Political Leaders: United Kingdom

Leaders of the United Kingdom
(United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

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Look for biographies of the leaders (in Spanish) at CIDOB website. Visit a detailed page on British Governments since 1990 to know more about the ruling parties. You also may browse the special page on the political leadership in Northern Ireland.

Kings

George VI             12 Dec 1936 -  6 Feb 1952 (+)     
Elizabeth II           6 Feb 1952 -

Prime Ministers

Winston Churchill     10 May 1940 - 26 Jul 1945 (+1965)  Conservative
Clement Attlee        26 Jul 1945 - 26 Oct 1951 (+1967)  Labour
Winston Churchill     26 Oct 1951 -  6 Apr 1955 (+1965)  Conservative
Anthony Eden           6 Apr 1955 - 10 Jan 1957 (+1977)  Conservative
Harold Macmillan      10 Jan 1957 - 19 Oct 1963 (+1986)  Conservative
Alec Douglas-Home     19 Oct 1963 - 16 Oct 1964 (+1995)  Conservative
Harold Wilson         16 Oct 1964 - 19 Jun 1970 (+1995)  Labour
Edward Heath          19 Jun 1970 -  4 Mar 1974 (+2005)  Conservative
Harold Wilson          4 Mar 1974 -  5 Apr 1976 (+1995)  Labour
James Callaghan        5 Apr 1976 -  4 May 1979 (+2005)  Labour
Margaret Thatcher      4 May 1979 - 28 Nov 1990          Conservative
John Major            28 Nov 1990 -  2 May 1997          Conservative
Tony Blair             2 May 1997 - 27 Jun 2007          Labour
Gordon Brown          27 Jun 2007 -                      Labour

Deputy Prime Ministers

Clement Attlee        19 Feb 1942 - 26 Jul 1945 (+1967)  Labour
Herbert Morrison      27 Jul 1945 - 26 Oct 1951 (+1965)  Labour 
Anthony Eden          27 Oct 1951 -  6 Apr 1955 (+1977)  Conservative
Richard Austen Butler 13 Jul 1962 - 20 Oct 1963 (+1982)  Conservative
William Whitelaw       5 May 1979 - 10 Jan 1988 (+1999)  Conservative
Geoffrey Howe         24 Jul 1989 -  1 Nov 1990          Conservative 
Michael Heseltine      5 Jul 1995 -  2 May 1997          Conservative   
John Prescott          2 May 1997 - 27 Jun 2007          Labour

(Source: Rulers, by Ben Schemmel)

Secretaries of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Anthony Eden          1940-1945 (+1977)  Conservative
Ernest Bevin          1945-1951 (+1951)  Labour              
Herbert Morrison      1951      (+1965)  Labour
Anthony Eden          1951-1955 (+1977)  Conservative
Harold Macmillan      1955      (+1986)  Conservative
Selwyn Lloyd          1955-1960 (+1978)  Conservative
Alec Douglas-Home     1960-1963 (+1995)  Conservative
Richard Austen Butler 1963-1964 (+1982)  Conservative
Patrick Walker        1964-1965 (+1980)  Labour
Michael Stewart       1965-1966 (+1990)  Labour
George Brown          1966-1968 (+1985)  Labour
Michael Stewart       1968-1970 (+1990)  Labour
Alec Douglas-Home     1970-1974 (+1995)  Conservatie
James Callaghan       1974-1976 (+2005)  Labour 
Anthony Crosland      1976-1977 (+)      Labour 
David Owen            1977-1979          Labour
Peter Carrington      1979-1982          Conservative
Francis Pym           1982-1983 (+2008)  Conservative 
Geoffrey Howe         1983-1989          Conservative 
John Major            1989               Conservative
Douglas Hurd          1989-1995          Conservative
Malcolm Rifkind       1995-1997          Conservative
Robin Cook            1997-2001 (+2005)  Labour
Jack Straw            2001-2006          Labour 
Margaret Beckett      2006-2007          Labour
David Miliband        2007-              Labour

The Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office were merged on 17 Oct 1968.

Chancellors of the Exchequer

John Anderson         1943-1945 (+1958)  Conservative
Hugh Dalton           1945-1947 (+1962)  Labour
Stafford Cripps       1947-1950 (+1952)  Labour
Hugh Gaitskell        1950-1951 (+1963)  Labour
Richard Austen Butler 1951-1955 (+1982)  Conservative
Harold Macmillan      1955-1957 (+1986)  Conservative
Peter Thorneycroft    1957-1958 (+1994)  Conservative
Derick Heathcoat-Amory1958-1960 (+1981)  Conservative
Selwyn Lloyd          1960-1962 (+1978)  Conservative
Reginald Maudling     1962-1964 (+1979)  Conservative
James Callaghan       1964-1967 (+2005)  Labour
Roy Jenkins           1967-1970 (+2003)  Labour 
Iain Macleod          1970      (+)      Conservative
Anthony Barber        1970-1974          Conservative
Denis Healey          1974-1979          Labour 
Geoffrey Howe         1979-1983          Conservative
Nigel Lawson          1983-1989          Conservative
John Major            1989-1990          Conservative
Norman Lamont         1990-1993          Conservative
Kenneth Clarke        1993-1997          Conservative
Gordon Brown          1997-2007          Labour
Alistair Darling      2007-              Labour

(List courtesy of David Bratman)

Ministers of Defence and secretaries of State for Defence

Ministers
Winston Churchill     1940-1945 (+1965)  Conservative
Clement Attlee        1945-1946 (+1967)  Labour
Albert V. Alexander   1946-1950 (+1965)  Labour  
Emanuel Shinwell      1950-1951 (+1986)  Labour
Winston Churchill     1951-1952 (+1965)  Conservative 
Harold Alexander      1952-1954 (+1969)  military        
Harold Macmillan      1954-1955 (+1986)  Conservative
Selwyn Lloyd          1955-1955 (+1978)  Conservative
Walter Monckton       1955-1956 (+1965)  Conservative
Antony Head           1956-1957 (+1983)  Conservative
Duncan Duncan-Sandys  1957-1959 (+1987)  Conservative
Harold Watkinson      1959-1962 (+1995)  Conservative
Peter Thorneycroft    1962-1964 (+1994)  Conservative

Secretaries of State 
Denis Healey          1964-1970          Labour
Peter Carrington      1970-1974          Conservative
Ian Gilmour           1974               Conservative
Roy Mason             1974-1976          Labour
Frederick Mulley      1976-1979 (+1995)  Labour 
Francis Pym           1979-1981 (+2008)  Conservative 
John Nott             1981-1983          Conservative  
Michael Heseltine     1983-1986          Conservative
George Younger        1986-1989 (+2003)  Conservative
Tom King              1989-1992          Conservative
Malcolm Rifkind       1992-1995          Conservative
Michael Portillo      1992-1997          Conservative
George Robertson      1997-1999          Labour
Geoff Hoon            1999-2005          Labour
John Reid             2005-2006          Labour
Des Browne            2006-2008          Labour
John Hutton           2008-2009          Labour
Bob Ainsworth         2009-              Labour

(List courtesy of David Bratman)

Secretaries of State for the Home Office

Herbert Morrison      1940-1945 (+1965)  Labour
Donald Somervell      1945      (+1960)  Conservative
James Chuter-Ede      1945-1951 (+1965)  Labour
David Maxwell-Fyfe    1951-1954 (+1967)  Conservative
Gwilym Lloyd-George   1954-1957 (+1967)  Conservative
Richard Austen Butler 1957-1962 (+1982)  Conservative
Henry Brooke          1962-1964 (+1984)  Conservative
Frank Soskice         1964-1965 (+1979)  Labour
Roy Jenkins           1965-1967 (+2003)  Labour  
James Callaghan       1967-1970 (+2005)  Labour
Reginald Maudling     1970-1972 (+1979)  Conservative
Robert Carr           1972-1974          Conservative 
Roy Jenkins           1974-1976 (+2003)  Labour
Merlyn Rees           1976-1979 (+2006)  Labour
William Whitelaw      1979-1983 (+1999)  Conservative
Leon Brittan          1983-1985          Conservative
Douglas Hurd          1985-1989          Conservative 
David Waddington      1989-1990          Conservative
Kenneth Baker         1990-1992          Conservative
Kenneth Clarke        1992-1993          Conservative
Michael Howard        1993-1997          Conservative
Jack Straw            1997-2001          Labour
David Blunkett        2001-2004          Labour
Charles Clarke        2004-2006          Labour
John Reid             2006-2007          Labour
Jacqui Smith          2007-2009          Labour
Alan Johnson          2009-              Labour

Leaders of the House of Commons

Herbert Morrison      1945-1951 (+1965)  Labour
James Chuter Ede      1951      (+1965)  Labour
Harry Crookshank      1951-1955 (+1961)  Conservative
Richard Austen Butler 1955-1961 (+1982)  Conservative
Iain Macleod          1961-1963 (+1970)  Conservative
Selwyn Lloyd          1963-1964 (+1978)  Conservative
Herbert Bowden        1964-1966 (+1994)  Labour
Richard Crossman      1966-1968 (+1974)  Labour 
Fred Peart            1968-1970 (+1988)  Labour
William Whitelaw      1970-1972 (+1999)  Conservative
Robert Carr           1972               Conservative
James Prior           1972-1974          Conservative
Edward Short          1974-1976          Labour
Michael Foot          1976-1979          Labour
Norman St John-Stevas 1979-1981          Conservative
Francis Pym           1981-1982 (+2008)  Conservative
John Biffen           1982-1987          Conservative 
John Wakeham          1987-1989          Conservative 
Geoffrey Howe         1989-1990          Conservative     
John MacGregor        1990-1992          Conservative  
Tony Newton           1992-1997          Conservative
Ann Taylor            1997-1998          Labour
Margaret Beckett      1998-2001          Labour
Robin Cook            2001-2003 (+2005)  Labour
John Reid             2003               Labour
Peter Hain            2003-2005          Labour   
Geoff Hoon            2005-2006          Labour 
Jack Straw            2006-2007          Labour
Harriet Harman        2007-              Labour

Leaders of the opposition

Clement Attlee        1945      (+1967)  Labour
Winston Churchill     1945-1951 (+1965)  Conservative
Clement Attlee        1951-1955 (+1967)  Labour
Herbert Morrison      1955      (+1965)  Labour 
Hugh Gaitskel         1955-1963 (+)      Labour 
George Brown          1963      (+1985)  Labour (acting)
Harold Wilson         1963-1964 (+1995)  Labour
Alec Douglas-Home     1964-1965 (+1995)  Conservative
Edward Heath          1965-1970 (+2005)  Conservative
Harold Wilson         1970-1974 (+1995)  Labour
Edward Heath          1974-1975 (+2005)  Conservative
Margaret Thatcher     1975-1979          Conservative
James Callaghan       1979-1980 (+2005)  Labour
Michael Foot          1980-1983          Labour
Neil Kinnock          1983-1992          Labour 
John Smith            1992-1994          Labour
Margaret Beckett      1994               Labour (acting)
Tony Blair            1994-1997          Labour
John Major            1997               Conservative
William Hague         1997-2001          Conservative 
Iain Duncan Smith     2001-2003          Conservative 
Michael Howard        2003-2005          Conservative 
David Cameron         2005-              Conservative

Speakers of the House of Commons

Clifton Brown         1943-1951 (+1958)  Conservative
William Morrison      1951-1959 (+1961)  Conservative
Harry Hylton-Foster   1959-1965 (+)      Conservative
Horace King           1965-1971 (+1986)  Labour
Selwyn Lloyd          1971-1976 (+1978)  Conservative
George Thomas         1976-1983 (+1997)  Labour
Bernard Weatherill    1983-1992          Conservative
Betty Boothroyd       1992-2000          Labour
Michael Martin        2000-2009          Labour   
John Bercow           2009-              n/p

Black Rods of the House of Lords

Geoffrey Blake        1945-1949 (+1968)
Brian Horrocks        1949-1963 (+1985) 
George Mills          1969-1970 (+1971)
Frank Twiss           1974-1978 (+1994)
David House           1978-1985
John Gingell          1985-1992
Richard Thomas        1992-1995
Edward Jones          1995-2001
Michael Willcocks     2001-

Leaders of the Labour Party

Leaders
Clement Attlee        1935-1955 (+1967) 
Hugh Gaitskell        1955-1963 (+)     
George Brown          1963      (+1985) (acting)
Harold Wilson         1963-1976 (+1995) 
James Callaghan       1976-1980 (+2005) 
Michael Foot          1980-1983         
Neil Kinnock          1983-1992         
John Smith            1992-1994 (+)     
Margaret Beckett      1994              (acting)
Tony Blair            1994-2007
Gordon Brown          2007-

Deputy Leaders
Arthur Greenwood      1935�1945 (+1954)
Herbert Morrison      1945�1955 (+1965)
Jim Griffiths         1955�1959 (+1975)
Nye Bevan             1959�1960 (+)
George Brown          1960�1970 (+1985)
Roy Jenkins           1970�1972 (+2003)
Edward Short          1972�1976 
Michael Foot          1976�1980 
Denis Healey          1980�1983 
Roy Hattersley        1983�1992 
Margaret Beckett      1992�1994 
John Prescott         1994�2007 
Harriet Harman        2007�

The Labour Party was founded on 7 Feb 1900.

Leaders of the Conservative Party

Winston Churchill     1940-1955 (+1965) 
Anthony Eden          1955-1957 (+1977) 
Harold Macmillan      1957-1963 (+1986) 
Alec Douglas-Home     1963-1965 (+1995) 
Edward Heath          1965-1975 (+2005) 
Margaret Thatcher     1975-1990         
John Major            1990-1997         
William Hague         1997-2001         
Iain Duncan Smith     2001-2003         
Michael Howard        2003-2005         
David Cameron         2005-

Leaders of the Liberal Democrats

Archibald Sinclair    1935-1945 (+1970)
Clement Davies        1945-1956 (+1962) 
Jo Grimond            1956-1967 (+1993) 
Jeremy Thorpe         1967-1976         
Jo Grimond            1976-1978 (+1993) (acting)
David Steel           1978-1988         
David Steel    +                        
Robert Maclennan      1988              (interim)
Paddy Ashdown         1988-1999         
Charles Kennedy       1999-2006         
Menzies Campbell      2006-2007
Vincent Cable         2007-             (acting)

The party was called Liberal Party (LP) to 19 Mar 1988, when it merged with the SDP (see below) to form the Social and Liberal Democrats (SLD). In Oct 1989 the party adopted the name of Liberal Democrats (LD), sometimes referred as the Liberal Democratic Party.

Leaders of the Social Democratic Party (1982-1988)

Roy Jenkins           1982-1983 (+2003) 
David Owen            1983-1987         
Robert Maclennan      1987-1988

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was founded on 2 Jul 1982 by splinters of the Labour Party. It merged with the Liberal Party on 19 Mar 1988 to form the SLD (see above), ceasing to exist. (List courtesy of David Bratman)

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