View source for Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

{{Short description|Head of government of the United Kingdom}}
{{For|the list|List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Prime Minister
| body = the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| insignia = Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, lesser arms).svg
| insigniasize = 125px
| insigniacaption = [[Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom|Royal arms]] of [[Government of the United Kingdom|His Majesty's Government]]
| insigniaalt = 
| flag = Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
| flagsize = 
| flagalt = 
| flagborder = yes
| flagcaption = [[Flag of the United Kingdom]]
| image = Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Official Portrait (cropped 2).jpg
| imagesize = 
| alt = 
| imagecaption = 
| incumbent = [[Keir Starmer]]
| acting = 
| incumbentsince = 5 July 2024
| department = {{indented plainlist|
* [[Government of the United Kingdom]]
* [[Prime Minister's Office (United Kingdom)|Prime Minister's Office]]
* [[Cabinet Office]]
}}
| style = {{indented plainlist|
* '''Prime Minister'''<br />(informal)
* [[The Right Honourable]]<br />(formal)
* [[Excellency|His Excellency]]<br />(diplomatic)
}}
| type = [[Head of government]]
| status = [[Minister of the Crown|Chief Minister of the Crown]]
<br> [[Great Office of State]]
| abbreviation = 
| member_of = {{indented plainlist|
* [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]]
* [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]]
* [[British–Irish Council]]
* [[National Security Council (United Kingdom)|National Security Council]]
*[[Council of the Nations and Regions]]
* [[Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Governments Council|PM and Heads of Devolved Governments Council]]
}}
| reports_to = {{hlist|[[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Monarch]]|[[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]]}}
| residence = {{ubl|[[10 Downing Street]] (official)|[[Chequers]] (country house)}}
| seat = 
| nominator = 
| appointer = [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom#Appointment of the prime minister|The Monarch]]
| appointer_qualified = (with their choice limited to the person who can command the [[Confidence motions in the United Kingdom|confidence]] of the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]])<ref>{{Cite news |last=Andersson |first=Jasmine |date=31 August 2022 |title=Queen to appoint new prime minister at Balmoral |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62728328 |access-date= |work=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>
| termlength = [[At His Majesty's pleasure]]
| termlength_qualified = 
| constituting_instrument = 
| precursor = 
| formation = 
| first = [[Sir Robert Walpole]]
| last = 
| abolished = 
| superseded_by = 
| succession = 
| unofficial_names = 
| deputy = ''No fixed position; often held by'':{{blist|[[Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Deputy Prime Minister]]|[[First Secretary of State]]}}
| salary = £166,786 per annum {{small|(2024)}}<!--£75,440 Claimed Salary of PM + £91,346 MP Salary (2024)--><ref>{{Cite web |title=Salaries of Members of His Majesty's Government – Financial Year 2022–23 |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1124173/2022-12-07-Ministerial-Salaries-22-23-table.pdf |date=15 December 2022}}</ref><br />(including £91,346 [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]] salary)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pay and expenses for MPs |url=https://www.theipsa.org.uk/mps-pay-and-pensions}}</ref>
| website = {{URL|https://gov.uk/government/organisations/prime-ministers-office-10-downing-street}}
| footnotes = 
}}
{{uk-gov-positions}}

The '''prime minister of the United Kingdom''' <!--"prime minister" is uncapitalized per MOS:JOBTITLES because it is preceded by the modifier "the" and denotes a description, not a title-->is the [[head of government]] of the [[United Kingdom]]. The prime minister [[Advice (constitutional law)|advises]] the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|sovereign]] on the exercise of much of the [[Royal prerogative in the United Kingdom|royal prerogative]], chairs the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]], and selects its [[Minister of the Crown|ministers]]. Modern prime ministers hold office by virtue of their ability to command the confidence of the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], so they are invariably [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|members of Parliament]].

The office of prime minister is not established by any statute or constitutional document, but exists only by long-established [[Constitutional conventions of the United Kingdom|convention]], whereby the monarch appoints as prime minister the person most likely to [[Confidence motions in the United Kingdom|command the confidence]] of the House of Commons.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-manual |title=The Cabinet Manual |date=October 2011 |publisher=[[Cabinet Office]] |edition=1st |page=14 |chapter=The principles of government formation (Section 2.8) |quote=Prime Ministers hold office unless and until they resign. If the prime minister resigns on behalf of the Government, the sovereign will invite the person who appears most likely to be able to command the confidence of the House to serve as prime minister and to form a government. |access-date=24 July 2016}}</ref> In practice, this is the leader of the political party that holds the largest number of seats in the Commons. The prime minister is ''[[ex officio]]'' also [[First Lord of the Treasury]] (an office often associated with the premiership between 1721 and 1895, after 1902 always united to it, and, after 1905, an official title of the position), [[Minister for the Civil Service]], the minister responsible for [[national security]],<ref name="manual" />{{rp|p.22}} and [[Minister for the Union]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-for-the-union |title=Minister for the Union |publisher= GOV.UK |accessdate=6 September 2022}}</ref> The prime minister's official residence and office is [[10 Downing Street]] in London.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About us – Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street – GOV.UK|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/prime-ministers-office-10-downing-street/about|access-date=25 March 2023|website=www.gov.uk|language=en}}</ref>

Early conceptions of the office of prime minister evolved as the ''[[primus inter pares]]'' ("first among equals"); however that does not differentiate on status and responsibility upon whoever is holding office. Historically, the prime minister was the first amongst equals, until 1868. Since then, that characterisation of the prime minister has changed to be reflective of the democratic nature of their position, but also their heightened importance. The power of the prime minister depends on the support of their respective party and on the popular mandate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=PoliticalScience |date=26 May 2021 |title=UK Prime Minister's Position – Political Systems |url=https://www.politicalscienceview.com/uk-prime-ministers-position/ |access-date=12 November 2024 |website=Political Science |language=en-US}}</ref> The appointment of [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|cabinet ministers]] and granting of [[Honours system in the United Kingdom|honours]] are done through the prime minister's [[power of appointment]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=How government works – GOV.UK |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/how-government-works#who-runs-government |access-date=18 November 2024 |website=www.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Governance |url=https://honours.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about/governance/ |access-date=18 November 2024 |website=UK Honours System |language=en}}</ref> The prime minister alongside the cabinet proposes new legislation and decides on key policies that fit their agenda which are then passed by an [[act of parliament]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The executive |url=https://consoc.org.uk/the-constitution-explained/the-executive/ |access-date=12 November 2024 |website=The Constitution Society |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The power of the office of prime minister has grown significantly since the first prime minister, [[Robert Walpole]] in 1721. Prime ministerial power evolved gradually alongside the office itself which have played an increasingly prominent role in British politics since the early 20th century.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Blick |first1=Andrew |last2=Jones |first2=George |date=7 June 2010 |title=The power of the Prime Minister |url=https://www.historyandpolicy.org/policy-papers/papers/the-power-of-the-prime-minister |website=History & Policy}}</ref> During the premierships of [[Margaret Thatcher]] and [[Tony Blair]], prime ministerial power expanded substantially, and their leaderships in the office were described as "presidential" due to their personal wielding of power and tight control over the cabinet.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hayton |first1=Richard |url=https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/92565/3/HAYTON%20%26%20HEPPELL%20The%20Presidentialization%20of%20Party%20Politics%20in%20the%20UK.pdf |title=The Presidentialisation of Party Politics in the UK |last2=Heppell |first2=Timothy |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=9781137482457 |pages=5 |chapter=Constitutional structures and the party system in the UK |date=24 August 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=8 September 2010 |title=Why Tony Blair's Leadership Journey Failed |url=https://hbr.org/2010/09/why-tony-blairs-leadership-jou |access-date=18 November 2024 |work=Harvard Business Review |language=en |issn=0017-8012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Beckett |first=Charlie |date=13 April 2013 |title=Margaret Thatcher: how she reshaped politics and political communications |url=https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/polis/2013/04/08/margaret-thatcher-how-she-reshaped-politics-and-political-communications/ |website=LSE Blogs}}</ref> The prime minister is one of the world's most powerful political leaders in modern times.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Koop |first=Avery |date=20 January 2021 |title=History Visualized: The World Leaders In Positions of Power (1970-Today) |url=https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualized-world-leaders-in-positions-of-power/ |website=Visual Capitalist}}</ref> As the leader of the [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|world's sixth largest economy]], the prime minister holds significant domestic and international leadership, being the leader of a prominent member state of [[NATO]], the [[G7]] and [[G20]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is the role of the Prime Minister? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zqd8tcw |access-date=12 February 2025 |website=BBC Bitesize |language=en-GB |quote=As the UK is a member of NATO...the Prime Minister's decisions about use of the armed forces may involve persuading other leaders into agreement...The UK is one of the seven 'advanced economies' in the G7 group of nations. This gives the Prime Minister influence on global issues and economics.}}</ref>{{sfn|Seldon|Meakin|Thoms|2021|p=87}}<ref>{{Cite press release|title=Prime Minister to drive forward UK growth as he meets world's leading economic powers at G20 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-to-drive-forward-uk-growth-as-he-meets-worlds-leading-economic-powers-at-g20#:~:text=Prime%20Minister%20Keir%20Starmer%20said,values%20differ%20from%20o |date=18 November 2024 |publisher=Prime Minister's Office|language=en}}</ref>

{{As of|2025}}, [[List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom|58 people]] (55 men and 3 women) have served as prime minister, the first of whom was [[Robert Walpole]] taking office on 3 April 1721. The [[List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom by length of tenure|longest-serving prime minister]] was also Walpole, who served over 20 years, and the shortest-serving was [[Liz Truss]], who served seven weeks. [[Keir Starmer]] succeeded [[Rishi Sunak]] as prime minister on 5 July 2024, following the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Culbertson |first=Alix |date=5 July 2024 |title='Our work is urgent and we begin it today': Sir Keir Starmer says in first address as prime minister |url=https://news.sky.com/story/sir-keir-starmer-officially-becomes-uks-prime-minister-13173454 |access-date=5 July 2024 |website=[[Sky News]] |language=en}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of the prime minister of the United Kingdom}}

=== Origins: 1689–1742 ===
The position of prime minister was not created but evolved slowly and organically over three hundred years due to numerous [[Act of Parliament (UK)|Acts of Parliament]], political developments, and accidents of history. Therefore, the office is rarely found in any statute and according to the [[Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee|Political and Constitutional Reform Committee]] in 2014: "It is impossible to point to a single point in history when the post was created or even a decision to create it."<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Torrance |first1=David |last2=Browning |first2=Steve |date=23 January 2025 |title=The office and functions of the Prime Minister |url=https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9880/ |journal=House of Commons Library |language=en-GB |quote=“It is impossible to point to a single point in history when the post was created,” observed the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee in 2014, “or even a decision to create it.”}}</ref>

The 17th century saw a transformative period in British history. The [[Union of the Scottish and English crowns]] followed by the [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]], including the [[English Civil War]], saw the final conflict between the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Monarchy]] and the parliaments (of [[Parliament of England|England]] and [[Parliament of Scotland|Scotland]]) over governance, culminating in the end of [[absolute monarchy]] with the [[execution of Charles I]] in 1649. In 1660, [[Stuart Restoration|the Monarchy was restored]] with the ascension of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] signalling a return to royal rule but with growing limitations. The [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688–1689 led to the deposition of the [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] [[James II of England|James II]] and the establishment of [[William III of England|William III]] and [[Mary II]] as constitutional monarchs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peacey |first=Jason |date=2010 |title=News, Politics and People, 1603–1714 |url=https://www.gale.com/intl/essays/jason-peacey-news-politics-people-1603-1714?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=25 January 2025 |website=www.gale.com |publisher=Gale |place=University College, London |language=en}}</ref> After a series of bills passed by the parliaments, such as the [[Bill of Rights 1689|Bill of Rights]] and [[Claim of Right 1689|Claim of Right]] in 1689, the powers of the monarch were reduced, being replaced by the powers of parliament.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Knappen |first=M. M |title=Constitutional and Legal History of England |year=1942}}</ref> The Bill of Rights established the supremacy of Parliament over [[the Crown]] and set up certain civil rights.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bill of Rights 1689 |url=https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/parliamentaryauthority/revolution/collections1/collections-glorious-revolution/billofrights/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=25 January 2025 |website=www.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=10 October 2019 |title=English Bill of Rights ‑ Definition & Legacy |url=https://www.history.com/topics/european-history/english-bill-of-rights?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=25 January 2025 |website=HISTORY |language=en}}</ref> During this period, Parliaments were dominated by two political factions: the [[Whigs (British political party)|Whigs]] and the [[Tories (British political party)|Tories]]. The Whigs supported [[parliamentary sovereignty]] and [[constitutional monarchy]] while the Tories favoured the [[divine right of kings]] and the deposed James II.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Whig and Tory |url=https://mason.gmu.edu/~ayadav/historical%20outline/whig%20and%20tory.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=mason.gmu.edu}}</ref> These two groups were considered by some to be "embryonic political parties."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Whigs and Tories |url=https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/parliamentaryauthority/revolution/overview/whigstories/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=www.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Retuched Painting of Robert Walpole.jpg|thumb|Sir [[Robert Walpole]] was the first to hold the position of Prime Minister. ]]
The resulting English Constitution established in 1689 gave the English Parliament the power over the "purse" or the [[HM Treasury|Treasury]]. The monarch who now could commit to and follow agreed policy allowed Parliament to pursue and fund its own policies without any fear of diversion of the funds. By this point, the Monarch was forced by incentive to cede power to Parliament under the credible threat of removal of any who ignored the Constitution.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rubin |first1=Jared |last2=Grief |first2=Avner |date=25 October 2024 |title=Endogenous Political Legitimacy: The Tudor Roots of England's Constitutional Governance |journal=The Journal of Economic History |volume=84 |issue=3 |pages=655–689 |doi=10.1017/S0022050724000366 |quote=The resulting English Constitution of 1689 formalised the equilibrium outcome...that Parliament gained the power of the purse. A king who could commit...to follow the policy agreed upon implied that Parliament could finance its desired policies without fearing diversion of the funds...The Crown had incentive to cede the power of the purse because Parliament could credibly threaten to remove a monarch who ignored the Constitution.|doi-access=free }}</ref> 

[[Acts of Union 1707|Acts of Union]] in 1707 formed the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]], with the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament of Great Britain]] the head of Treasury, as [[Lord High Treasurer|Lord Treasurer]], was given the power following [[Standing orders in the Parliament of the United Kingdom|Standing Order]] Number 66 to draft money bills (budgets) instead of MPs outside of government. The informal term 'prime minister' was first recorded around that time, which since 1721 had mostly also been the office holder for the [[First Lord of the Treasury]]. The First Lord of the Treasury is one of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury. This role is usually held by the prime minister.<ref>{{Cite web |title=First Lord of the Treasury – GOV.UK |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/first-lord-of-the-treasury?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=www.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref> The role of prime minister grew more distinct as the head of government and often more recognisable within the public than other members of the cabinet, which demonstrates the increasing power of the prime minister in modern times than that originally created.<ref>{{Cite web |last=updated |first=The Week Staff last |date=27 March 2019 |title=Is the British prime minister too powerful? |url=https://theweek.com/100451/is-the-british-prime-minister-too-powerful |access-date=15 January 2025 |website=theweek |language=en}}</ref>

Following the death of [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Queen Anne]] in 1714, Parliament invited [[George I of Great Britain|George Louis, Prince Elector of Hanover]], to become king.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Green |first=V. H. H |title=The Hanoverians (1714–1815) |publisher=E Arnold |isbn=9780713101041 |edition=Reprint |publication-date=1976 |pages=77–78}}</ref> During his reign, he was unpopular partly due to his limited English proficiency and lack of interest in governing, a role he largely left to his ministers.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=BBC – History – George I |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/george_i_king.shtml#:~:text=George%20remained%20unpopular%20in%20England,was%20succeeded%20by%20his%20son. |access-date=25 January 2025 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=18 September 2016 |title=Insight: King George I – the first Hanoverian |url=https://www.vincentreed.com/king-george-i-the-first-hanoverian/ |access-date=25 January 2025 |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1720, the [[South sea bubble|South Sea bubble]], a financial crisis stemming from speculative investments, led to economic turmoil. The collapse implicated many government officials.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=The National |date=18 September 2020 |title=The South Sea Bubble of 1720 |url=https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/the-south-sea-bubble-of-1720/ |access-date=25 January 2025 |website=The National Archives blog |language=en-GB}}</ref> With schisms within the [[Whigs (British political party)|Whigs Party]] led to the fall of [[Second Stanhope–Sunderland ministry|Stanhope–Sunderland ministry]]. Subsequently, Sir Robert Walpole, who was serving as [[Paymaster of the Forces]], was appointed First Lord of the Treasury in 1721.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 June 2020 |title=Healing the Whig schism: 300 years on |url=https://historyjournal.org.uk/2020/06/17/healing-the-whig-schism-300-years-on/ |access-date=25 January 2025 |website=History blog archive |language=en |quote=...the developing crisis over the South Sea Bubble came to light, the need to rally round became increasingly important... In June 1720 Walpole was restored to his earlier post of Paymaster General...The death of Stanhope in 1721 removed a further barrier. Sunderland, exposed, was forced to accept an ever greater degree of power ceded to Walpole and by the time of Sunderland’s death in 1722, Walpole was the effective Prime Minister.}}</ref> Sir Robert Walpole was the first prime minister of the United Kingdom, though his predecessors as First Lord of the Treasury also held a similar position.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pike |first=E. Royston |title=Britain's Prime Ministers: From Walpole to Wilson |year=1968}}</ref> Walpole is considered the first "de facto prime minister" due to his influence over policy and control of government affairs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=This month in history: Sir Robert Walpole becomes Britain's first prime minister |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/awards-and-accreditation/content/103542 |access-date=31 January 2025 |website=www.thegazette.co.uk}}</ref> He was not, in the modern sense, "prime minister". This was due to the position being not formally recognised by any legal fixture<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=The Institution of Prime Minister – History of government |url=https://history.blog.gov.uk/2012/01/01/the-institution-of-prime-minister/ |access-date=31 January 2025 |website=history.blog.gov.uk |quote=The title ‘prime minister’ was originally a term of abuse rather than a description of an official role.}}</ref> and also due to the position originally being used as a term of abuse.<ref name=":4" />

Walpole served as prime minister from 1721 to 1742. The time during his premiership was dubbed by historians as the "[[Robinocracy]]".<ref>{{Citation |last=Langford |first=Paul |title=Walpole and the Robinocracy |date=10 August 2000 |page=13 |chapter=Chapter 2: Rise of Robinocracy |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-285399-8}}</ref>  His financial abilities in handling the repercussions in the aftermath of the South Sea Bubble<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Edgar |date=14 October 2023 |title=Riding the Wave of Delusion: The South Sea Bubble |url=https://1440review.com/2023/10/14/the-south-sea-crash/ |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=1440review.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> earned him the support of commercial and landed interests, pursued a largely peaceful foreign policy, lowered taxes and reduced national debt<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC – History – Historic Figures: Sir Robert Walpole (1676–1745) |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/walpole_robert.shtml |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> while his skilful management of Commons affairs solidified his dominance in Parliament by operating as a "Screen-Master General", pulling strings and sullying favour whenever necessary.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 April 2021 |title=How Sir Robert Walpole became the first British prime minister |url=https://theweek.com/history/952428/how-sir-robert-walpole-became-the-first-british-prime-minister |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=theweek |language=en}}</ref> Walpole's policy was to maintain the status quo and despite not passing any major reforms, Walpole provided the country with much-needed stability after a century of turmoil. His time in office was crucial in shifting political power to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] and laying the foundations for the modern Cabinet system.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Masterman |first=John Howard Bertram |title=A History of the British Constitution |publisher=London Macmillan |year=1918 |page=160}}</ref> Despite being able to successfully hold power for 20 years, Walpole faced fierce opposition over alleged bribery and corruption in Parliament<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 April 2021 |title=Scandal, corruption and collusion: 300 years of British prime ministers {{!}} Nigel Jones |url=https://thecritic.co.uk/scandal-corruption-and-collusion-300-years-of-british-prime-ministers/ |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=The Critic Magazine |language=en-GB}}</ref> and following a [[War of Jenkins' Ear|disastrous war with Spain]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trott |first=David |date=2 March 2024 |title=The War of Jenkins' Ear |url=https://davetrott.co.uk/2024/03/the-war-of-jenkins-ear/#:~:text=But%20the%20Whig%20Prime%20Minister,%20Robert%20Walpole,,for%20a%20war,%20Whigs%20against%20a%20war. |access-date=26 January 2025 |language=en-US |quote=But the Whig Prime Minister, Robert Walpole, was against war. And so Parliament was deadlocked, Tories for a war, Whigs against a war.}}</ref> he resigned in 1742 and was succeeded by [[Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington|the Earl of Wilmington]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Express |first=Britain |title=The Fall of Robert Walpole – A History of the British Nation |url=https://www.britainexpress.com/History/Walpoles-Resignation.htm |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=Britain Express |language=en}}</ref>

=== Development: 1742–1945 ===
Following the resignation of Walpole, a swift string of ministries followed and between 1742 and 1760 there were five separate governments.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goldwin |first=Albert Smith |title=A Constitutional And Legal History Of England |date=15 October 2011 |publisher=Literary Licensing, LLC |isbn=978-1258215354 |page=386}}</ref> [[Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington|Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington]] was made prime minister. However, Wilmington served for a brief time and was head of government by name only. The government continued to be dominated by internal struggles over Britain's participation in the [[War of the Austrian Succession]] and royal intervention in policy making. In 1743, [[Henry Pelham]] became prime minister and sought to expel ministers, particularly [[John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville|Lord Carteret]], who sought to undermine the authority of the new ministry.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ballantyne |first=Archibald |title=[[John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville|Lord Carteret]]: A Political Biography 1690 To 1763 |publisher=Kessinger Publishing |year=1887<!-- Reprinted 2024 --> |isbn=((978-1-4179-5698-2)) |pages=240–241, 280–284, 301–305|type=Reprinted: December 2024}}</ref>

==Powers and authority==
{{Main|Powers of the prime minister of the United Kingdom}}

=== Executive powers ===
The prime minister is the head of the [[United Kingdom government]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Prime Minister |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/prime-minister |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014185426/https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/prime-minister |archive-date=14 October 2017 |access-date=19 May 2018 |website=Gov.UK}}</ref> As such, the modern prime minister leads the Cabinet (the Executive). In addition, the prime minister leads a major political party and generally commands a majority in the House of Commons (the lower chamber of Parliament). The incumbent wields both significant legislative and executive powers. Under the British system, there is a [[Fusion of powers|unity of powers]] rather than [[separation of powers|separation]].<ref>[[#Le May|Le May]], 98–99. Walter Bagehot, an authority on 19th-century British government, said this unity is "the efficient secret" of its constitution. Bagehot's description of the "efficient part" of the British constitution is quoted by Le May and many other standard texts: "The efficient secret of the English Constitution may be described as the close union, the nearly complete fusion, of the executive and legislative powers. No doubt, by the traditional theory, as it exists in all the books, the goodness of our constitution consists in the entire separation of the legislative and executive authorities, but in truth, its merit consists in their singular approximation. The connecting link is the Cabinet ... A Cabinet is a combing committee—a hyphen which joins a buckle which fastens the legislative part of the State to the executive part of the State. In its origin, it belongs to the one, in its functions it belongs to the other."</ref> [[John Morley]] described the office of prime minister as the "keystone of the Cabinet arch" that maintained while the prime minister can hold significant power over the executive, it is often exercised collectively through the Cabinet (government).{{Sfn|Jennings|1936|p=160}}

Ministerial responsibility is also an aspect of a prime minister's executive authority. The prime minister leads the cabinet which makes the holder of that office bear responsibility for the collective conduct of the government.{{Sfn|Thomas|1998|p=73}}{{Sfn|Bagehot|1867|p=49}} Professor Rodney Brazier points out that the since the prime minister wields significant sway over policy, that power must be subjected to the conclusion and input of Cabinet ministers. This prevents the office of prime minister from becoming more dominant and also ensures that executive power is authorised with broader support from and within the government.{{Sfn|Brazier|1988|p=73}}{{Sfn|Jennings|1936|p=163}}{{Sfn|Jennings|1936|p=174}} The prime minister must constantly maintain the confidence of the House of Commons because, as Bagehot notes, the power of the prime minister derives from their ability to command a majority in the House to pass legislation and continue the functions of government. If a prime minister loses the confidence of the House, which occurs in a vote of no confidence, they are often expected to resign from office or request the monarch dissolve parliament to call a general election.{{Sfn|Bagehot|1867|pp=72–73}}
[[File:British-war-cabinet-1939-40-churchill-chamberlain.jpg|alt=fmr UK PM Chamberlain and cabinet|thumb|Prime Minister [[Neville Chamberlain]] alongside his [[Chamberlain war ministry|cabinet]] on the eve of [[World War II]] in September 1939]]
[[File:PM visits school as government announces more free schools (16740506276).jpg|thumb|Prime Minister [[David Cameron]] announcing the approval of more [[Free school (England)|free schools]] across the country as a part of his education policy on 9 March 2015]]
The prime minister acts as the principal advisor to the monarch, who is the head of state, a capacity that has evolved gradually during the history of the office. Bagehot says that despite the monarch holding certain theoretical executive powers, in practice, these powers are often executed upon the advice and recommendation of the prime minister and the cabinet.{{Sfn|Bagehot|1867|pp=72–3}} This is considered a major principle of the "unity of powers" that exists within a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch "reigns but does not rule". According to Brazier, the prime minister advises the monarch on matters such as the dissolution of parliament and appointments to the House of Lords, but these decisions are often made with the consent of parliament.{{Sfn|Brazier|1988|p=45–46}}

The prime minister leads the executive in directing government policy and maintaining coordination between government departments which is dependent upon the cooperation and consent of ministers.{{Sfn|Thomas|1998|p=71}}{{Sfn|Thomas|1998|p=72}}{{Sfn|Jennings|1936|p=203}}{{Sfn|Jennings|1936|p=208}}{{Sfn|Bagehot|1867|pp=67–68}} Foreign policy and national security are areas in which the prime minister has traditionally enjoyed more authority under what are known as prerogative powers. Vernon Bogdanor argues that the abilities to declare war, negotiate treaties and deploy the armed forces have historically been part of the monarch's royal authority but have slowly evolved into a function of the office of prime minister. Despite this, the exercise of the prime minister's prerogative powers in these matters is under the oversight of parliament. It is often by convention that a prime minister must seek the approval of parliament before committing the nation to military action.{{Sfn|Bogdanor|1997|p=101–103}} In addition to this, the prime minister also exerts informal influence over public policy. Brazier notes this is due to the prime minister often being the leader of the largest party in government, therefore having a direct impact in initiating policy both in government and during election campaigns.{{Sfn|Brazier|1988|p=89}}

=== Legislative powers ===
In the House of Commons, the prime minister guides the law-making process with the goal of enacting the legislative agenda of their political party. In an executive capacity, the prime minister appoints (and may dismiss) all other Cabinet members and [[minister (government)|ministers]], and co-ordinates the policies and activities of all government departments, and the staff of the Civil Service. The prime minister also acts as the public "face" and "voice" of His Majesty's Government, both at home and abroad. Solely upon the [[Advice (constitutional)|advice]] of the prime minister, the sovereign exercises many statutory and prerogative powers, including high judicial, political, official and [[Church of England]] ecclesiastical appointments; the conferral of peerages and some knighthoods, decorations and other important honours.<ref>[[#Barnett|Barnett]], pp. 245–246</ref>
[[File:Lord-Palmerston-Addressing-The-House-Of-Commons-During-The-Debates-On-The-Treaty-Of-France-In-February-1860,-1863.jpg|alt=fmr UK PM Palmerston|thumb|Prime Minister [[Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston|Lord Palmerston]] during a debate in [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] over the [[Cobden–Chevalier Treaty]] in February 1860]]
Bagehot identifies the prime minister as the head of the "efficient" part of government that functions within the government to steer legislation through both Houses of Parliament.{{Sfn|Bagehot|1867|p=48}} Although the prime minister does not possess the power to introduce legislation directly, their control of the cabinet and their role as leader of the largest political party in the House of Commons enables them substantial influence over any legislative agenda.{{Sfn|Thomas|1998|p=76}} Bagehot points out that this power is based on the prime minister's ability to operate the "machinery of government" that allows them to guide legislation that align with their party's political and ideological priorities.{{Sfn|Bagehot|1867|p=141}} Brazier argues that the legislative power of the prime minister has greatly expanded following the post-war period and that as a result, the prime minister now directly authorises supervision over government bills and has a consequential role in the introduction of legislation.{{Sfn|Brazier|1988|p=102}}

The prime minister is able to wield considerable power in the passing of legislation through their ability to manage party discipline and cohesion in voting patterns. Bogdanor states that this largely depends upon the prime minister being the leader of the largest party in the Commons, which can pass legislation without any or little resistance if they can command the confidence of the House. This aspect of prime ministerial power is informal and often carried out by the office of Whips, who makes sure that MPs remain loyal and vote on the government line.{{Sfn|Bogdanor|1997|p=211}} The political scientist [[Anthony King (political scientist)|Anthony King]] said that the prime minister's influence over legislation is further solidified through their ability to shape policy before it reaches Parliament. King further argued that the shaping of legislation, on many occasions, involves the collaborative efforts of cabinet ministers and civil servants, but the prime minister's approval is needed to initiate the legislative agenda. King's analysis of contemporary politics showed that some prime ministers often bypass or overrule the cabinet on traditional discussion and to push through their preferred agendas with notable cases such as Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.{{Sfn|King|2010|p=145}}

=== Parliamentary powers ===
[[File:G7 leaders signing statement against Terrorism at the 2017 Taormina Summit.jpg|thumb|Prime minister [[Theresa May]] (in the middle) alongside [[G7]] leaders signing statement against Terrorism at the [[2017 Taormina summit]]]]
The prime minister's influence in the [[Palace of Westminster|Houses of Parliament]] is derived from longstanding conventions and statutes that have gradually evolved through the centuries. The office of prime minister itself is not explicitly mentioned in parliamentary law but is developed by [[Constitutional conventions of the United Kingdom|constitutional conventions]] and therefore it is defined by precedent and tradition. Bogdanor notes that the prime minister's power in parliament is exhibited by their control of the executive (the Cabinet) and their ability to influence the legislative agenda.{{Sfn|Bogdanor|2009|p=85}} The ability of the prime minister to influence legislation, according to academic [[Philip Norton, Baron Norton of Louth|Philip Norton]], is often through party discipline and having a reliable majority of MPs who vote in support of the government's priorities.{{Sfn|Norton|2011|p=126}}

Another essential part of the parliamentary powers possessed by the prime minister is determining the composition of the Cabinet.{{Sfn|Thomas|1998|p=76}} According to Professor Robert Hazell, the prime minister not only chooses cabinet members but also dictates the collective decision-making process of members as well. The prime minister most often would chair cabinet meetings and may determine their frequency, thereby controlling the agenda for policy and steering decisions in their preferred direction.{{Sfn|Hazell|2012|p=35}} Additionally, the prime minister can exercise considerable control over parliamentary time. Authors Alexander Horne and Gavin Drewry state that the prime minister uses this power through the [[Leader of the House of Commons]], by which they are able to allocate time for government bills and often ensuring access to this time over private members' bills.{{Sfn|Drewry|Horne|2018|p=94}}

The prime minister's parliamentary powers also extend to foreign relations. Contemporary historian [[Anthony Seldon]] says that the prime minister acts as the main representative of the government in the international sphere, including in parliament, where treaties are ratified and international commitments are debated.{{Sfn|Seldon|2017|p=163}}{{full citation needed|date=November 2024}}

=== Prerogative powers ===
[[File:The House of Commons 1793-94 by Karl Anton Hickel.jpg|thumb|Prime minister [[William Pitt the Younger]] addressing the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] on the outbreak of [[War of the First Coalition|war with France]] in 1793]]
The most significant powers given to the prime minister are "prerogative powers". These are a set of constitutional privileges deriving from monarchial authority that have gradually evolved into tools of executive power managed by the prime minister and the government. Bagehot famously called the British system as one where "the executive power is now yielded by the prime minister" rather than the monarch, a shift from personal to political power. Prerogative powers allow the prime minister to act without the immediate or direct consent of parliament especially in circumstances such as declaring war, deployment of troops and the granting of honours.{{Sfn|Bagehot|1867|p=63}}

Brazier argues that prerogative powers allow the prime minister to act within the "authority of the crown" in situations where neither convention nor statutory law applies. As noted by both Bagehot and Brazier, areas in which the prime minister authorises their given prerogative powers are matters of foreign affairs. In recent occasions, the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] saw Prime Minister Tony Blair deploying British troops to [[Saudi Arabia]] without the immediate consent or approval of parliament.<ref>{{Cite web |title=20 years since Parliament approved military action in Iraq – Parliamentary Affairs special collection |url=https://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/journal/parliamentary-affairs-special-iraq-vote-20-years |access-date=12 November 2024 |website=www.hansardsociety.org.uk}}</ref> Brazier says the rise of parliamentary and public scrutiny has led to calls for reform and checks on the use of prerogative powers.{{Sfn|Brazier|1988|p=132}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 January 2024 |title=Parliamentary approval for military action |url=https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/parliamentary-approval-military-action |access-date=12 November 2024 |website=Institute for Government |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mills |first=Claire |date=14 October 2024 |title=Military action: Parliament's role |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-10001/CBP-10001.pdf |website=House of Commons Library}}</ref> The only prime minister who did not seek parliamentary or legal consent for military action was [[Anthony Eden]] during the [[Suez Crisis]] in 1956.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Letter: Didn't Eden lie repeatedly in parliament over Suez? |url=https://www.ft.com/content/d0e72934-eb37-44b2-a712-5a2340e01f5d |access-date=12 November 2024 |website=www.ft.com |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Norton-Taylor |first=Richard |date=1 December 2006 |title=Lawyers warned Eden that Suez invasion was illegal |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/dec/01/egypt.past |access-date=12 November 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Professors Mark Elliot and Robert Thomas argue that prerogative powers present a constitutional anomaly in the 21st century. Both contend that such powers lack direct democratic legitimacy due to not being regulated by parliamentary statutes and raise concerns over accountability. Elliot and Thomas have pointed out that judicial intervention in cases such as [[R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union|Miller I]] and [[R (Miller) v The Prime Minister and Cherry v Advocate General for Scotland|Miller II]], where the [[Supreme Court of the United Kingdom|Supreme Court]] exercised scrutiny over the use of prerogative powers by the government to prorogue parliament during the [[Britain's withdrawal from the EU|United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union]], was successful in keeping check over the authority of both the prime minister and the government.{{sfn|Thomas|Elliot|2020|p=249}} The evolving usage of prerogative powers also has signalled tension between tradition and accountability. Authors Paul Craig and Adam Tomkins state that the absence of a written constitution gives a prime minister greater leeway in employing their given prerogative powers without limits that in turn would create uncertainty although the use of such powers by the prime minister is often constrained by political convention than by law.{{Sfn|Craig|Tomkins|2005|p=306}}

==Constitutional background==
{{Main|Constitution of the United Kingdom}}
{{Politics of the United Kingdom}}
The British system of government is based on an [[Constitution of the United Kingdom|uncodified constitution]], meaning that it is not set out in any single document.<ref>[[#King|King]], pp. 3–8. King makes the point that much of the British constitution is in fact written and that no constitution is written down in its entirety. The distinctive feature of the British constitution, he says, is that it is not codified.</ref> The British constitution consists of many documents, and most importantly for the evolution of the office of the prime minister, it is based on customs known as [[constitutional convention (political custom)|constitutional conventions]] that became accepted practice. In 1928, Prime Minister [[H. H. Asquith]] described this characteristic of the British constitution in his memoirs:<blockquote>In this country we live ... under an unwritten Constitution. It is true that we have on the Statute-book great instruments like Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, and the Bill of Rights which define and secure many of our rights and privileges; but the great bulk of our constitutional liberties and ... our constitutional practices do not derive their validity and sanction from any Bill which has received the formal assent of the King, Lords and Commons. They rest on usage, custom, convention, often of slow growth in their early stages, not always uniform, but which in the course of time received universal observance and respect.<ref>Quoted in [[#Hanchant|Hanchant]], p. 209</ref>
</blockquote>

The relationships between the prime minister and the sovereign, Parliament and Cabinet are defined largely by these unwritten conventions of the constitution. Many of the prime minister's executive and legislative powers are actually [[royal prerogative]]s which are still formally vested in the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|sovereign]], who remains the [[head of state]].<ref>[[#Low|Low]], p.155. In 1902, for example, Arthur Balfour said, "The prime minister has no salary as prime minister. He has no statutory duties as prime minister, his name occurs in no Acts of Parliament, and though holding the most important place in the constitutional hierarchy, he has no place which is recognized by the laws of his country. This is a strange paradox"</ref> Despite its growing dominance in the constitutional hierarchy, the premiership was given little formal recognition until the 20th century; the [[legal fiction]] was maintained that the sovereign still governed directly. The position was first mentioned in statute only in 1917, in the schedule of the [[Chequers Estate Act 1917|Chequers Estate Act]]. Increasingly during the 20th century, the office and role of prime minister featured in [[statute law]] and official documents; however, the prime minister's powers and relationships with other institutions still largely continue to derive from ancient royal prerogatives and historic and modern constitutional conventions. Prime ministers continue to hold the position of [[First Lord of the Treasury]] and, since November 1968, that of [[Minister for the Civil Service]], the latter giving them authority over the [[Civil Service (United Kingdom)|civil service]].

Under this arrangement, Britain might appear to have two executives: the prime minister and the sovereign. The concept of "[[the Crown]]" resolves this paradox.<ref>[[#Low|Low]], p. 255 "There is no distinction," said Gladstone, "more vital to the practice of the British constitution or to the right judgement upon it than the distinction between the Sovereign and the Crown."</ref> The Crown symbolises the state's authority to govern: to make laws and execute them, impose taxes and collect them, declare war and make peace. Before the "[[Glorious Revolution]]" of 1688, the sovereign exclusively wielded the powers of the Crown; afterwards, Parliament gradually forced monarchs to assume a neutral political position. Parliament has effectively dispersed the powers of the Crown, entrusting its authority to responsible ministers (the prime minister and Cabinet), accountable for their policies and actions to Parliament, in particular the elected [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]].

Although many of the sovereign's prerogative powers are still legally intact,{{refn|The Sovereign's prerogative powers are sometimes called [[reserve power]]s. They include the sole authority to dismiss a prime minister and government of the day in extremely rare and exceptional circumstances, and other powers such as withholding [[Royal Assent]], and summoning and proroguing Parliament. These reserve powers can be exercised without the consent of Parliament. While formally discretionary, the exercise of these powers is heavily limited by convention.|group=n}} constitutional conventions have removed the monarch from day-to-day governance, with ministers exercising the royal prerogatives, leaving the monarch in practice with three constitutional rights: to be kept informed, to advise and to warn.{{Sfn|Bagehot|1867|p=67}}<ref>[[#Low|Low]], pp 255–258</ref>

==Modern premiership==
===Appointment===
In modern times, much of the process involving prime ministerial appointments is informally governed by [[Constitutional conventions of the United Kingdom|constitutional conventions]] and with the rules and processes described by authoritative sources such as [[Cabinet Manual (United Kingdom)|The Cabinet Manual]].{{Refn|Paragraphs 2.7 to 2.20 and 3.1 to 3.2.}}
[[File:The Queen and Tony Blair 6 May 2005 (7139078283).jpg|thumb|[[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] receiving prime minister [[Tony Blair]] after winning a third term in office on 6 May 2005]]
The prime minister is appointed by the monarch, through the exercise of the [[Royal prerogative in the United Kingdom|royal prerogative]].<ref>{{cite web|author=[[Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee|Public Administration Select Committee]]|title=Taming the Prerogative: Strengthening Ministerial Accountability to Parliament. Fourth Report of Session 2003–04|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmpubadm/422/422.pdf|publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom|page=4}}</ref> In the past, the monarch has used personal choice to dismiss or appoint a prime minister (the last time being in 1834), but it is now the convention that the monarch should not be drawn into party politics.<ref name="manual">{{cite web |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/60641/cabinet-manual.pdf |title=The Cabinet Manual |date=October 2011 |publisher=Cabinet Office |edition=1st}}</ref>{{rp|3}} Bogdanor states that throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the monarch often appointed the prime minister based on their personal preference, regardless of whether they have great or little public support.{{Sfn|Bogdanor|2009|p=45–49}}

If a prime minister (incumbent or otherwise) leads their party to victory in a general election and gains an overall majority in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], they will be invited by the monarch to form a new government.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 July 2024 |title=How is a Prime Minister appointed? |url=https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/how-is-a-prime-minister-appointed-2/ |website=House of Commons Library}}</ref> Following the invitation, the prime minister will be driven to [[Buckingham Palace]] to meet the monarch.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Keir Starmer's first meeting with King Charles after election |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cxx29w75x01o |access-date=8 October 2024 |website=www.bbc.com |date=5 July 2024 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Reporter |first=James Crawford-Smith Royal |date=5 July 2024 |title=King Charles appoints Sir Keir Starmer as his third prime minister |url=https://www.newsweek.com/king-charles-appoints-sir-keir-starmer-third-prime-minister-photos-1921356 |access-date=8 October 2024 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=5 July 2024 |title=The UK election winner only becomes prime minister when King Charles III says so |url=https://apnews.com/article/uk-general-election-starmer-labour-king-charles-53dc545af3b52e9d5332d0047835f5f6 |access-date=8 October 2024 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> The meeting between the monarch and the incoming prime minister is a moment for the latter to pledge their loyalty to the monarch and be invited to form a new government. The prime minister is expected to bow before the monarch in a ceremony known as "[[kissing hands]]". Following this, the prime minister is officially appointed the head of His Majesty's government.<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 July 2024 |title=What is 'Kissing the Hand' ceremony in UK politics? |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/uk/what-is-kissing-the-hand-ceremony-in-uk-politics/articleshow/111521482.cms?from=mdr |access-date=7 October 2024 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Maitland |first=Hayley |date=5 July 2024 |title=What, Exactly, Is The "Kissing The Hands" Ceremony That King Charles & Keir Starmer Are About To Take Part In? |url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/kissing-the-hands-ceremony-king-prime-minister |access-date=7 October 2024 |website=British Vogue |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The prime minister "...holds that position by virtue of his or her ability to command the confidence of the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], which in turn commands the confidence of the electorate, as expressed through a [[List of United Kingdom general elections|general election]]."<ref name="manual" />{{rp|3.1}} By convention, [[List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies represented by sitting prime ministers|the prime minister is also an MP]] and is normally the leader of the [[List of political parties in the United Kingdom|political party]] that commands a [[Majority government|majority]] in the House of Commons.<ref name="manual" />{{rp|3.1}}{{refn|During the history of the modern office, five men have served as Prime Minister in both the House of Commons and House of Lords; four moved from serving in the Commons to accept a peerage, while the fifth disclaimed his peerage after his appointment and contested [[1963 Kinross and Western Perthshire by-election|a by-election]] to become an MP.|group=n}}

===Prime Minister's Office===
{{main|10 Downing Street}}

The Prime Minister's Office helps the prime minister to 'establish and deliver the government's overall strategy and policy priorities, and to communicate the government's policies to Parliament, the public and international audiences'.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What the Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street does |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/prime-ministers-office-10-downing-street |access-date=20 February 2021 |website=gov.uk |quote=The office helps the Prime Minister to establish and deliver the government's overall strategy and policy priorities, and to communicate the government's policies to Parliament, the public and international audiences.}}</ref> The Prime Minister's Office is formally part of the Cabinet Office, but the boundary between its work and that of the wider Cabinet Office can be unclear;<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Role and Status of the Prime Minister's Office inquiry launched |url=https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/327/public-administration-and-constitutional-affairs-committee/news/119922/the-role-and-status-of-the-prime-ministers-office-inquiry-launched |access-date=20 February 2021 |website=parliament.uk |quote=Nominally, it is a part of the Cabinet Office, yet it is largely operationally distinct. Its functional relationship with the Cabinet Office is unclear.}}; {{Cite web |last=[[Constitution Committee]] |date=29 January 2010 |title=The Cabinet Office and the Centre of Government |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200910/ldselect/ldconst/30/30.pdf |access-date=20 February 2021 |page=9 |quote=Evidence conflicted about the relationship between the Cabinet Office and the Prime Minister's Office. In the view of some witnesses, the boundary between the two was blurred... Dr Richard Heffernan, Reader in Government, Open University, claimed that "we do not know where the Prime Minister's Department begins and where the Cabinet Office ends".}}</ref> the wider Cabinet Office might carry out very similar work. [[Peter Hennessy]] has claimed that this overall arrangement means there is in fact effectively a Prime Minister's Department, though it is not called this.<ref>{{Cite web |last=[[House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee]] |date=19 June 2014 |title=Role and powers of the Prime Minister |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmpolcon/351/351.pdf |access-date=20 February 2021 |page=34 |quote=One way forward would be to create a Prime Minister's Department—either as a separate entity or as a formal department combined with the Cabinet Office. Lord Hennessy believed that, in practice, there was already a Prime Minister's Department, but it was simply not referred to in those terms: "I am reluctant for a Prime Minister's Department to exist, being a traditionalist, but it does. It is there. It is the department that dare not speak its name."}}</ref>

The Prime Minister's Office was officially created in 1916 by [[David Lloyd George]] during [[World War I]], which marked the first formal recognition of the office of prime minister and established it as an independent institution from other entities within government, with staff to support the coordination of government policy. This development came as a response to the demands of wartime governance, as Lloyd George's leadership needed a more centred and efficient executive function.{{Sfn|Brazier|2008|p=214}}

===Prime Minister's Questions===
{{main|Prime Minister's Questions}}

Prime Minister's Questions is a [[constitutional convention (political custom)|constitutional convention]], currently held as a single session every Wednesday at noon when the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] is sitting, in which the prime minister answers questions from [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|members of Parliament]] (MPs). The leader of the opposition usually asks the prime minister six questions, and the leader of the third-largest parliamentary party can ask two questions. It is an occasion when the prime minister appears regularly on live television and radio.
[[File:Prime Minister's Questions, 4 September 2024 13.jpg|thumb|The current prime minister, [[Keir Starmer]], speaking in the House of Commons on 4 September 2024]]
Before the 1880s, oral questions were mainly directed towards cabinet ministers and therefore such questions were regarded as the same even when addressed to the prime minister. The session in its modern form was first introduced on Tuesday 24 October in 1961 when the then prime minister [[Harold Macmillan]] answered questions for between 15 minutes from 3.15&nbsp;pm to 3.30&nbsp;pm as an experiment. Since 1997 PMQs were held every Wednesdays at 3&nbsp;pm until 3.30&nbsp;pm.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 October 2011 |title=50 years of Prime Minister's Questions |url=https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/news-by-year/2011/october1/50-years-of-pmqs/ |website=UK Parliament |access-date=7 October 2024 |archive-date=7 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007143219/https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/news-by-year/2011/october1/50-years-of-pmqs/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1989, the first PMQs were broadcast and in 1990 were broadcast live to the public as a step towards transparency and accountability.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baldwin |first=Sian |date=24 July 2024 |title=When do the next Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) take place? |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/prime-ministers-questions-pmqs-next-date-b1117391.html |access-date=7 October 2024 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}</ref>

The timing of PMQs has often changed depending on the varied schedules of prime ministers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Politics 97 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/news/05/0509/questions.shtml |access-date=7 October 2024 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=22 May 2024 |title=Prime minister's questions (PMQs) |url=https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/prime-ministers-questions-pmqs |access-date=7 October 2024 |website=Institute for Government |language=en}}</ref> In 1881, questions addressed to the prime minister were placed at the end of question time so that the then 72-year-old Prime Minister William Gladstone could arrive late. In 1904, questions were answered only when they reached No 51 and in 1940 they were expanded to No 45. The procedure was in practice until 1953 when PMQs were restricted to Tuesdays and Thursdays only to assist Winston Churchill who was 78-years old.<ref>{{Cite news |last=White |first=Michael |date=27 October 2011 |title=The history of PMQs |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/oct/27/history-pmqs-prime-ministers-commons |access-date=7 October 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

The prime minister also appears before the [[Liaison Committee (House of Commons of the United Kingdom)|Liaison Committee]] to answer questions about public policy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmstords/0002/body.htm#145 |title=Standing Orders of the House of Commons |work=Parliament.UK |access-date=7 July 2021 |quote=Standing Order 145(2)The committee may also hear evidence from the Prime Minister on matters of public policy.}}</ref>

===Security and transport===
[[File:Downing Street, Home of PM Gordon Brown - geograph.org.uk - 1380047.jpg|thumb|Two armed police officers stand guard in 2009 at the entrance to 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the prime minister.]]
The personal protection of the prime minister<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stacey |first=Kiran |date=27 October 2014 |title=Police to review security after man runs into David Cameron |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a0fd7b08-5def-11e4-b7a2-00144feabdc0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/a0fd7b08-5def-11e4-b7a2-00144feabdc0 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |access-date=26 February 2021 |quote=The force said: "The MPS Specialist Protection Command is responsible for the personal protection of the prime minister"}}</ref> and former prime ministers<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 September 2008 |title=Tony Blair's bodyguard left gun in Starbuck's toilet |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2679015/Tony-Blairs-bodyguard-left-gun-in-Starbucks-toilet.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2679015/Tony-Blairs-bodyguard-left-gun-in-Starbucks-toilet.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |access-date=26 February 2021 |website=Daily Telegraph |quote=The SO1 unit – full name Specialist Protection Command – is responsible for the personal safety of Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former Prime Ministers Mr Blair and Margaret Thatcher.}}{{cbignore}}; {{Cite web |date=12 March 2020 |title=Cottage next to David Cameron's Dean home destroyed in suspected arson |url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/18301351.cottage-next-david-camerons-dean-home-destroyed-suspected-arson |access-date=26 February 2021 |website=Oxford Mail |quote=The fire will raise questions about security for Mr Cameron, 53, who as a former Prime Minister has lifelong personal protection from the Specialist Protection Branch of the Metropolitan Police Service Protection Command.}}</ref> is the responsibility of [[Protection Command]] within the [[Metropolitan Police Service]]. When the prime minister resides in 10 Downing Street, they are constantly surrounded by armed police units with "airport-style" security checkpoints, large metal gates, street patrols and heavy vetting for staff and non-ministerial individuals. Such installations were introduced due to fears of [[Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)|IRA]] bomb threats and attacks which were persistent during [[The Troubles]]. When travelling, the prime minister will be accompanied by a select group of police officers joined by a wider team of security personnel. On the road, the prime ministerial entourage will be followed by police outriders on motorbikes to clear a path in the traffic and to stop them from being a sitting target.<sup><ref>{{Cite web |title=What security does the prime minister have? |url=https://news.sky.com/story/what-security-does-the-prime-minister-have-12932957 |access-date=9 October 2024 |website=Sky News |language=en}}</ref></sup> The fleet of [[Prime Ministerial Car|prime ministerial car]]s provides the prime minister with a number of security features as well as transport. The vehicles are driven by officers from this unit.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SO1 Specialist Protection |url=http://www.eliteukforces.info/police/SO1-specialist-protection |access-date=18 May 2019 |website=www.eliteukforces.info}}</ref> These vehicles are often custom made and always British manufactured with in-built gun ports, an independent oxygen supply and the ability to release tear gas to subdue crowds.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Mikey |date=27 October 2014 |title=David Cameron's security: The people who protect the Prime Minister |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/david-camerons-security-people-who-4518310 |access-date=9 October 2024 |website=The Mirror |language=en}}</ref> [[Air transport of the British royal family and government|Air transport for the prime minister]] is provided by a variety of military and civilian operators.

===International role===
{{Main|List of international trips made by prime ministers of the United Kingdom}}
One of the roles of the prime minister is to represent the UK at home and abroad,<ref>{{cite web |title=Power and decision-making in the UK |work=BBC Bitesize |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zwypxfr/revision/4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814082914/https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zwypxfr/revision/4 |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 August 2021 |access-date=13 March 2021 |quote=The PM has several roles including:... representing the UK at home and abroad}}</ref> for example at the annual [[G7 Summit]]. The prime minister makes many international trips. According to [[Gus O'Donnell]], the number of overseas visits for the prime minister has gone up.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Andrew |last1=Blick |first2=George |last2=Jones |title=The power of the Prime Minister |url=http://health-equity.pitt.edu/4042/1/policy-paper-102.html |website=health-equity.pitt.edu/ |access-date=21 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402125443/http://health-equity.pitt.edu/4042/1/policy-paper-102.html|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Deputy ===
{{Main|Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom}}
Prime ministers have had various deputies, sometimes as an official deputy prime minister, [[first secretary of state]] or ''de facto'' deputy. Some prime ministers have not chosen a deputy at all, preferring ''ad hoc'' arrangements.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Norton|first=Philip|title=Governing Britain: Parliament, Ministers and Our Ambiguous Constitution|publisher=[[Manchester University Press]]|year=2020|isbn=9-781526-145451|pages=142}}</ref>

Historically, the position of deputy prime minister has been created out of political necessity rather than being established by statutory law or convention with the title not being defined in the constitution.{{Sfn|Bagehot|1867|pp=65–69}} The position was first created (unofficially) for [[Clement Attlee]] in prime minister [[Winston Churchill]]'s [[Churchill war ministry|ministry]] during [[World War II]], to manage administrative duties, domestic affairs and welfare, while Churchill focused on military strategy.{{Sfn|Brazier|1988|p=134–137}} In recent times, after the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 general election]] resulted in a [[hung parliament]], the leaders of the [[Leader of the Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] and the [[Leader of the Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrats]], [[David Cameron]] and [[Nick Clegg]], formed a [[coalition government]] in which Clegg served as deputy prime minister. In that capacity, Clegg chaired cabinet meetings, key committees and led negotiations on major reforms. As such, the office saw an unusual level of formalisation and recognition during Clegg's tenure.{{Sfn|Bogdanor|2009|p=212–214}}

==== Succession ====
Nobody has the right of automatic succession to the prime ministership.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brazier |first=Rodney |title=Choosing a Prime Minister: The Transfer of Power in Britain |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2020 |isbn=978-0-19-885929-1 |pages=174}}</ref> It is generally considered that in the event of the death of the prime minister, it would be appropriate to appoint an interim prime minister, though there is some debate as to how to decide who this should be.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Norton |first=Philip |date=2016 |title=A temporary occupant of No.10? Prime Ministerial succession in the event of the death of the incumbent |journal=[[Public Law]] |pages=34}}</ref>

According to [[Rodney Brazier]], there are no procedures within government to cope with the sudden death of the prime minister.<ref>{{Harvnb|Brazier|2020|page=84}}</ref> There is also no such title as acting prime minister of the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Harvnb|Brazier|2020|page=68}}</ref> Despite refusing "...to discuss a hypothetical situation" with [[BBC News]] in 2011,<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 December 2011 |title=MP urges 'line of succession' rules for prime minister |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-16283292 |access-date=6 June 2021}}</ref> the [[Cabinet Office]] said the following in 2006:<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Vennard |first=Andrew |date=2008 |title=Prime Ministerial succession |journal=[[Public Law (journal)|Public Law]] |pages=304}}</ref>{{Blockquote|There is no single protocol setting out all of the possible implications. However, the general constitutional position is as set out below. There can be no automatic assumption about who The Queen would ask to act as caretaker Prime Minister in the event of the death of the Prime Minister. The decision is for her under the Royal Prerogative. However, there are some key guiding principles. The Queen would probably be looking for a very senior member of the Government (not necessarily a Commons Minister since this would be a short-term appointment). If there was a recognised deputy to the Prime Minister, used to acting on his behalf in his absences, this could be an important factor. Also important would be the question of who was likely to be in contention to take over long-term as Prime Minister. If the most senior member of the Government was him or herself a contender for the role of Prime Minister, it might be that The Queen would invite a slightly less senior non-contender. In these circumstances, her private secretary would probably take soundings, via the Cabinet Secretary, of members of the Cabinet, to ensure that The Queen invited someone who would be acceptable to the Cabinet to act as their chair during the caretaker period. Once the Party had elected a new leader, that person would, of course, be invited to take over as Prime Minister.
}}Additionally, when the prime minister is travelling, it is standard practice for a senior duty minister to be appointed who can attend to urgent business and meetings if required, though the prime minister remains in charge and updated throughout.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mason |first=Chris |date=15 August 2016 |title=Is Boris Johnson running the country? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/37086680 |access-date=19 March 2021 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>

On 6 April 2020, when [[Boris Johnson]] was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit of St Thomas' Hospital, when suffering from COVID-19, he asked [[Dominic Raab]] "to deputise for him where necessary".<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 April 2020 |title=Statement from Downing Street: 6 April 2020 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-from-downing-street-6-april-2020 |access-date=19 March 2021 |website=[[gov.uk]]}}</ref>

===Resignation===
[[File:Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaves 10 Downing Street (53836890030).jpg|thumb|Prime minister [[Rishi Sunak]] announces his resignation outside 10 Downing Street, 5 July 2024.]]
A prime minister ends their tenure by offering their resignation to the British monarch.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The appointment of prime ministers and the role of the Queen |url=https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/appointment-prime-ministers |access-date=23 February 2021 |website=[[Institute for Government]] |date=13 September 2019 |quote=The incumbent prime minister informs Buckingham Palace that they will be resigning. There is then a well-rehearsed sequence of events in which the outgoing prime minister travels to see the Queen and formally tenders his or her resignation.}}</ref> This can happen after their party has suffered a general election defeat, so that they no longer command the confidence of the House of Commons. It can also happen mid-term, if they are forced to resign for political reasons,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Mikhailova |first1=Anna |last2=Yorke |first2=Harry |date=16 May 2019 |title=Tearful Theresa May forced to agree to stand down: PM out by June 30 at the latest |work=Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/05/16/brexit-latest-news-theresa-may-set-showdown-meeting-senior-tories |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=26 February 2021 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/05/16/brexit-latest-news-theresa-may-set-showdown-meeting-senior-tories |archive-date=10 January 2022 |quote=During an emotionally-charged meeting with senior members of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs, Mrs May was forced to agree to stand down within weeks so the Conservatives can elect a new leader before Parliament's summer recess.}}{{cbignore}}</ref> or for other reasons such as ill-health.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 January 1957 |title=1957: Sir Anthony Eden resigns |work=BBC ON THIS DAY |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/9/newsid_2800000/2800833.stm |access-date=22 February 2021 |quote=Sir Anthony Eden has resigned as prime minister of Britain due to ill health.}}; {{Cite web |date=10 January 1957 |title=Sir Anthony Eden resigns |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1957/jan/10/conservatives.past |access-date=22 February 2021 |website=The Guardian |quote=Sir Anthony Eden resigned the office of Prime Minister yesterday because, in the opinion of four doctors, "his health will no longer enable him to sustain the heavy burdens inseparable from the office of Prime Minister."}}</ref> If the prime minister resigns mid-term, and their party has a majority in the Commons, the party selects a new leader according to its rules, and this new leader is invited by the monarch to become the new prime minister. The outgoing prime minister is likely to remain in post until the new leader has been chosen by the party. After resigning, the outgoing prime minister remains a [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|member of Parliament]]. An outgoing prime minister can ask the monarch to bestow honours on any number of people of their choosing, known as the [[Prime Minister's Resignation Honours]]. No incumbent prime minister has ever lost their own seat at a general election.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What happens if a prime minister loses their seat in a general election? |url=https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/prime-minister-lost-seat-general-election |access-date=22 February 2021 |website=[[Institute for Government]] |date=27 November 2019 |quote=Has a prime minister ever lost their seat? No incumbent prime minister has ever lost his or her seat at a general election.}}</ref> Only one prime minister has been assassinated: [[Assassination of Spencer Perceval|Spencer Perceval, in 1812]].

==Privileges ==
{{Main|List of peerages held by prime ministers of the United Kingdom|Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom}}

On taking office a new prime minister usually makes a public statement to announce to the country that they have been appointed by the reigning monarch (called "[[kissing hands]]"). This is usually done by saying words to the effect of:

{{Blockquote
| His Majesty the King ''[Her Majesty the Queen]'' has asked me to form a government and I have accepted.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cameron |first=David |date=11 May 2010 |title=David Cameron becomes PM: Full Downing Street statement |agency=BBC News |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8676405.stm |access-date=11 May 2010}}; {{YouTube|id=TezCBzlB3d8|title=Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrives at Downing Street}}; {{YouTube|id=Ebj1vT7CMyk|title=Transfer of Power from James Callaghan to Margaret Thatcher}}; {{Cite news |last=May |first=Theresa |date=13 July 2016 |title=Prime Minister Theresa May promises 'a better Britain' – the full speech |agency=[[Total Politics]] |url=https://www.totalpolitics.com/articles/news/prime-minster-theresa-may-promises-better-britain-full-speech |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref>}}

=== Precedence and form of address ===
Ministerial listings are printed in the official records of parliament known as "Hansard", and 1885 was the first known instance of official use of the title of prime minister. The minutes of the first meeting of the Committee of Imperial Defence in 1902 saw the first internal reference to the title as well. The 1904 edition of the Imperial Calendar referred to the then prime minister, Arthur Balfour, as 'Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury'; in the previous edition he was merely 'First Lord of the Treasury and Lord Privy Seal'.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=The Institution of Prime Minister – History of government |url=https://history.blog.gov.uk/2012/01/01/the-institution-of-prime-minister/ |access-date=7 October 2024 |website=history.blog.gov.uk}} [[File:Open Government Licence logo.svg|30px]] Text was copied from this source, which is available under an [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/  Open Government Licence v3.0].  Crown copyright.</ref>

Throughout the United Kingdom, the prime minister outranks all other dignitaries except members of the royal family, the [[lord chancellor]], and senior ecclesiastical figures.{{refn|
These include: in [[England and Wales]], the [[Church of England|Anglican]] archbishops of Canterbury and York; in Scotland, the lord high commissioner and the [[moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland]]; in [[Northern Ireland]], the [[Church of Ireland|Anglican]] and Roman Catholic archbishops of Armagh and Dublin and the [[Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland|moderator of the General Assembly]] of the [[Presbyterian Church in Ireland|Presbyterian Church]].|group= n}} The prime minister was officially granted a place in the order of precedence in December 1905, and the first statutory reference to the prime minister was present in the Chequers Estate Act 1917, which specified Chequers as a prime-ministerial residence. Public recognition of the existence of a 'Prime Minister's Office' in the Civil Service Yearbook came as recently as the 1977 edition.<ref name=":0" />

The prime minister is customarily a member of the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]] and thus entitled to the appellation "[[The Right Honourable]]". Membership of the Council is retained for life. It is a constitutional convention that only a privy counsellor can be appointed prime minister. Most potential candidates have already attained this status. The only case when a non-privy counsellor was the natural appointment was [[Ramsay MacDonald]] in 1924. The issue was resolved by appointing him to the Council immediately prior to his appointment as prime minister.

According to the now-defunct [[Department for Constitutional Affairs]], the prime minister is made a privy counsellor as a result of taking office and should be addressed by the official title prefixed by "The Right Honourable" and not by a personal name.{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=July 2016}} Although this form of address is employed on formal occasions, it is rarely used by the media. As "prime minister" is a position, not a title, the incumbent should be referred to as "the prime minister", although the title "Prime Minister" (e.g. "Prime Minister Keir Starmer") has become commonplace within current political reporting.<ref>{{cite web |title=Life after the premiership of Tony Blair |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tony-Blair/Life-after-the-premiership |website=Britannica.com|date=18 July 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Gordon Brown: Labour plan would make UK work for Scotland |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-63853652 |access-date=6 November 2023 |work=BBC News |date=5 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Castel |first1=Steven |title=The Race for a New British Prime Minister Begins, Again |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/21/world/europe/british-prime-minister-race.html |access-date=6 November 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=21 October 2022}}</ref> Within the UK, the expression "Prime Minister Starmer" is never used, although it, too, is sometimes used by foreign dignitaries and news sources.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

=== Compensation ===
In 2010, the prime minister received £14,500 in addition to a salary of £65,737 as a member of parliament.<ref name=":1">{{Citation |title=A new politics: cutting Ministerial pay |date=13 May 2010 |url=http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/latest-news/2010/05/a-new-politics-cutting-ministerial-pay-50065 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618230623/http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/latest-news/2010/05/a-new-politics-cutting-ministerial-pay-50065 |publisher=Number10.gov.uk |access-date=19 June 2010 |archive-date=18 June 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Until 2006, the [[lord chancellor]] was the highest-paid member of the government, ahead of the prime minister. This reflected the lord chancellor's position at the head of the [[Judiciary of England and Wales#Judicial salaries|judicial pay scale]]. The [[Constitutional Reform Act 2005]] eliminated the lord chancellor's judicial functions and also reduced the office's salary to below that of the prime minister. During the [[premiership of Gordon Brown]], the prime minister received a salary of £193,885 on 1 April 2009 which was higher than the salary of £166,786 as of 2024. The reasons for such reductions are Brown's cuts to voluntary pay at around £150,000 during pre-election in the May 2010 election, and when David Cameron became prime minister the cuts were extended to 5%, amounting at around £142,500. Subsequent prime ministers have kept the restraint on ministerial pay and have not taken any further pay outside of what they are entitled.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chart of the week: Prime Minister's salary |url=https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2024/sep-2024/chart-of-the-week-prime-ministers-salary |access-date=31 October 2024 |website=www.icaew.com |language=en}}</ref> According to journalist Simon Kelner, the salary of the prime minister must be increased and that further expansion of a salary or hospitality received by a prime minister is disavowed under the [[Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883]] which only criminalised voter bribery and introduced standards for election expenses, and "created a more level playing field for parliamentary candidates". Kelner said that it is a inadequate way of holding a prime minister into account. This was in response to the [[2024 Labour Party freebies controversy]], in which the current prime minister, [[Keir Starmer]], having reportedly failed to disclose the amount of gifts and "freebies" received by him, members of his family and cabinet.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Features |first=Simon Wilson published in |date=7 October 2024 |title=How much does the prime minister get paid? |url=https://moneyweek.com/economy/uk-economy/how-much-does-the-prime-minister-get-paid |access-date=31 October 2024 |website=moneyweekuk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelner |first=Simon |date=20 September 2024 |title=The real problem is that Keir Starmer is not paid enough |url=https://inews.co.uk/opinion/the-real-problem-is-that-keir-starmer-is-not-paid-enough-3285448 |access-date=31 October 2024 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=19 September 2024 |title=UK PM Starmer accepted more gifts than any other member of parliament, Sky News reports |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-pm-starmer-accepted-more-gifts-than-any-other-member-parliament-sky-news-2024-09-18/ |work=Reuters}}</ref>

=== Official residences ===
{{Multiple image
| perrow            = 1
| header            = Prime ministerial residences
| image1            = Larry the cat outside 10 Downing St.jpg
| image2            = Chequers (cropped).jpg
| caption1          = [[10 Downing Street]], the official place of residence of the prime minister
| caption2          = [[Chequers]], used by the prime minister as a country retreat
}}
10 Downing Street, in London, has been the [[official residence|official place of residence]] of the prime minister since 1732; they are entitled to use its staff and facilities, including extensive offices. The building was originally given by [[George I of Great Britain|King George I]] to Robert Walpole, the nation's first prime minister, as a personal gift. However, Walpole insisted that he would accept it in his capacity as first lord of the Treasury and requested that his subsequent successors be entitled to reside in and use the property as they wish.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of 10 Downing Street – GOV.UK |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/history/10-downing-street |access-date=7 October 2024 |website=www.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref> The complex incorporates the flats of No.11 and No.12 Downing Street, which have been reconstructed through to connect them to No.10. Altogether, the three buildings contain over 100 rooms.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 June 2023 |title=No.10 Downing Street |url=https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/no10-downing-street |access-date=7 October 2024 |website=Institute for Government |language=en}}</ref>

[[Chequers]], a [[English country house|country house]] in Buckinghamshire, gifted to the government in 1917, may be used as a country retreat for the prime minister. The estate was previously owned by the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] minister and [[First Lord of the Admiralty]], [[Arthur Lee, 1st Viscount Lee of Fareham|Sir Arthur Lee]], before being donated to the British government under the [[Chequers Estate Act 1917]]. It was to give the incumbent prime minister the time to "spend two days a week in the high and pure air of the Chiltern hills and woods" and on the condition that incumbent should not own any residential country estate of their own.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sommerlad |first=Joe |date=13 July 2018 |title=Chequers: A brief history of the British prime minister's country residence |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/chequers-uk-prime-minister-where-residence-trump-visit-theresa-may-buckinghamshire-a8445321.html |website=The Independent |access-date=9 October 2024 |archive-date=3 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203232849/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/chequers-uk-prime-minister-where-residence-trump-visit-theresa-may-buckinghamshire-a8445321.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Baldwin |first=Sian |date=13 August 2024 |title=Chequers: Where is the Prime Minister's country house and who owns it? |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/chequers-prime-minister-country-house-location-b1032991.html |access-date=9 October 2024 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}</ref>

During the 18th and 19th centuries, many prime ministers were members of the [[British nobility]] and therefore held the office while serving in the [[House of Lords]]. Through lineage and inheritance, these prime ministers acquired large estates, though they still owned properties in London for political affairs and many used [[English country house|country houses]] as a retreat. Until the mid-20th century, parliamentary sessions did not begin until the New Year after ending in August, which would give the prime minister long periods in respite.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Prime Ministerial Residences in History |url=https://www.museumofpm.org/prime-ministerial-residencies-london-elsewhere/prime-ministerial-residences-in-history/ |access-date=9 October 2024 |website=Museum of the Prime Minister |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Post-premiership ==

=== Retirement honours ===
[[File:0O2A1330-2_(54139304641).jpg|thumb|Eight former prime ministers seen together in 2024 – first row Blair and Major, second row Cameron and Brown, third Johnson and May, fourth Sunak and Truss]]
Upon retirement, it is customary for the sovereign to grant a prime minister some honour or dignity. The honour bestowed is commonly, but not invariably, membership of the UK's most senior order of chivalry, the [[Order of the Garter]]. The practice of creating a retired prime minister a Knight Companion of the Garter (KG) has been fairly prevalent since the mid-nineteenth century. Upon the retirement of a prime minister who is Scottish, it is likely that the primarily Scottish honour of [[Order of the Thistle|Knight of the Thistle]] (KT) will be used instead of the Order of the Garter, which is generally regarded as an English honour.{{refn|This circumstance is somewhat confused, however, as since the Great Reform Act 1832, only seven Scots have served as prime minister. Of these, two – [[Bonar Law]] and [[Ramsay MacDonald]] – died while still sitting in the Commons, not yet having retired; MacDonald was offered the KT in 1935, but declined it as acceptance would have conflicted with his principles as a Labour Party member.<ref>{{cite book |last=Vickers |first=Hugo |date=1994 |title=Royal Orders |location=Great Britain |publisher=Boxtree Limited |page=55 |isbn=1852835109}}</ref> The [[George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen|Earl of Aberdeen]] was appointed to ''both'' the Order of the Garter and the Order of the Thistle, while [[Alec Douglas-Home]] became a KT while Foreign Secretary. Yet another, [[Arthur Balfour]], was appointed to the Order of the Garter, but represented an English constituency and may not have considered himself entirely Scottish; of the remaining two, the [[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery|Earl of Rosebery]] became a KG, and [[Gordon Brown]] remained in the House of Commons as a [[backbencher]] until 2015.|group= n}}

Historically it has also been common to grant prime ministers a [[peerage]] upon retirement from the Commons, elevating the individual to the Lords. Formerly, the peerage bestowed was usually an [[earl]]dom.{{refn|Churchill was offered a [[Duke of London|dukedom]] but declined.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rasor |first=Eugene L. |url=https://archive.org/details/winstonschurchil00raso |title=Winston S. Churchill, 1874–1965: a comprehensive historiography and annotated bibliography |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-313-30546-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/winstonschurchil00raso/page/205 205] |url-access=registration}}</ref>|group= n}} The last such creation was for [[Harold Macmillan]], who resigned in 1963. Unusually, he became [[Earl of Stockton]] only in 1984, over twenty years after leaving office.

Macmillan's successors [[Alec Douglas-Home]], [[Harold Wilson]], [[James Callaghan]], [[Margaret Thatcher]], [[David Cameron]], and [[Theresa May]] all accepted [[life peer]]ages (although Douglas-Home had previously disclaimed his hereditary title as [[Earl of Home]] and Cameron received a peerage after reentering government as Foreign Secretary, not for services as a former prime minister). [[Edward Heath]] did not accept a peerage of any kind; neither have any of the prime ministers who have retired since 1990 other than Cameron (having done so to re-join the Cabinet, rather than as an honour per se) and May. Edward Heath (in 1992), [[John Major]] (in 2005) and [[Tony Blair]] (in 2022) were appointed as Knights Companion of the Garter. Major (in 1998) and [[Gordon Brown]] (in 2024) were appointed members of the [[Order of the Companions of Honour]], although Blair had previously disclosed that he did not want honours bestowed on himself or future prime ministers.

The most recent former prime minister to die was Margaret Thatcher (1979–1990) on 8 April 2013. Her death meant that for the first time since 1955 (the year in which the [[Earldom of Attlee]] was created, subsequent to the death of [[Earl Baldwin of Bewdley|Earl Baldwin]] in 1947) the membership of the House of Lords included no former prime minister, a situation which remained the case until David Cameron was appointed to the House in November 2023.

=== Activities ===
There are currently no established roles or job positions for former prime ministers following their resignations or after leaving office unexpectedly. It depends on their personal choice and reasons surrounding the need to take on such positions. During the 18th and 19th centuries, many former prime ministers, who were wealthy members of the [[British nobility|nobility]], would often simply retire to their country estates. The first prime minister, [[Robert Walpole]], accumulated large personal wealth while serving in office and from previous investments made in the 1710s. Prime ministers [[John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute|Lord Bute]] and [[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery|Lord Rosebery]] were among the wealthiest men in the country during their retirements and are often touted as some of the wealthiest to serve as in office. However some prime ministers, such as [[William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham|William Pitt the Elder]] and his son [[William Pitt the Younger]], amassed large public debts that were later paid off by parliament. In 1937, an official pension for former prime ministers was given at the sum of £2000 per annum.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Former Prime Ministers – History of government |url=https://history.blog.gov.uk/2012/11/01/former-prime-ministers/ |access-date=8 October 2024 |website=history.blog.gov.uk}}</ref>

In their retirements, a majority of former prime ministers have written memoirs and autobiographies. Some prime ministers have also written non-political books as well, including Winston Churchill's histories of [[World War II]] and of the English language,<ref>{{Cite web |last=pixelstorm |date=17 October 2008 |title=The Books of Sir Winston Churchill |url=https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/reference/the-books-of-sir-winston-churchill/ |access-date=8 October 2024 |website=International Churchill Society |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=pixelstorm |date=7 January 2009 |title=Churchill the Writer: His Life as a Man of Letters |url=https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/reference/churchill-the-writer-his-life-as-a-man-of-letters/ |access-date=31 October 2024 |website=International Churchill Society |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Edward Heath]]'s books on his wider interests in sailing, music and travel, Major's history of cricket<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mosey |first=Roger |date=19 May 2007 |title=Playing a straight bat |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/may/19/featuresreviews.guardianreview10 |access-date=31 October 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 May 2007 |title=A Politician addicted to spin |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph-a-politician-addicte/130674581/ |access-date=31 October 2024 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en-US}}</ref> and Arthur Balfour's philosophical writings.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Root |first=John David |date=1980 |title=The Philosophical and Religious Thought of Arthur James Balfour (1848–1930) |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-british-studies/article/abs/philosophical-and-religious-thought-of-arthur-james-balfour-18481930/A1BF68053D5643185DC06E36B91B15DF |journal=Journal of British Studies |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=120–141 |doi=10.1086/385758 |via=Cambridge University Press|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Some prime ministers such as [[William Ewart Gladstone|William Gladstone]] mainly wrote tracts and tomes on theology and religion<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gladstone's Writing |url=https://www.gladstoneslibrary.org/reading-rooms/digital-gladstone/gladstones-writing |access-date=31 October 2024 |website=Gladstone's Library |language=en-GB}}</ref> and [[Benjamin Disraeli]] wrote many best-selling novels in addition to memoirs and history.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Benjamin Disraeli: Literary Contribution as Novelist |url=https://www.englishliterature.info/2021/08/benjamin-disraeli-literary-writings.html |access-date=31 October 2024 |website=Literature Analysis}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news |title=The best and worst memoirs by British prime ministers |url=https://www.economist.com/the-economist-reads/2024/07/03/the-best-and-worst-memoirs-by-british-prime-ministers |access-date=8 October 2024 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}}</ref>
[[File:The Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel 1844.jpg|thumb|The [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Duke of Wellington]] (on the left) served in the government of his successor, [[Robert Peel]] (on the right), twice.]]
In the 21st century, many former prime ministers have set up their own foundations and charities to be used as a platform to continue involvement in political and public issues after they leave office.<ref name=":2" /> In 1991, [[Margaret Thatcher]] became the first prime minister to set up her own foundation to try to secure her legacy and propagate her ideology known as [[Thatcherism]], but it closed down in 2005.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barkham |first=Patrick |date=10 May 2005 |title=End of an era for Thatcher foundation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/may/11/conservatives.politics |access-date=8 October 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Tony Blair has set up a sports foundation, an inter-faith foundation and the [[Tony Blair Institute for Global Change]] in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 December 2016 |title=Tony Blair Institute 'to focus on making globalisation work' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-38167749 |access-date=8 October 2024 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}|</ref> In his post-premiership, Blair is also the first prime minister to take on a major international role, as an official envoy of the [[Quartet on the Middle East]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 May 2015 |title=Tony Blair quits Middle East envoy role |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-32905468 |access-date=8 October 2024 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Gordon Brown]] was actively involved in politics long after he left office, most notably during the [[2014 Scottish independence referendum]], in which he campaigned for the no vote that advocated Scotland to remain in the union.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Freedland |first=Jonathan |date=27 June 2014 |title=Gordon Brown is back, and may be the man to save the union |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/27/gordon-brown-union-scottish-independence |access-date=9 October 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Boffey |first=Daniel |date=20 September 2014 |title=Gordon Brown tells Scots: I'll make sure Westminster keeps promises |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/20/gordon-brown-scotland-labour-party-strategy |access-date=9 October 2024 |work=The Observer |language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712}}</ref>

However, some former prime ministers have returned to serve in the governments of their successors, and a few have had 'retreads' that saw them serve short tenures due to their successors unexpectedly resigning or dying. Notable cases include the [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Duke of Wellington]] who, after serving two brief terms in office, was able to command significant influence as a senior member of the [[Tories (British political party)|Tory party]] and returned to serve in two governments of his successor, [[Robert Peel|Sir Robert Peel]], as [[Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom)|Foreign Secretary]] and [[Minister without portfolio (United Kingdom)|Minister without portfolio]]. He later retired to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the Army from 1842 until his death in 1852.<ref name=":2" /> Arthur Balfour served as prime minister for three years of his term after he was defeated in the [[1906 United Kingdom general election|1906 general election]] and later went on to serve as the [[Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom)|Foreign Secretary]] for eleven years in the [[Imperial War Cabinet]] during and after [[World War I]] under three prime ministers. After [[Neville Chamberlain]] resigned as prime minister in May 1940, he returned to serve under Winston Churchill in his subsequent [[Churchill war ministry|war cabinet]]. [[Alec Douglas-Home]], who resigned after losing the [[1964 United Kingdom general election|1964 general election]], later came to serve in the cabinet of Edward Heath in 1970.<ref>{{Cite web |title=British Prime Ministers who returned to government |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/british-prime-ministers-who-returned-to-government |access-date=8 October 2024 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref> [[David Cameron]] returned 7 years after [[Aftermath of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum#Conservative|resigning as Prime Minister]] to serve as [[Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom)|Foreign Secretary]] under [[Rishi Sunak]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-11-14 |title=David Cameron returns to cabinet table after seven years |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67411550 |access-date=2025-11-24 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== <span class="anchor" id="Public Duty Costs Allowance"></span><span class="anchor" id="PDCA"></span> Public Duty Costs Allowance (PDCA) ===

All former prime ministers are entitled to claim for salary or office expenses incurred in fulfilling public duties in that role. The allowance may not be used to pay for private or parliamentary duties. It is administered by the Cabinet Office Finance Team.

The maximum amount which may be claimed per year is £115,000, plus 10% towards any staff pension costs. This limit is reviewed annually, and at the start of each Parliament, by the current prime minister. The maximum level may be adjusted downward if the former prime minister receives any public funds for fulfilling other public appointments.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Public Duty Costs Allowance guidance |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-duty-cost-allowance/public-duty-costs-allowance-guidance |access-date=2 November 2022 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref> Downing Street confirmed in November 2023 that former prime minister David Cameron would not claim from the PDCA [[David Cameron's tenure as Foreign Secretary|while he acted as Foreign Secretary]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Allegretti |first=Steven Swinford, Chris Smyth, Laurence Sleator, Oliver Wright, Geraldine Scott, Matt Dathan, Aubrey |date=25 November 2023 |title=MP files letter of no confidence in Rishi Sunak as reshuffle backlash begins — as it happened |newspaper=[[The Times]] |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/rishi-sunak-cabinet-reshuffle-2023-latest-news-suella-braverman-whvp0c88l |access-date=25 November 2023 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref>

== See also ==

===Lists of prime ministers by different criteria===
{{Div col|colwidth=27em}}
* [[Historical rankings of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of current heads of government in the United Kingdom and dependencies]]
* [[List of fictional prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of peerages held by prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom by age]]
* [[List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom by education]]
* [[List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom by length of tenure]]
* [[List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies represented by sitting prime ministers]]
* [[Timeline of prime ministers of Great Britain and the United Kingdom]]
{{Div col end}}
All lists: [[:Category:Lists of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]

===Other related pages===
{{Div col|colwidth=27em}}
* [[Air transport of the British royal family and government]]
* [[Armorial of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[:Category:Books written by prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[Cultural depictions of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]] 
* {{anl|Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom}}
* [[List of burial places of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of nicknames of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of things named after prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[Records of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[Spouse of the prime minister of the United Kingdom]]
{{Div col end}}
More related pages: [[:Category:Prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=n}}
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Works cited ===
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bagehot |first=Walter |author-link=Walter Bagehot |title=The English Constitution |year=1867 |publisher=Chapman & Hall |location=London |oclc=456848977 |url=https://archive.org/details/englishconstitu05bagegoog }}
* {{Cite book |last=Barnett |first=Hilaire |title=Constitutional & Administrative Law |publisher=Routledge-Cavendish |year=2009 |edition=7th |location=Abingdon, Oxfordshire |ref=Barnett}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bogdanor |first=Vernon |title=The Monarchy and the Constitution |date=1997 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-829334-7}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bogdanor |first=Vernon |title=The New British Constitution |date=2009 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-1841136714}}
* {{Cite book |last=Brazier |first=Rodney |title=Constitutional Practice |date=1988 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-825596-3}}
* {{Cite book |last=Brazier |first=Rodney |title=Constitutional Reform |date=2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0198765233}}
* {{Cite book |last=Chrimes |first=S. B. |title=English Constitutional History |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1947 |isbn=978-0-404-14653-5 |location=Oxford |ref=Chrimes}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Craig |first1=Paul |title=The Executive and Public Law: Power and Accountability in Comparative Perspective |last2=Tomkins |first2=Adam |date=2005 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-826869-7}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Drewry |first1=Gavin |title=Parliament and the Law |last2=Horne |first2=Alexander |date=2018 |publisher=Hart Publishing |isbn=978-1849462952}}
* {{Cite book |last=Hanchant |first=W.L. |title=England Is Here—Speeches and Writings of the Prime Ministers of England |publisher=Bodley Head |year=1943 |ref=Hanchant}}
* {{Cite book |last=Hazell |first=Robert |title= The Politics of Coalition: How the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Government Works |date=2012 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1849463102}}
* {{Cite book |last=Jennings |first=Ivor |title=Cabinet Government |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1936 |isbn=978-0521095709 |edition=2nd }}
* {{Cite book |last=King |first=Anthony |title=The British Constitution |date=2010 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-957698-2}}
* {{Cite book |last=Le May |first=G. H. L. |title=The Victorian Constitution, Conventions, Usages and Contingencies |publisher=Duckworth |year=1979 |ref=Le May}}
* {{cite book |title=The Governance of England |url=https://archive.org/details/governanceofen00lows |last=Low |first=S. |year=1904 |ref=Low |publisher=T. Fisher Unwin, London |isbn=978-0-521-38155-0}}
* {{Cite book |last=Leonard |first=Dick |title=A History of British Prime Ministers, Walpole to Cameron |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-137-33804-4 |ref=Leonard}}
* {{Cite book |last=Norton |first=Philip |title=The British Polity |date=2011 |publisher=Pearson Publishing |isbn=978-0801318436}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Robert |title=Public Law |last2=Elliot |first2=Mark |date=2020 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-885227-8}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Seldon |first1=Anthony |title=The Impossible Office? The History of the British Prime Minister |last2=Meakin |first2=Jonathan |last3=Thoms |first3=Illias |date=2021 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781316515327 |ol=34770382M}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last=Brazier |first=Rodney |title=Ministers of the Crown |date=2016 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780198724063}}
* {{Cite journal |last1=Denver |first1=David |last2=Garnett |first2=Mark |date=2012 |title=The popularity of British prime ministers. |journal=British Journal of Politics and International Relations |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=57–73 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-856X.2011.00466.x |s2cid=143249516 | issn = 1369-1481 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Garnett |first=Mark |title=The British Prime Minister in an Age of Upheaval |date=2021 |publisher=Polity Press |isbn=978-1509539352}}
* {{Cite journal |last1=Kaarbo |first1=Juliet |last2=Hermann |first2=Margaret G. |date=1998 |title=Leadership styles of prime ministers: How individual differences affect the foreign policymaking process. |url=http://panel.inkuba.com/sites/2/archivos/Leadership%203.pdf |journal=Leadership Quarterly |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=243–263 |doi=10.1016/S1048-9843(98)90029-7}}
* {{Cite book | last1 = Kavanagh | first1 = Dennis |last2=Seldon |first2=Anthony |title=The Powers Behind the Prime Minister:The Hidden Influence of Number Ten |date=2018 |publisher=Hart Publishing |isbn=978-0007292066}}
* {{Cite book |title=The British Prime Minister' |date=1985 |publisher=Duke University Press |editor-last=King |editor-first=Anthony Stephen}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Langer |first=Ana Inés |date=2007 |title=A historical exploration of the personalisation of politics in the print media: The British Prime Ministers (1945–1999). |journal=Parliamentary Affairs |volume=60 |issue=3 |pages=371–387 |doi=10.1093/pa/gsm028}}
* {{Cite book |last=Leyland |first=Peter |title=Constitutional Reform in the United Kingdom |date=2007 |publisher=Hart Publishing |isbn=978-1849461603}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Strangio |first1=Paul |title=Understanding Prime-Ministerial Performance: Comparative Perspectives |last2=Hart |first2=Paul 't |last3=Walter |first3=James |date=2013 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199666423}}
* {{Cite journal |last1=Theakston |first1=Kevin |last2=Gill |first2=Mark |date=2006 |title=Rating 20th-century British prime ministers. |journal=British Journal of Politics and International Relations |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=193–213 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-856x.2006.00220.x |s2cid=145216328}}
* {{Cite book |last=Thomson |first=George Malcolm |title=The Prime Ministers: From Robert Walpole to Margaret Thatcher |date=1980 |publisher=Secker & Warburg}}{{ISBN?}}
* {{Cite book |last=Thomas |first=Graham P. |title=Prime Minister and Cabinet Today |date=15 March 1998 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn=978-0719039515}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Prime ministers of the United Kingdom}}
* [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/prime-ministers-office-10-downing-street#content Number 10 official website]
* [http://www.parliament.uk Parliament of the United Kingdom website]
* [http://www.archontology.org/nations/uk/bpm/ Principal Ministers of the Crown: 1730–2006]

{{Prime Minister of the United Kingdom}}
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