List of British governments

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This article lists successive British governments, also referred to as ministries, from the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707, continuing through the duration of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1801 to 1922, and since then dealing with those of the present-day United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Guide to the list

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"Ministry" refers collectively to all the ministers of a government, including cabinet members and junior ministers alike. Only the Civil Service is considered outside of the ministry. While the term was in common parlance in the 19th and early 20th centuries, it has become rarer, except in official and academic uses.[1] Both Australia and Canada have inherited the term and continue to use it. It is perhaps in more common use in those countries, which both have official catalogues of their respective ministries, whereas Britain has no such catalogue.[2][3]

Articles listed by ministry contain information on the term(s) of one prime minister. Articles listed by political party contain information on the ministries of multiple consecutive prime ministers of the same political party. Prior to the 20th century, the leader of the British government held the title of First Lord of the Treasury, and not that of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 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]

Ministries

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Colour key
Start date Government Event[a] Head Governing party Monarch
1707 Godolphin–Marlborough ministry Acts of Union Duke of Marlborough Tory Whig Anne
1708 General election
Aug 1710 Dismissal Marlborough dismissed
Nov Harley ministry General election Robert Harley[b] Tory
1713 General election
Aug 1714 Accession George I
Sep Townshend ministry General election Viscount Townshend[c] Whig
1717 First Stanhope–Sunderland ministry Earl Stanhope
1718 Second Stanhope–Sunderland ministry
Feb 1721 Death Stanhope deceased
Apr Walpole–Townshend ministry Robert Walpole[d]
1722 General election
Jun 1727 Accession George II
Aug General election
1730 Walpole ministry Townshend resigns
1734 General election
1741 General election
11 Feb 1742 No confidence Walpole resigns
12 Feb Carteret ministry Lord Carteret (acting)[c]
16 Feb Earl of Wilmington
Jul 1743 Death Wilmington deceased
Aug Henry Pelham
1744 First Broad Bottom ministry
10 Feb 1746 Dismissal[e] Pelham dismissed
14 Feb Second Broad Bottom ministry Henry Pelham
1747 General election
6 Mar 1754 Death Pelham deceased
16 Mar First Newcastle ministry Duke of Newcastle
Apr General election
11 Nov 1756 Resignation Newcastle resigns
16 Nov Pitt–Devonshire ministry Duke of Devonshire
Apr 1757 1757 caretaker ministry Pitt dismissed Whig (caretaker)
Jun Pitt–Newcastle ministry Duke of Newcastle Whig
1760 Accession George III
Mar 1761 General election
Oct Pitt resigns
Bute–Newcastle coalition Tory Whig
1762 Dismissal Newcastle dismissed
Bute ministry Earl of Bute
8 Apr 1763 Resignation Bute resigns
16 Apr Grenville ministry George Grenville Grenville
Whig
10 Jul 1765 Dismissal Grenville dismissed
13 Jul First Rockingham ministry Marquess of Rockingham Rockingham Whig
1766 Chatham ministry Earl of Chatham Chathamite
Whig
Tory
Mar 1768 General election
Oct Grafton ministry Duke of Grafton
1770 North ministry Lord North Northite Tory Whig
1774 General election Northite Tory
1780 General election
Mar 1782 No confidence
Second Rockingham ministry Marquess of Rockingham Rockingham Whig
1 Jul Death Rockingham deceased
4 Jul Shelburne ministry Earl of Shelburne Chathamite
Whig
Tory
Mar 1783 Resignation Shelburne resigns
Apr Fox–North coalition Duke of Portland Whig
18 Dec Dismissal Portland dismissed
19 Dec First Pitt ministry William Pitt the Younger Pittite Tory (minority)
Feb 1784 No confidence
Mar General election Pittite Tory
1790 General election
1796 General election Pittite Tory Whig
14 Mar 1801 Resignation Pitt resigns
17 Mar Addington ministry Henry Addington Addingtonian Tory
1802 General election
1804 Second Pitt ministry William Pitt the Younger Pittite Tory
Jan 1806 Death Pitt deceased
Feb Ministry of All the Talents Lord Grenville Whig Tory
Oct General election
Mar 1807 Second Portland ministry Duke of Portland Pittite Tory (minority)
May General election Pittite Tory
1809 Perceval ministry Spencer Perceval
May 1812 Assassination Perceval assassinated
Jun Liverpool ministry Earl of Liverpool
Oct General election
1818 General election
Jan 1820 Accession George IV
Mar General election
1826 General election
9 Apr 1827 Resignation Liverpool resigns
12 Apr Canning ministry George Canning Canningite
Tory
Whig
8 Aug Death Canning deceased
31 Aug Goderich ministry Viscount Goderich
8 Jan 1828 Resignation Goderich resigns
22 Jan Wellington–Peel ministry Duke of Wellington Tory
Jun 1830 Accession William IV
Jul General election Tory (minority)
16 Nov No confidence Wellington resigns
22 Nov Grey ministry Earl Grey Whig (minority)
1831 General election Whig
1832 General election
9 Jul 1834 Resignation Grey resigns
16 Jul First Melbourne ministry Viscount Melbourne
14 Nov Dismissal Melbourne dismissed
17 Nov Wellington caretaker ministry Duke of Wellington Tory (caretaker)
9 Dec Resignation Wellington resigns
10 Dec First Peel ministry Robert Peel Conservative (minority)
Jan 1835 General election
8 Apr No confidence Peel resigns
18 Apr Second Melbourne ministry Viscount Melbourne Whig
Jun 1837 Accession Victoria
Jul General election
4 Jun 1841 No confidence
29 Jun General election
Aug No confidence
Second Peel ministry Robert Peel Conservative
29 Jun 1846 No confidence Peel resigns
30 Jun First Russell ministry Lord John Russell Whig (minority)
1847 General election
1851 No confidence
21 Feb 1852 No confidence Russell resigns
23 Feb Who? Who? ministry Earl of Derby Conservative (minority)
Jul General election Conservative
17 Dec No confidence Derby resigns
19 Dec Aberdeen ministry Earl of Aberdeen Coalition (minority)
Jan 1855 No confidence Aberdeen resigns
Feb First Palmerston ministry Viscount Palmerston Whig (minority)
3 Mar 1857 No confidence
27 Mar General election Whig
19 Feb 1858 No confidence Palmerston resigns
20 Feb Second Derby–Disraeli ministry Earl of Derby Conservative (minority)
11 Jun 1859 No confidence Derby resigns
12 Jun Second Palmerston ministry General election Viscount Palmerston Liberal
Jul 1865 General election
18 Oct Death Palmerston deceased
29 Oct Second Russell ministry Earl Russell
26 Jun 1866 No confidence Russell resigns
28 Jun Third Derby–Disraeli ministry Earl of Derby Conservative (minority)
25 Feb 1868 Resignation Derby resigns
27 Feb Benjamin Disraeli
1 Dec Resignation Disraeli resigns
3 Dec First Gladstone ministry General election William Ewart Gladstone Liberal
1873 No confidence
17 Feb 1874 Resignation Gladstone resigns
20 Feb Second Disraeli ministry General election Benjamin Disraeli[f] Conservative
21 Apr 1880 Resignation Disraeli resigns
23 Apr Second Gladstone ministry General election William Ewart Gladstone Liberal
9 Jun 1885 No confidence Gladstone resigns
23 Jun First Salisbury ministry Marquess of Salisbury Conservative (minority)
Nov General election Conservative (caretaker)[g]
Jan 1886 No confidence Salisbury resigns
Feb Third Gladstone ministry William Ewart Gladstone Liberal (minority)
20 Jul No confidence Gladstone resigns
25 Jul Second Salisbury ministry General election Marquess of Salisbury Conservative (minority)
Jul 1892 General election Conservative (caretaker)[g]
11 Aug No confidence Salisbury resigns
15 Aug Fourth Gladstone ministry William Ewart Gladstone Liberal (minority)
2 Mar 1894 Resignation Gladstone resigns
5 Mar Rosebery ministry Earl of Rosebery
22 Jun 1895 No confidence Rosebery resigns
25 Jun Third Salisbury ministry Marquess of Salisbury Conservative (minority)
Jul General election Conservative Liberal
Unionist
1900 Fourth Salisbury ministry General election
1901 Accession Edward VII
11 Jul 1902 Resignation Salisbury resigns
12 Jul Balfour ministry Arthur Balfour
4 Dec 1905 Resignation Balfour resigns
5 Dec Campbell-Bannerman ministry Henry Campbell-Bannerman Liberal (minority)
1906 General election Liberal
1908 First Asquith ministry H. H. Asquith
Feb 1910 Second Asquith ministry General election Liberal (minority)
May Accession George V
Dec Third Asquith ministry General election
1915 Asquith coalition ministry Coalition
5 Dec 1916 Resignation Asquith resigns
6 Dec Lloyd George war ministry David Lloyd George
1918 Second Lloyd George ministry General election
19 Oct 1922 Carlton Club meeting Lloyd George resigns
23 Oct Law ministry Bonar Law Conservative
Nov General election
20 May 1923 Resignation Law resigns
22 May First Baldwin ministry Stanley Baldwin
Dec General election Conservative (caretaker)[g]
Jan 1924 No confidence
First MacDonald ministry Ramsay MacDonald Labour (minority)
Nov No confidence
Second Baldwin ministry General election Stanley Baldwin Conservative
May 1929 General election Conservative (caretaker)[g]
4 Jun Resignation Baldwin resigns
5 Jun Second MacDonald ministry Lib–Lab pact Ramsay MacDonald Labour (minority)
Aug 1931 First National Government National
Oct Second National Government General election
1935 Third National Government General election Stanley Baldwin
Jan 1936 Accession Edward VIII
Dec Abdication
Accession George VI
1937 Fourth National Government Neville Chamberlain
1939 Chamberlain war ministry
1940 Churchill war ministry Norway Debate Winston Churchill Coalition
May 1945 Churchill caretaker ministry Coalition resigns National (caretaker)
Jul First Attlee ministry General election Clement Attlee Labour
1950 Second Attlee ministry General election
1951 Third Churchill ministry General election Winston Churchill Conservative
1952 Accession Elizabeth II
5 Apr 1955 Resignation Churchill resigns
6 Apr Eden ministry General election Anthony Eden
1957 First Macmillan ministry Harold Macmillan
1959 Second Macmillan ministry General election
18 Oct 1963 Resignation Macmillan resigns
19 Oct Douglas-Home ministry Alec Douglas-Home[h]
1964 First Wilson ministry General election Harold Wilson Labour
1966 Second Wilson ministry General election
1970 Heath ministry General election Edward Heath Conservative
Feb 1974 General election Conservative (caretaker)[g]
Mar Third Wilson ministry Harold Wilson Labour (minority)
Oct Fourth Wilson ministry General election Labour
1976 Callaghan ministry Leadership election James Callaghan
1977 Lib–Lab pact Labour (minority)
Mar 1979 No confidence
May First Thatcher ministry General election Margaret Thatcher Conservative
1983 Second Thatcher ministry General election
1987 Third Thatcher ministry General election
1990 First Major ministry Leadership election John Major
1992 Second Major ministry General election
1996 By-election Conservative (minority)
1997 First Blair ministry General election Tony Blair Labour
2001 Second Blair ministry General election
2005 Third Blair ministry General election
2007 Brown ministry Leadership election Gordon Brown
6 May 2010 General election Labour (caretaker)[g]
11 May Cameron–Clegg coalition Formation David Cameron Conservative Liberal
Democrat
2015 Second Cameron ministry General election Conservative
2016 First May ministry Leadership election Theresa May
8 Jun 2017 General election Conservative (caretaker)[g]
11 Jun Second May ministry DUP agreement Conservative (minority)
Jul 2019 First Johnson ministry Leadership election Boris Johnson
Dec Second Johnson ministry General election Conservative
6 Sep 2022 Truss ministry Leadership election Liz Truss
8 Sep Accession Charles III
Oct Sunak ministry Leadership election Rishi Sunak
2024 Starmer ministry General election Keir Starmer Labour

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ General elections, successful votes of no confidence, etc.
  2. ^ From 1711 Harley was Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer.
  3. ^ a b De facto leader as Northern Secretary.
  4. ^ From 1742 Walpole was Earl of Orford.
  5. ^ In 1746 William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath, formed a short-lived ministry. He was ultimately unsuccessful and is not gradually included in lists of British prime ministers.
  6. ^ From 1876 Disraeli was Earl of Beaconsfield.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Typically, as in these instances when an election produces a hung parliament, an incumbent government briefly continues in an acting capacity.
  8. ^ For the first five days of his ministry, until he had renounced his peerage, Douglas-Home was known as the Earl of Home.

Citations

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  1. ^ Wilding & Laundy n.d.  
  2. ^ Part 6 – Historical information on the Australian Parliament (PDF) (Report), Parliament of Australia, 31 October 2014, retrieved 6 March 2017
  3. ^ Ministers of the Crown (Report), Parliament of Canada, retrieved 4 May 2012
  4. ^ "First Lord of the Treasury", gov.uk, archived from the original on 20 May 2013, retrieved 3 September 2017

References

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Further reading

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