View source for First Lord of the Treasury

{{Short description|Title granted to the UK Prime Minister}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = {{small|[[United Kingdom]]}}<br>First Lord of the Treasury
| flag = Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
| flagsize = 
| flagcaption = [[Flag of the United Kingdom]]
| insignia = Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, lesser arms).svg
| insigniasize = 
| insigniacaption = [[Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom|Royal Arms]] of [[Government of the United Kingdom|His Majesty's Government]]
| image = Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Official Portrait (cropped 2).jpg
| incumbent = [[Sir Keir Starmer]]
| incumbentsince = 5 July 2024
| reports_to = 
| residence = [[10 Downing Street]]
| seat = [[Westminster]]
| appointer = [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|The King]]
| appointer_qualified = {{Longitem|appoints ''[[Ex officio member|ex officio]]'' the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|prime minister]]}}
| termlength = [[At His Majesty's pleasure]]
| formation = {{Ubl
 |{{Longitem|1126{{block indent|em=1|(as [[Lord High Treasurer]])}}}}
 |{{Longitem|1612{{block indent|em=1|(as First Lord of the Commission of the Treasury)}}}}
 |{{Longitem|1714{{block indent|em=1|(commission permanent since resignation of the [[Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury|1st Duke of Shrewsbury]])}}}}
 }}
| first = {{Ubl
 |{{Longitem|[[Nigel (bishop of Ely)]]{{block indent|em=1|(as [[Lord High Treasurer]])}}}}
 |{{Longitem|[[Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton|1st Earl of Northampton]]{{block indent|em=1|(as First Lord of the Commission)}}}}
 |{{Longitem|[[Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax|1st Earl of Halifax]]{{block indent|em=1|(when the commission became permanent)}}}}
 }}
| salary = 
| deputy = [[Second Lord of the Treasury]]
| website = {{url|gov.uk/government/ministers/first-lord-of-the-treasury|Gov.uk}}
}}{{PoliticsUK}}
The '''First Lord of the Treasury''' is the head of the [[Lords Commissioners of the Treasury]] exercising the ancient office of [[Lord High Treasurer]] in the United Kingdom. Traditional convention holds that the office of First Lord is held by the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]]. ([[10 Downing Street]] is technically the official home of the First Lord, although it is now entirely associated with the Prime Minister's office.) The office is not the United Kingdom's [[finance minister]]; this role is instead held by the [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]], who is the ''Second'' Lord of the [[HM Treasury|Treasury]].

==Lords of the Treasury==
As of the beginning of the 17th century, the running of the Treasury was frequently entrusted to a commission, rather than to a single individual. Since 1714, it has permanently been in commission. The commissioners have always since that date been referred to as [[Lords Commissioners of the Treasury]], and adopted [[Ordinal number (linguistics)|ordinal numbers]] to describe their seniority. Eventually in the middle of the same century, the first lord of the Treasury came to be seen as the natural head of the overall ministry running the country, and, as of the time of [[Robert Walpole]] ([[Whigs (British political party)|Whig]]), began to be known, unofficially, as the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|prime minister]].

The term prime minister was initially, but decreasingly, used as a term of derogation; it was first used officially in a royal warrant only in 1905.{{Which|date=May 2020}} [[William Pitt the Younger]] said the prime minister "ought to be the person at the head of the finances"—though Pitt also served as [[chancellor of the exchequer]] for the entirety of his time as prime minister, so his linkage of the finance portfolio to the premiership was wider than merely proposing the occupation of the first lordship by the prime minister.{{sfn|Blick|Jones|2010}}

Prior to 1841 the first lord of the Treasury also held the office of chancellor of the exchequer unless he was a peer and thus barred from that office; in this case, the [[second lord of the Treasury]] usually served as chancellor. Since 1841, the chancellor has always been second lord of the Treasury when he was not also prime minister. By convention, the other Lords Commissioners of the Treasury are also Government [[Whip (politics)|Whips]] in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]].

==Official residence==
{{Main|10 Downing Street}}
[[10 Downing Street]] is the official residence of the first lord of the Treasury, not the office of prime minister.<ref>{{Citation |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/first-lord-of-the-treasury|title=First Lord of the Treasury |publisher=gov.uk|access-date=2018-03-22}}</ref> [[Chequers]], a [[English country house|country house]] in [[Buckinghamshire]], is the official country residence of the prime minister, used as a weekend and holiday home, although the residence has also been used by other senior members of government.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}

==List of first lords (1714–1922)==
{{For|earlier lord treasurers and first lords|List of lord high treasurers of England and Great Britain}}
Much of this list overlaps with the [[list of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]], but there are some notable differences, principally concerning [[Lord Salisbury]], who was prime minister but not first lord in 1885–86, 1887–92 and 1895–1902. Those first lords who were simultaneously prime minister are indicated in '''bold'''; those who were considered prime minister only during part of their term are indicated in '''''bold italic'''''.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! colspan=2|Name
! Entered office
! Left office
! Party
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| [[Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax|The Earl of Halifax]]
| 13 October 1714
| 19 May 1715
| [[Whigs (British political party)|Whig]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| [[Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle|The Earl of Carlisle]]
| 23 May 1715
| 10 October 1715
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| [[Robert Walpole]]
| 10 October 1715
| 12 April 1717
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| [[James Stanhope, 1st Earl Stanhope|The Earl Stanhope]]
| 12 April 1717
| 21 March 1718
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| [[Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland|The Earl of Sunderland]]
| 21 March 1718
| 3 April 1721
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[Robert Walpole|Sir Robert Walpole]]'''
| 3 April 1721
| 11 February 1742
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington|The Earl of Wilmington]]'''
| 16 February 1742
| 2 July 1743
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[Henry Pelham]]'''
| 27 August 1743
| 10 February 1746
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| [[William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath|The Earl of Bath]]
| 10 February 1746
| 12 February 1746
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[Henry Pelham]]'''
| 12 February 1746
| 6 March 1754
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle|The Duke of Newcastle]]'''
| 16 March 1754
| 16 November 1756
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire|The Duke of Devonshire]]'''
| 16 November 1756
| 8 June 1757
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| [[James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave|The Earl Waldegrave]]
| 8 June 1757
| 12 June 1757
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire|The Duke of Devonshire]]'''
| 12 June 1757
| 25 June 1757
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle|The Duke of Newcastle]]'''
| 2 July 1757
| 26 May 1762
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute|The Earl of Bute]]'''
| 26 May 1762
| 16 April 1763
| [[Tories (British political party)|Tory]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[George Grenville]]'''
| 16 April 1763
| 13 July 1765
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham|The Marquess of Rockingham]]'''
| 13 July 1765
| 30 July 1766
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''''[[Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton|The Duke of Grafton]]'''''{{efn|Grafton became Prime Minister on 14 October 1768.}}
| 30 July 1766
| 28 January 1770
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[Frederick North, Lord North|Lord North]]'''
| 28 January 1770
| 22 March 1782
| Tory
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham|The Marquess of Rockingham]]'''
| 27 March 1782
| 1 July 1782
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne|The Earl of Shelburne]]'''
| 4 July 1782
| 2 April 1783
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland|The Duke of Portland]]'''
| 2 April 1783
| 19 December 1783
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[William Pitt the Younger]]'''
| 19 December 1783
| 14 March 1801
| Tory
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[Henry Addington]]'''
| 17 March 1801
| 10 May 1804
| Tory
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[William Pitt the Younger]]'''
| 10 May 1804
| 23 January 1806
| Tory
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville|The Lord Grenville]]'''
| 11 February 1806
| 31 March 1807
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland|The Duke of Portland]]'''
| 31 March 1807
| 4 October 1809
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[Spencer Perceval]]'''
| 4 October 1809
| 11 May 1812
| Tory
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool|The Earl of Liverpool]]'''
| 9 June 1812
| 10 April 1827
| Tory
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[George Canning]]'''
| 10 April 1827
| 8 August 1827
| Tory
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[F. J. Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich|The Viscount Goderich]]'''
| 31 August 1827
| 22 January 1828
| Tory
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|The Duke of Wellington]]'''
| 22 January 1828
| 22 November 1830
| Tory
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey|The Earl Grey]]'''
| 22 November 1830
| 16 July 1834
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne|The Viscount Melbourne]]'''
| 16 July 1834
| 14 November 1834
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Tories (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|The Duke of Wellington]]'''
| 14 November 1834
| 10 December 1834
| Tory
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[Robert Peel|Sir Robert Peel]]'''
| 10 December 1834
| 8 April 1835
| Tory
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne|The Viscount Melbourne]]'''
| 18 April 1835
| 30 August 1841
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[Robert Peel|Sir Robert Peel]]'''
| 30 August 1841
| 29 June 1846
| [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |
| '''[[John Russell, 1st Earl Russell|Lord John Russell]]'''
| 30 June 1846
| 23 February 1852
| Whig
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby|The Earl of Derby]]'''
| 23 February 1852
| 19 December 1852
| Conservative
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Peelite}}" |
| '''[[George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen|The Earl of Aberdeen]]'''
| 19 December 1852
| 6 February 1855
| [[Peelite]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston|The Viscount Palmerston]]'''
| 6 February 1855
| 20 February 1858
| [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]]
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby|The Earl of Derby]]'''
| 20 February 1858
| 12 June 1859
| Conservative
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston|The Viscount Palmerston]]'''
| 12 June 1859
| 18 October 1865
| Liberal
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[John Russell, 1st Earl Russell|The Earl Russell]]'''
| 29 October 1865
| 28 June 1866
| Liberal
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby|The Earl of Derby]]'''
| 28 June 1866
| 27 February 1868
| Conservative
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[Benjamin Disraeli]]'''
| 27 February 1868
| 3 December 1868
| Conservative
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[William Ewart Gladstone]]'''
| 3 December 1868
| 20 February 1874
| Liberal
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[Benjamin Disraeli]]'''{{efn|Disraeli became [[Earl of Beaconsfield]] in 1876.}}
| 20 February 1874
| 23 April 1880
| Conservative
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[William Ewart Gladstone]]'''
| 23 April 1880
| 23 June 1885
| Liberal
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Stafford Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh|The Earl of Iddesleigh]]
| 29 June 1885
| 1 February 1886
| Conservative
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[William Ewart Gladstone]]'''
| 1 February 1886
| 25 July 1886
| Liberal
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury|The Marquess of Salisbury]]'''{{efn|Salisbury continued to serve as Prime Minister until 11 August 1892.}}
| 3 August 1886
| 14 January 1887
| Conservative
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| [[William Henry Smith (1825–1891)|William Henry Smith]]
| 14 January 1887
| 6 October 1891
| Conservative
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| [[Arthur Balfour]]
| 6 October 1891
| 15 August 1892
| Conservative
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[William Ewart Gladstone]]'''
| 15 August 1892
| 5 March 1894
| Liberal
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery|The Earl of Rosebery]]'''
| 5 March 1894
| 25 June 1895
| Liberal
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| '''''[[Arthur Balfour]]'''''{{efn|Balfour became Prime Minister on 11 July 1902.''}}
| 25 June 1895
| 5 December 1905
| Conservative
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[Henry Campbell-Bannerman]]'''
| 5 December 1905
| 3 April 1908
| Liberal
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[H. H. Asquith]]'''
| 8 April 1908
| 5 December 1916
| Liberal
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |
| '''[[David Lloyd George]]'''
| 6 December 1916
| 19 October 1922
| Liberal
|}
Thereafter the posts of first lord and prime minister have continually been held by the same person {{xref|(see {{slink|List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom#20th century}})}}.

==See also==
[[File:Number 10 front door (7500511890).jpg|thumb|The front door of 10 Downing Street, showing the letter-box inscribed with "First Lord of the Treasury"]]
* [[Chief Baron of the Exchequer]]
* [[List of lords commissioners of the Treasury]]
* [[Minister for the Civil Service]], by convention also the Prime Minister
* [[Secretary to the Treasury]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation |url=http://www.historyandpolicy.org/policy-papers/papers/the-power-of-the-prime-minister|title=The power of the Prime Minister|first1=Andrew|last1=Blick|first2=George|last2=Jones|date=7 June 2010|journal=History & Policy|access-date=7 April 2020|location=United Kingdom}}
* {{citation |last=Haydn |first=Joseph Timothy |author-link=Joseph Timothy Haydn |title=The Book of Dignities |year=1890 |location=London |publisher=W. H. Allen and Co. |ol=13505280M |ol-access=free}}
* {{citation |editor-last=Pryde|editor-first=E. B.|editor-last2=Greenway|editor-first2=D. E.|editor-last3=Porter|editor-first3=S.|editor-last4=Roy|editor-first4=I.|title=Handbook of British Chronology|edition=3rd|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zcgxEvGAK_kC&pg=PP1|date=23 February 1996|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-56350-5}}
{{refend}}

{{Downing Street}}
{{HM Treasury}}
{{Cabinet positions in the United Kingdom}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:First Lord of the Treasury}}
[[Category:Lists of government ministers of the United Kingdom|Treasury]]
[[Category:Ministerial offices in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:British Prime Minister's Office]]
[[Category:1714 establishments in Great Britain]]