"The politician who never made a mistake never made a decision." — Prime Minister John Major (Conservative Party, 1990-1997)
The world of politics is ever-changing, no matter the country, spectrum, or political party.
And when it comes to the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, it's no different. The period between the 18th century and 20th century has been particularly interesting — and turbulent. That's why we have created the ultimate list of British Prime Ministers since 1770 (and previous serving individuals).
Who Was the First Prime Minister of the UK?
Because Great Britain has undergone structural changes over the years, there are technically several "first" PMs. But historians agree that while the first person to ever hold the title was Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister of the current United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland) was Andrew Bonar Law in 1922.
Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, 1770 to Present Day
Read on to find the name, term dates, and political party affiliation of all British Prime Ministers including both the earliest days of the office and the present— from Lord North in 1770 to Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister presumptive in October 2022.
| Name |
Term |
| Lord Frederick North (Tory) |
1770–1782 |
| Charles Watson-Wentworth, Marquess of Rockingham (Whig) |
1782–1782 |
| William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne (Whig) |
1782–1783 |
| William Cavendish-Bentinck, Duke of Portland (Tory) |
1783–1783 |
| William Pitt, the Younger (Tory) |
1783–1801 |
| Henry Addington (Tory) |
1801–1804 |
| William Pitt, the Younger (Tory) |
1804–1806 |
| William Wyndham Grenville, Baron Grenville (Whig) |
1806–1807 |
| William Cavendish-Bentinck, Duke of Portland (Tory) |
1807–1809 |
| Spencer Perceval (Tory) |
1809–1812 |
| Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool (Tory) |
1812–1827 |
| George Canning (Tory) |
1827–1827 |
| Frederick Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich (Tory) |
1827–1828 |
| Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (Tory) |
1828–1830 |
| Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (Whig) |
1830–1834 |
| William Lamb, Viscount Melbourne (Whig) |
1834–1834 |
| Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (Tory) |
1834–1834 |
| Sir Robert Peel (Conservative) |
1834–1835 |
| William Lamb, Viscount Melbourne (Whig) |
1835–1841 |
| Sir Robert Peel (Conservative) |
1841–1846 |
| Lord John Russell, 1st Earl (Whig) |
1846–1852 |
| Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (Conservative) |
1852–1852 |
| George Hamilton-Gordon, Earl of Aberdeen (Conservative) |
1852–1855 |
| Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (Whig and Liberal) |
1855–1858 |
| Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (Conservative) |
1858–1859 |
| Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (Whig and Liberal) |
1859–1865 |
| Lord John Russell, 1st Earl (Liberal) |
1865–1866 |
| Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (Conservative) |
1866–1868 |
| Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield (Conservative) |
1868–1868 |
| William Ewart Gladstone (Liberal) |
1868–1874 |
| Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield (Conservative) |
1874–1880 |
| William Ewart Gladstone (Liberal) |
1880–1885 |
| Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Conservative) |
1885–1886 |
| William Ewart Gladstone (Liberal) |
1886–1886 |
| Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Conservative) |
1886–1892 |
| William Ewart Gladstone (Liberal) |
1892–1894 |
| Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (Liberal) |
1894–1895 |
| Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Conservative) |
1895–1902 |
| Arthur James Balfour (Conservative) |
1902–1905 |
| Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (Liberal) |
1905–1908 |
| H. H. Asquith (Liberal) |
1908–1916 |
| David Lloyd George (Liberal) |
1916–1922 |
| Andrew Bonar Law (Conservative) |
1922–1923 |
| Stanley Baldwin (Conservative) |
1923–1924 |
| James Ramsay MacDonald (Labour) |
1924–1924 |
| Stanley Baldwin (Conservative) |
1924–1929 |
| James Ramsay MacDonald (Labour and National Labour) |
1929–1935 |
| Stanley Baldwin (Conservative) |
1935–1937 |
| Neville Chamberlain (Conservative) |
1937–1940 |
| Winston Churchill (Conservative) |
1940–1945 |
| Clement Attlee (Labour) |
1945–1951 |
| Sir Winston Churchill (Conservative) |
1951–1955 |
| Sir Anthony Eden (Conservative) |
1955–1957 |
| Harold Macmillan (Conservative) |
1957–1963 |
Sir Alec Douglas-Home
(Conservative) |
1963–1964 |
| Harold Wilson (Labour) |
1964–1970 |
| Edward Heath (Conservative) |
1970–1974 |
| Harold Wilson (Labour) |
1974–1976 |
| James Callaghan (Labour) |
1976–1979 |
| Margaret Thatcher (Conservative) |
1979–1990 |
| John Major (Conservative) |
1990–1997 |
| Tony Blair (Labour) |
1997–2007 |
| Gordon Brown (Labour) |
2007–2010 |
| David Cameron (Conservative) |
2010–2016 |
| Theresa May (Conservative) |
2016–2019 |
| Boris Johnson (Conservative) |
2019–2022 |
| Liz Truss (Conservative) |
2022–2022 |
| Rishi Sunak (Conservative) |
2022– |
Other Notable Prime Ministers in Great Britain from 1721
Sir Robert Walpole (Whig, 1721-1742); Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington (Whig, 1742-1743); Henry Pelham (Whig, 1743-1754); Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle (Whig, 1754-1756); William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire (Whig, 1756-1757); Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle (Whig, 1757-1762); John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute (Tory, 1762-1763); George Grenville (Whig, 1762-1765); Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham (Whig, 1765-1766); William Pitt, the Elder, 1st Earl of Chatham (Whig, 1766-1768); Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton (Whig, 1768-1770).
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