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The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the principal minister of the crown of His Majesty's Government, and the head of the British Cabinet.. There is no specific date for when the office of prime minister first appeared, as the role was not created but rather evolved over time through a merger of duties. [1]
Margaret Thatcher, the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom. There have been three female prime ministers, all Conservative. They have led the United Kingdom for a total of 14 years, 268 days. Margaret Thatcher – served May 1979 – November 1990, 11 years, 208 days. Theresa May – served July 2016 – July 2019, 3 years, 11 days.
The first prime minister was Robert Walpole in the early 18th century (Dickinson 1973). Unlike countries where the leader is elected directly to the highest political office of a separate executive, the prime minister must first establish a political career in the UK Parliament and typically serves many years in the House of Commons before ...
Robert Walpole is regarded as the first prime minister; he became First Lord of the Treasury of Great Britain in 1721. This list includes all prime ministers of the Kingdom of Great Britain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the modern-day United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The power of the office of prime minister has grown significantly since the first prime minister, Robert Walpole in 1721. Prime ministerial power itself evolved gradually alongside the office itself which have played an increasingly prominent role in British politics since the early 20th century . [ 12 ]
Therefore, the list below refers to the "Head of Government" and not the "Prime Minister". Even so, the leader of a government was often colloquially referred to as the "prime minister", beginning in the 18th century. Since 1902, prime ministers have always held the office of First Lord of the Treasury. [4]
The positions and amount of experience a prime minister has acquired has changed over the years, with modern prime ministers having gained experience through leading the opposition, while earlier prime ministers would be more likely to have held roles within the government.
Since 1722, most prime ministers have been members of the Commons; since 1902, all have had a seat there. [note 5] Like other members, they are elected initially to represent only a constituency. Former prime minister Tony Blair, for example, represented Sedgefield in County Durham from 1983 to 2007.