List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom by length of tenure

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of prime ministers of the United Kingdom by length of tenure. This is based on the difference between dates; if counted by the number of calendar days, the figures would be one day greater for each term served.

The term prime minister appeared in the early eighteenth century as an unofficial title for the leader of the government, usually the head of the Treasury.[1] Jonathan Swift, for example, wrote that in 1713 there had been "those who are now commonly called Prime Minister among us", referring to Sidney Godolphin and Robert Harley, Queen Anne's lord treasurers and chief ministers.[2] 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.

Notable lengths

A painting of Walpole in formal attire and a powdered wig
20 years and 315 days: Robert Walpole (1721–1742)
Longest term and longest total tenure
William Ewart Gladstone
12 years and 130 days: William Ewart Gladstone (1868–1874, 1880–1885, 1886, and 1892–1894)
Most non-consecutive terms
Portrait of Margaret Thatcher
11 years and 209 days: Margaret Thatcher (1979–1990)[3]
Longest-serving prime minister in the 20th century
Portrait of Liz Truss
49 days: Liz Truss (2022)[4]
Shortest-serving prime minister

Of the 57 past prime ministers, nine served more than 10 years while eight served less than a year.[5] Robert Walpole is the only person to have served as prime minister (then Great Britain) for more than two decades. Liz Truss is the shortest-serving prime minister, resigning after seven weeks or 49 days.[4][6][7] The previous shortest time served was George Canning, who served for less than four months before dying in office.[8] Margaret Thatcher, in office for 11 years and 208 days between 1979 and 1990, is the longest-serving prime minister in modern history,[3] and the longest-serving prime minister officially referred to as such.[9][10] William Gladstone is the only person to have served four separate terms.

List of office holders by tenure

More information Rank, Prime Minister ...
RankPrime MinisterTenure lengthTenuresPartyStart EndReason for exitRef.
1Sir Robert Walpole20 years, 314 days1Whig1721 1742 Resigned [5]
2William Pitt the Younger18 years, 343 days2Tory (Pittite)1783 1801 Resigned [5]
1804 1806 Died
3The Earl of Liverpool14 years, 305 days1Tory (Pittite)1812 1827 Resigned due to illness [11]
4The Marquess of Salisbury13 years, 252 days3Conservative1885 1886 Resigned [11]
1886 1892 Defeated in election
1895 1902 Resigned due to illness
5William Ewart Gladstone12 years, 126 days4Liberal1868 1874 Defeated in election [11]
1880 1885 Defeated in election
1886 1886 Resigned
1892 1894 Resigned
6Lord North12 years, 58 days1Tory (Northite)1770 1782 Resigned [11]
7Margaret Thatcher11 years, 208 days1Conservative1979 1990 Resigned [11]
8Henry Pelham10 years, 191 days1Whig1743 1754 Died [11]
9Tony Blair10 years, 56 days1Labour1997 2007 Resigned [11]
10The Viscount Palmerston9 years, 141 days2Whig / Liberal1855 1858 [5]
1859 1865 Died
11H. H. Asquith8 years, 244 days1Liberal1908 1916 Resigned [11]
12Sir Winston Churchill8 years, 239 days2Conservative1940 1945 Defeated in election [5]
1951 1955 Resigned due to illness
13Harold Wilson7 years, 279 days2Labour1964 1970 Defeated in election [11]
1974 1976 Resigned
14The Duke of Newcastle7 years, 205 days2Whig1754 1756 [5]
1757 1762
15Stanley Baldwin7 years, 82 days3Conservative1923 1924 Lack of majority after election [5]
1924 1929 Defeated in election
1935 1937 Resigned
16Benjamin Disraeli6 years, 339 days2Conservative1868 1868 Defeated in election [5]
1874 1880 Defeated in election
17Ramsay MacDonald6 years, 289 days2Labour1924 1924 Defeated in election [5]
Labour / National Labour 1929 1935 Resigned due to illness
18Harold Macmillan6 years, 281 days1Conservative1957 1963 Resigned due to illness [11]
19The Viscount Melbourne6 years, 255 days2Whig1834 1834 [5]
1835 1841 Defeated in election
20John Major6 years, 155 days1Conservative1990 1997 Defeated in election [5]
21Lord John Russell6 years, 110 days2Whig / Liberal1846 1852 Defeated in election [5]
1865 1866 Resigned
22Clement Attlee6 years, 92 days1Labour1945 1951 Defeated in election [11]
23David Cameron6 years, 63 days1Conservative2010 2016 Resigned [11]
24David Lloyd George5 years, 317 days1Liberal1916 1922 Resigned [5]
25Sir Robert Peel5 years, 57 days2Conservative1834 1835 Defeated in election [11]
1841 1846 Resigned
26The Earl of Derby3 years, 280 days3Conservative 1852 1852 [11]
1858 1859
1866 1868 Resigned due to illness
27Edward Heath3 years, 259 days1Conservative1970 1974 Defeated in election [11]
28The Earl Grey3 years, 229 days1Whig1830 1834 Resigned [5]
29Arthur Balfour3 years, 145 days1Conservative1902 1905 Resigned [5]
30The Duke of Portland3 years, 82 days2Whig / Tory (Pittite)1783 1783 [11]
1807 1809 Resigned due to illness
31Henry Addington3 years, 54 days1Tory (Pittite)1801 1804 Replaced [11]
32Boris Johnson3 years, 44 days1Conservative2019 2022 Resigned [11]
33James Callaghan3 years, 29 days1Labour1976 1979 Defeated in election [5]
34Theresa May3 years, 11 days1Conservative2016 2019 Resigned [11]
35Neville Chamberlain2 years, 348 days1Conservative1937 1940 Resigned [5]
36The Duke of Wellington2 years, 320 days2Tory1828 1830 Replaced [5]
1834 1834 Caretaker ministry
37Gordon Brown2 years, 318 days1Labour2007 2010 Defeated in election [5]
38Spencer Perceval2 years, 221 days1Tory (Pittite)1809 1812 Assassinated [5]
39Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman2 years, 122 days1Liberal1905 1908 Resigned due to illness [5]
40George Grenville2 years, 85 days1Whig (Grenvillite)1763 1765 Replaced [11]
41The Earl of Chatham2 years, 76 days1Whig (Chathamite)1766 1768 Resigned due to illness [11]
42The Earl of Aberdeen2 years, 42 days1Peelite1852 1855 Resigned [5]
43Sir Keir Starmer1 year, 316 days1Labour2024 Incumbent [11]
44Sir Anthony Eden1 year, 279 days1Conservative1955 1957 Resigned due to illness [11]
45Rishi Sunak1 year, 254 days1Conservative2022 2024 Defeated in election [11]
46The Earl of Wilmington1 year, 119 days1Whig1742 1743 Died [11]
47The Marquess of Rockingham1 year, 113 days2Whig (Rockinghamite)1765 1766 Resigned [5]
1782 1782 Died
48The Earl of Rosebery1 year, 109 days1Liberal1894 1895 Defeated in election [11]
49The Duke of Grafton1 year, 106 days1Whig (Chathamite)1768 1770 Resigned [5]
50The Lord Grenville1 year, 42 days1Whig1806 1807 Replaced [11]
51Sir Alec Douglas-Home363 days1Conservative (Scot. Unionist)1963 1964 Defeated in election [11]
52The Earl of Bute317 days1Tory1762 1763 Resigned [5]
53The Earl of Shelburne266 days1Whig (Chathamite)1782 1783 Replaced [11]
54The Duke of Devonshire225 days1Whig1756 1757 Replaced [5]
55Andrew Bonar Law211 days1Conservative (Scot. Unionist)1922 1923 Resigned due to illness [5]
56The Viscount Goderich144 days1Tory (Canningite)1827 1828 Replaced [5]
57George Canning119 days1Tory (Canningite)1827 1827 Died [11]
58Liz Truss49 days1Conservative2022 2022 Resigned [4][11]
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Disputed

More information Prime Minister, Length served ...
Prime MinisterLength servedTerms in officePartyStart and endReason for exit
The Earl Waldegrave4 days0Whig1757 Unsupported
The Earl of Bath2 days0Whig1746 Unsupported
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See also

Notes

References

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