corvedale)

(2nd time) Conservative 1924–29

Ramsay Macdonald (MacDonald, Ramsay)

(2nd time) Labour 1929–35

Stanley Baldwin (Baldwin, Stanley, 1st Earl Baldwin Of Bewdley, Viscount Corvedale Of Corvedale),

(from 1937, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley) (3rd time) Conservative 1935–37

Neville Chamberlain (Chamberlain, Neville) Conservative 1937–40

Winston Churchill (Churchill, Sir Winston)

(1st time) Conservative 1940–45

Clement Attlee (Attlee, Clement, 1st Earl Attlee of Walthamstow, Viscount Prestwood),

(from 1955, 1st Earl Attlee) Labour 1945–51

Winston Churchill (Churchill, Sir Winston),

(from 1953, Sir Winston Churchill) (2nd time) Conservative 1951–55

Sir Anthony Eden (Eden, Anthony),

(from 1961, 1st earl of Avon) Conservative 1955–57

Harold Macmillan (Macmillan, Harold),

(from 1984, 1st earl of Stockton) Conservative 1957–63

Sir Alec Douglas-Home (Douglas-Home, Sir Alec),

(until 1963, Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, 14th earl of Home; from 1974, Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home) Conservative 1963–64

Harold Wilson (Wilson, Harold, Baron Wilson Of Rievaulx)

(1st time) Labour 1964–70

Edward Heath (Heath, Sir Edward) Conservative 1970–74

Harold Wilson (Wilson, Harold, Baron Wilson Of Rievaulx),

(from 1976, Sir Harold Wilson) (2nd time) Labour 1974–76

James Callaghan (Callaghan, James Callaghan, Baron) Labour 1976–79

Margaret Thatcher (Thatcher, Margaret) Conservative 1979–90

John Major (Major, John) Conservative 1990–97

Tony Blair (Blair, Tony) Labour 1997–2007

Gordon Brown (Brown, Gordon) Labour 2007–

*The origin of the term prime minister and the question to whom it should originally be applied have long been issues of scholarly and political debate. Although the term was used as early as the reign of Queen Anne (1702–14), it acquired wider currency during the reign of George II (1727–60), when it began to be used as a term of reproach toward Sir Robert Walpole. The title of prime minister did not become official until 1905, to refer to the leader of a government.

**Before the development of the Conservative and Liberal parties in the mid-19th century, parties in Britain were largely simply alliances of prominent groups or aristocratic families. The designations Whig and Tory tend often to be approximate. In all cases, the party designation is that of the prime minister; he might lead a coalition government, as did David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill (in his first term).