"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 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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