View source for Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

{{Short description|Head of government in the United Kingdom}}{{For|the list|List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom}}

{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Prime Minister
| body = the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| insignia = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government) (2022).svg
| insigniasize = 
| insigniacaption = [[Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom|Royal Arms]] of [[Government of the United Kingdom|His Majesty's Government]]
| insigniaalt = 
| flag = Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
| flagsize = 
| flagalt = 
| flagborder = yes
| flagcaption = [[Flag of the United Kingdom]]
| image = Portrait of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (cropped 2).jpg
| imagesize = 
| alt = 
| imagecaption = 
| incumbent = [[Rishi Sunak]]
| acting = 
| incumbentsince = 25 October 2022
| department = {{indented plainlist|
* [[Government of the United Kingdom]]
* [[10 Downing Street#Office of the Prime Minister|Prime Minister's Office]]
* [[Cabinet Office]]
}}
| style = {{indented plainlist|
* '''Prime Minister'''<br />(informal)
* [[The Right Honourable]]<br />(within the UK and Commonwealth)
* [[Excellency|His Excellency]]<br />(diplomatic)
}}
| type = [[Head of government]]
| status = [[Minister of the Crown|Chief Minister of the Crown]]
<br> [[Great Office of State]]
| abbreviation = 
| member_of = {{indented plainlist|
* [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]]
* [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]]
* [[British–Irish Council]]
* [[National Security Council (United Kingdom)|National Security Council]]
* [[Intergovernmental relations in the United Kingdom|PM and Heads of Devolved Governments Council]]
}}
| reports_to = {{hlist|[[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Monarch]]|[[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]]}}
| residence = {{ubl|[[10 Downing Street]] (official)|[[Chequers]] (country house)}}
| seat = 
| nominator = 
| appointer = [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom#Appointment of the prime minister|The Monarch]]
| appointer_qualified = (with their choice limited to the person who can command the [[Confidence and supply |confidence]] of the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]])<ref>{{Cite news |last=Andersson |first=Jasmine |date=2022-08-31 |title=Queen to appoint new prime minister at Balmoral |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62728328 |access-date= |work=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>
| termlength = [[At His Majesty's pleasure]]
| termlength_qualified = 
| constituting_instrument = 
| precursor = 
| formation = 
| first = [[Sir Robert Walpole]]
| last = 
| abolished = 
| superseded_by = 
| succession = 
| unofficial_names = 
| deputy = ''No fixed position; often held by'':{{blist|[[Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Deputy Prime Minister]]|[[First Secretary of State]]}}
| salary = £159,584 per annum {{small|(2022)}}<!--£75,440 Claimed Salary of PM + £84,144 MP Salary (2022-23)--><ref>{{Cite web |title=Salaries of Members of His Majesty's Government – Financial Year 2022–23 |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1124173/2022-12-07-Ministerial-Salaries-22-23-table.pdf |date=15 December 2022}}</ref><br />(including £84,144 [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]] salary)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pay and expenses for MPs |url=https://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/members/pay-mps/ |access-date=15 December 2022 |website=parliament.uk}}</ref>
| website = {{url|https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/prime-ministers-office-10-downing-street|10 Downing Street}}
| footnotes = 
}}
{{uk-gov-positions}}

The '''prime minister of the United Kingdom''' is the [[head of government]] of the [[United Kingdom]]. The prime minister [[Advice (constitutional law)|advises]] the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|sovereign]] on the exercise of much of the [[Royal prerogative in the United Kingdom|royal prerogative]], chairs the [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]] and selects its [[Minister of the Crown|ministers]]. As modern prime ministers hold office by virtue of their ability to [[Motions of no confidence in the United Kingdom|command the confidence]] of the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], they sit as [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|members of Parliament]]. The current prime minister is [[Rishi Sunak]] of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]], who assumed the office on 25 October 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.K Prime Minister: Rishi Sunak Officially Becomes Prime Minister and Forms Cabinet |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/10/25/world/uk-prime-minister-rishi-sunak |date=26 October 2022 |accessdate=24 February 2024|website=The New York Times |language=en}}</ref>

The office of prime minister is not established by any statute or constitutional document, but exists only by long-established [[Convention (norm)#Government|convention]], whereby the monarch appoints as prime minister the person most likely to command the confidence of the House of Commons.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-manual |title=The Cabinet Manual |date=October 2011 |publisher=[[Cabinet Office]] |edition=1st |page=14 |chapter=The principles of government formation (Section 2.8) |quote=Prime Ministers hold office unless and until they resign. If the prime minister resigns on behalf of the Government, the sovereign will invite the person who appears most likely to be able to command the confidence of the House to serve as prime minister and to form a government. |access-date=24 July 2016}}</ref> In practice, this is the leader of the political party that holds the largest number of seats in the Commons.

The prime minister is ''[[ex officio]]'' also [[First Lord of the Treasury]] (prior to 1905 also the official title of the position), [[Minister for the Civil Service]], the minister responsible for [[national security]],<ref name="manual" />{{rp|p.22}} and [[Minister for the Union]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-for-the-union |title=Minister for the Union |publisher= GOV.UK |accessdate=6 September 2022}}</ref> The prime minister's official residence and office is [[10 Downing Street]] in London.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About us - Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street - GOV.UK|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/prime-ministers-office-10-downing-street/about|access-date=25 March 2023|website=www.gov.uk|language=en}}</ref>

[[List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom|Fifty-seven people]] (fifty-four men and three women) have served as prime minister, the first of whom was [[Robert Walpole]] taking office on 3 April
1721. The [[List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom by length of tenure|longest-serving]] prime minister was also Walpole, who served over 20 years, and the shortest-serving was [[Liz Truss]], who served seven weeks.

==History==
{{Main|History of the prime minister of the United Kingdom}}

[[File:Robert-Walpole-1st-Earl-of-Orford.jpg|thumb|Sir [[Robert Walpole]] is generally considered to have been the first person to hold the position of Prime Minister.]]
The position of prime minister was not created; it evolved slowly and organically over three hundred years due to numerous [[Act of Parliament (UK)|Acts of Parliament]], political developments, and accidents of history. The office is therefore best understood from a historical perspective. The origins of the position are found in constitutional changes that occurred during the Revolutionary Settlement (1688–1720) and the resulting shift of political power from the sovereign to Parliament.<ref name="Evolution of Prime Minister">{{Cite news |title=George I |url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/KingsandQueensoftheUnitedKingdom/TheHanoverians/GeorgeI.aspx |access-date=4 April 2014}}</ref> Although the sovereign was not stripped of their ancient prerogative powers and legally remained the head of government, politically it gradually became necessary for him or her to govern through a prime minister who could command a majority in Parliament.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

By the 1830s, the [[Westminster system]] of government (or cabinet government) had emerged; the prime minister had become {{lang|la|[[primus inter pares]]}} or the first among equals in the Cabinet and the head of government in the United Kingdom, while it became increasingly seen as an affront to the constitution for the monarch to interfere directly with the business of government.{{cn|date=May 2023}} The political position of prime minister was enhanced by the development of modern political parties, the introduction of mass communication and photography.{{cn|date=May 2023}} By the start of the 20th century the modern premiership had emerged; the office had become the pre-eminent position in the constitutional hierarchy in relation to the sovereign, Parliament and Cabinet.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

Before 1902, the prime minister sometimes sat in the [[House of Lords]], provided that his government could form a majority in the Commons.{{cn|date=May 2023}} However, as the power of the aristocracy waned during the 19th century the convention developed that the prime minister should always sit as a Member of Parliament in the lower house, making them answerable only to the Commons in Parliament.{{cn|date=May 2023}} The prime minister's authority was further enhanced by the [[Parliament Act 1911]], which marginalised the influence of the House of Lords in the law-making process.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

==Authority, powers and constraints==
{{Main|Powers of the prime minister of the United Kingdom}}
The prime minister is the head of the [[United Kingdom government]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Prime Minister |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/prime-minister |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014185426/https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/prime-minister |archive-date=14 October 2017 |access-date=19 May 2018 |website=Gov.UK}}</ref> As such, the modern prime minister leads the Cabinet (the Executive). In addition, the prime minister leads a major political party and generally commands a majority in the House of Commons (the lower chamber of Parliament). The incumbent wields both significant legislative and executive powers. Under the British system, there is a [[Fusion of powers|unity of powers]] rather than [[separation of powers|separation]].<ref>[[#Le May|Le May]], 98–99. Walter Bagehot, an authority on 19th-century British government, said this unity is "the efficient secret" of its constitution. Bagehot's description of the "efficient part" of the British constitution is quoted by Le May and many other standard texts: "The efficient secret of the English Constitution may be described as the close union, the nearly complete fusion, of the executive and legislative powers. No doubt, by the traditional theory, as it exists in all the books, the goodness of our constitution consists in the entire separation of the legislative and executive authorities, but in truth, its merit consists in their singular approximation. The connecting link is the Cabinet ... A Cabinet is a combing committee—a hyphen which joins a buckle which fastens the legislative part of the State to the executive part of the State. In its origin, it belongs to the one, in its functions it belongs to the other."</ref>

In the House of Commons, the prime minister guides the law-making process with the goal of enacting the legislative agenda of their political party. In an executive capacity, the prime minister appoints (and may dismiss) all other Cabinet members and [[minister (government)|ministers]], and co-ordinates the policies and activities of all government departments, and the staff of the Civil Service. The prime minister also acts as the public "face" and "voice" of His Majesty's Government, both at home and abroad. Solely upon the [[Advice (constitutional)|advice]] of the prime minister, the sovereign exercises many statutory and prerogative powers, including high judicial, political, official and [[Church of England]] ecclesiastical appointments; the conferral of peerages and some knighthoods, decorations and other important honours.<ref>[[#Barnett|Barnett]], pp. 245–246</ref>

==Constitutional background==
{{Politics of the United Kingdom}}
{{Main|Constitution of the United Kingdom}}
The British system of government is based on an [[Constitution of the United Kingdom|uncodified constitution]], meaning that it is not set out in any single document.<ref>[[#King|King]], pp. 3–8. King makes the point that much of the British constitution is in fact written and that no constitution is written down in its entirety. The distinctive feature of the British constitution, he says, is that it is not codified.</ref> The British constitution consists of many documents and most importantly for the evolution of the office of the prime minister, it is based on customs known as [[constitutional convention (political custom)|constitutional conventions]] that became accepted practice. In 1928, Prime Minister [[H. H. Asquith]] described this characteristic of the British constitution in his memoirs:<blockquote>In this country we live ... under an unwritten Constitution. It is true that we have on the Statute-book great instruments like Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, and the Bill of Rights which define and secure many of our rights and privileges; but the great bulk of our constitutional liberties and ... our constitutional practices do not derive their validity and sanction from any Bill which has received the formal assent of the King, Lords and Commons. They rest on usage, custom, convention, often of slow growth in their early stages, not always uniform, but which in the course of time received universal observance and respect.<ref>Quoted in [[#Hanchant|Hanchant]], p. 209</ref>
</blockquote>

The relationships between the prime minister and the sovereign, Parliament and Cabinet are defined largely by these unwritten conventions of the constitution. Many of the prime minister's executive and legislative powers are actually [[royal prerogative]]s which are still formally vested in the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|sovereign]], who remains the [[head of state]].<ref>[[#Low|Low]], p.155. In 1902, for example, Arthur Balfour said, "The prime minister has no salary as prime minister. He has no statutory duties as prime minister, his name occurs in no Acts of Parliament, and though holding the most important place in the constitutional hierarchy, he has no place which is recognized by the laws of his country. This is a strange paradox"</ref> Despite its growing dominance in the constitutional hierarchy, the premiership was given little formal recognition until the 20th century; the [[legal fiction]] was maintained that the sovereign still governed directly. The position was first mentioned in statute only in 1917, in the schedule of the [[Chequers Estate Act 1917|Chequers Estate Act]]. Increasingly during the 20th century, the office and role of prime minister featured in [[statute law]] and official documents; however, the prime minister's powers and relationships with other institutions still largely continue to derive from ancient royal prerogatives and historic and modern constitutional conventions. Prime ministers continue to hold the position of [[First Lord of the Treasury]] and, since November 1968, that of [[Minister for the Civil Service]], the latter giving them authority over the [[Civil Service (United Kingdom)|civil service]].

Under this arrangement, Britain might appear to have two executives: the prime minister and the sovereign. The concept of "[[the Crown]]" resolves this paradox.<ref>[[#Low|Low]], p. 255 "There is no distinction," said Gladstone, "more vital to the practice of the British constitution or to the right judgement upon it than the distinction between the Sovereign and the Crown."</ref> The Crown symbolises the state's authority to govern: to make laws and execute them, impose taxes and collect them, declare war and make peace. Before the "[[Glorious Revolution]]" of 1688, the sovereign exclusively wielded the powers of the Crown; afterwards, Parliament gradually forced monarchs to assume a neutral political position. Parliament has effectively dispersed the powers of the Crown, entrusting its authority to responsible ministers (the prime minister and Cabinet), accountable for their policies and actions to Parliament, in particular the elected [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]].

Although many of the sovereign's prerogative powers are still legally intact,{{refn|The Sovereign's prerogative powers are sometimes called [[reserve power]]s. They include the sole authority to dismiss a prime minister and government of the day in extremely rare and exceptional circumstances, and other essential powers (such as withholding [[Royal Assent]], and summoning and proroguing Parliament) to preserve the stability of the nation. These reserve powers can be exercised without the consent of Parliament. Reserve powers, in practice, are the court of absolute last resort in resolving situations that fundamentally threaten the security and stability of the nation as a whole and are almost never used.|group= n}} constitutional conventions have removed the monarch from day-to-day governance, with ministers exercising the royal prerogatives, leaving the monarch in practice with three constitutional rights: to be kept informed, to advise and to warn.<ref>[[#Bagehot|Bagehot]], p. 67</ref><ref>[[#Low|Low]], pp 255–258</ref>

==Modern premiership==
===Appointment===
In modern times, much of the process involving prime ministerial appointments is informally governed by [[Constitutional conventions of the United Kingdom|constitutional conventions]] and authoritative sources, like [[Cabinet Manual (United Kingdom)|The Cabinet Manual]], paragraphs 2.7 to 2.20 and 3.1 to 3.2.

The prime minister is appointed by the monarch, through the exercise of the [[Royal prerogative in the United Kingdom|royal prerogative]].<ref>{{cite web|author=[[Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee|Public Administration Select Committee]]|title=Taming the Prerogative: Strengthening Ministerial Accountability to Parliament. Fourth Report of Session 2003–04|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmpubadm/422/422.pdf|publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom|page=4}}</ref> In the past, the monarch has used personal choice to dismiss or appoint a prime minister (the last time being in 1834), but it is now the convention that the monarch should not be drawn into party politics.<ref name="manual">{{cite web |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/60641/cabinet-manual.pdf |title=The Cabinet Manual |date=October 2011 |publisher=Cabinet Office |edition=1st}}</ref>{{rp|3}}

The prime minister "...holds that position by virtue of his or her ability to command the confidence of the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], which in turn commands the confidence of the electorate, as expressed through a [[List of United Kingdom general elections|general election]]."<ref name="manual" />{{rp|3.1}} By convention, [[List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies represented by sitting prime ministers|the prime minister is also an MP]] and is normally the leader of the [[List of political parties in the United Kingdom|political party]] that commands a [[Majority government|majority]] in the House of Commons.<ref name="manual" />{{rp|3.1}}{{refn|During the history of the modern office, five men have served as Prime Minister in both the House of Commons and House of Lords; four moved from serving in the Commons to accept a peerage, while the fifth disclaimed his peerage after his appointment and contested [[1963 Kinross and Western Perthshire by-election|a by-election]] to become an MP|group=n}}

===Prime Minister's Office===
{{main|10 Downing Street}}

The Prime Minister's Office helps the prime minister to 'establish and deliver the government's overall strategy and policy priorities, and to communicate the government's policies to Parliament, the public and international audiences'.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What the Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street does |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/prime-ministers-office-10-downing-street |access-date=20 February 2021 |website=gov.uk |quote=The office helps the Prime Minister to establish and deliver the government's overall strategy and policy priorities, and to communicate the government's policies to Parliament, the public and international audiences.}}</ref> The Prime Minister's Office is formally part of the Cabinet Office, but the boundary between its work and that of the wider Cabinet Office can be unclear;<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Role and Status of the Prime Minister's Office inquiry launched |url=https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/327/public-administration-and-constitutional-affairs-committee/news/119922/the-role-and-status-of-the-prime-ministers-office-inquiry-launched |access-date=20 February 2021 |website=parliament.uk |quote=Nominally, it is a part of the Cabinet Office, yet it is largely operationally distinct. Its functional relationship with the Cabinet Office is unclear.}}; {{Cite web |last=[[Constitution Committee]] |date=29 January 2010 |title=The Cabinet Office and the Centre of Government |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200910/ldselect/ldconst/30/30.pdf |access-date=20 February 2021 |page=9 |quote=Evidence conflicted about the relationship between the Cabinet Office and the Prime Minister's Office. In the view of some witnesses, the boundary between the two was blurred... Dr Richard Heffernan, Reader in Government, Open University, claimed that "we do not know where the Prime Minister's Department begins and where the Cabinet Office ends".}}</ref> the wider Cabinet Office might carry out very similar work. [[Peter Hennessy]] has claimed that this overall arrangement means there is in fact effectively a Prime Minister's Department, though it is not called this.<ref>{{Cite web |last=[[House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee]] |date=19 June 2014 |title=Role and powers of the Prime Minister |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmpolcon/351/351.pdf |access-date=20 February 2021 |page=34 |quote=One way forward would be to create a Prime Minister's Department—either as a separate entity or as a formal department combined with the Cabinet Office. Lord Hennessy believed that, in practice, there was already a Prime Minister's Department, but it was simply not referred to in those terms: "I am reluctant for a Prime Minister's Department to exist, being a traditionalist, but it does. It is there. It is the department that dare not speak its name."}}</ref>

===Prime Minister's Questions===
{{main|Prime Minister's Questions}}

Prime Minister's Questions is a [[constitutional convention (political custom)|constitutional convention]], currently held as a single session every Wednesday at noon when the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] is sitting, in which the prime minister answers questions from [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|members of Parliament]] (MPs). The leader of the opposition usually asks the prime minister six questions, and the leader of the third-largest parliamentary party can ask two questions. It is an occasion when the prime minister appears regularly on live television and radio.

The prime minister also appears before the [[Liaison Committee (House of Commons of the United Kingdom)|Liaison Committee]] to answer questions about public policy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmstords/0002/body.htm#145 |title=Standing Orders of the House of Commons |work=Parliament.UK |access-date=7 July 2021 |quote=Standing Order 145(2)The committee may also hear evidence from the Prime Minister on matters of public policy.}}</ref>

===Security and transport===

The personal protection of the prime minister<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stacey |first=Kiran |date=27 October 2014 |title=Police to review security after man runs into David Cameron |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a0fd7b08-5def-11e4-b7a2-00144feabdc0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/a0fd7b08-5def-11e4-b7a2-00144feabdc0 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |access-date=26 February 2021 |quote=The force said: "The MPS Specialist Protection Command is responsible for the personal protection of the prime minister"}}</ref> and former prime ministers<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 September 2008 |title=Tony Blair's bodyguard left gun in Starbuck's toilet |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2679015/Tony-Blairs-bodyguard-left-gun-in-Starbucks-toilet.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2679015/Tony-Blairs-bodyguard-left-gun-in-Starbucks-toilet.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |access-date=26 February 2021 |website=Daily Telegraph |quote=The SO1 unit – full name Specialist Protection Command – is responsible for the personal safety of Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former Prime Ministers Mr Blair and Margaret Thatcher.}}{{cbignore}}; {{Cite web |date=12 March 2020 |title=Cottage next to David Cameron's Dean home destroyed in suspected arson |url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/18301351.cottage-next-david-camerons-dean-home-destroyed-suspected-arson |access-date=26 February 2021 |website=Oxford Mail |quote=The fire will raise questions about security for Mr Cameron, 53, who as a former Prime Minister has lifelong personal protection from the Specialist Protection Branch of the Metropolitan Police Service Protection Command.}}</ref> is the responsibility of [[Protection Command]] within the [[Metropolitan Police Service]]. The fleet of [[Prime Ministerial Car]]s provides the prime minister with a number of security features as well as transport. The vehicles are driven by officers from this unit.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SO1 Specialist Protection |url=http://www.eliteukforces.info/police/SO1-specialist-protection |access-date=18 May 2019 |website=www.eliteukforces.info}}</ref> [[Air transport of the British royal family and government|Air transport for the prime minister]] is provided by a variety of military and civilian operators.

===International role===
{{Main|List of international trips made by prime ministers of the United Kingdom}}
One of the roles of the prime minister is to represent the UK at home and abroad,<ref>{{cite web |title=Power and decision-making in the UK |work=BBC Bitesize |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zwypxfr/revision/4 |access-date=13 March 2021 |quote=The PM has several roles including:... representing the UK at home and abroad}}</ref> for example at the annual [[G7 Summit]]. The prime minister makes many international trips. According to [[Gus O'Donnell]], the number of overseas visits for the prime minister has gone up.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Andrew |last1=Blick |first2=George |last2=Jones |title=The power of the Prime Minister |url=http://health-equity.pitt.edu/4042/1/policy-paper-102.html |website=health-equity.pitt.edu/ |access-date=21 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402125443/http://health-equity.pitt.edu/4042/1/policy-paper-102.html|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Deputy ===
{{Main|Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom}}
[[File:Official portrait of Foreign Secretary Raab.jpg|thumb|[[Dominic Raab]] was the [[First Secretary of State]] from 2019 to 2021. He deputised for Boris Johnson when he was ill with [[COVID-19]] in April 2020.]]
Prime ministers have had various deputies, sometimes as an official [[Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|deputy prime minister]], [[first secretary of state]] or ''de facto'' deputy. Some prime ministers have not chosen a deputy at all, preferring ''ad hoc'' arrangements.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Norton|first=Philip|title=Governing Britain: Parliament, Ministers and Our Ambiguous Constitution|publisher=[[Manchester University Press]]|year=2020|isbn=9-781526-145451|pages=142}}</ref>

==== Succession ====
Nobody has the right of automatic succession to the prime ministership.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brazier |first=Rodney |title=Choosing a Prime Minister: The Transfer of Power in Britain |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2020 |isbn=978-0-19-885929-1 |pages=174}}</ref> It is generally considered that in the event of the death of the prime minister, it would be appropriate to appoint an interim prime minister, though there is some debate as to how to decide who this should be.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Norton |first=Philip |date=2016 |title=A temporary occupant of No.10? Prime Ministerial succession in the event of the death of the incumbent |journal=[[Public Law]] |pages=34}}</ref>

According to [[Rodney Brazier]], there are no procedures within government to cope with the sudden death of the prime minister.<ref>{{Harvnb|Brazier|2020|page=84}}</ref> There is also no such title as acting prime minister of the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Harvnb|Brazier|2020|page=68}}</ref> Despite refusing "...to discuss a hypothetical situation" with [[BBC News]] in 2011,<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 December 2011 |title=MP urges 'line of succession' rules for prime minister |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-16283292 |access-date=6 June 2021}}</ref> the [[Cabinet Office]] said the following in 2006:<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Vennard |first=Andrew |date=2008 |title=Prime Ministerial succession |journal=[[Public Law (journal)|Public Law]] |pages=304}}</ref>{{Blockquote|There is no single protocol setting out all of the possible implications. However, the general constitutional position is as set out below. There can be no automatic assumption about who The Queen would ask to act as caretaker Prime Minister in the event of the death of the Prime Minister. The decision is for her under the Royal Prerogative. However, there are some key guiding principles. The Queen would probably be looking for a very senior member of the Government (not necessarily a Commons Minister since this would be a short-term appointment). If there was a recognised deputy to the Prime Minister, used to acting on his behalf in his absences, this could be an important factor. Also important would be the question of who was likely to be in contention to take over long-term as Prime Minister. If the most senior member of the Government was him or herself a contender for the role of Prime Minister, it might be that The Queen would invite a slightly less senior non-contender. In these circumstances, her private secretary would probably take soundings, via the Cabinet Secretary, of members of the Cabinet, to ensure that The Queen invited someone who would be acceptable to the Cabinet to act as their chair during the caretaker period. Once the Party had elected a new leader, that person would, of course, be invited to take over as Prime Minister.
}}Additionally, when the prime minister is travelling, it is standard practice for a senior duty minister to be appointed who can attend to urgent business and meetings if required, though the prime minister remains in charge and updated throughout.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mason |first=Chris |date=15 August 2016 |title=Is Boris Johnson running the country? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/37086680 |access-date=19 March 2021 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>

On 6 April 2020, when Prime Minister [[Boris Johnson]] was admitted into ICU, he asked First Secretary of State [[Dominic Raab]] "to deputise for him where necessary".<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 April 2020 |title=Statement from Downing Street: 6 April 2020 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-from-downing-street-6-april-2020 |access-date=19 March 2021 |website=[[gov.uk]]}}</ref>

===Resignation===
[[File:Prime Minister Liz Truss announces her resignation.jpg|thumb|Prime Minister [[Liz Truss]] announces her resignation outside 10 Downing Street, 20 October 2022]]
A prime minister ends their tenure by offering their resignation to the British monarch.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The appointment of prime ministers and the role of the Queen |url=https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/appointment-prime-ministers |access-date=23 February 2021 |website=[[Institute for Government]] |date=13 September 2019 |quote=The incumbent prime minister informs Buckingham Palace that they will be resigning. There is then a well-rehearsed sequence of events in which the outgoing prime minister travels to see the Queen and formally tenders his or her resignation.}}</ref> This can happen after their party has suffered a [[general election]] defeat, so that they no longer command the confidence of the House of Commons. It can also happen mid-term, if they are forced to resign for political reasons,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Mikhailova |first1=Anna |last2=Yorke |first2=Harry |date=16 May 2019 |title=Tearful Theresa May forced to agree to stand down: PM out by June 30 at the latest |work=Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/05/16/brexit-latest-news-theresa-may-set-showdown-meeting-senior-tories |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=26 February 2021 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/05/16/brexit-latest-news-theresa-may-set-showdown-meeting-senior-tories |archive-date=10 January 2022 |quote=During an emotionally-charged meeting with senior members of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs, Mrs May was forced to agree to stand down within weeks so the Conservatives can elect a new leader before Parliament's summer recess.}}{{cbignore}}</ref> or for other reasons such as ill-health.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 January 1957 |title=1957: Sir Anthony Eden resigns |work=BBC ON THIS DAY |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/9/newsid_2800000/2800833.stm |access-date=22 February 2021 |quote=Sir Anthony Eden has resigned as prime minister of Britain due to ill health.}}; {{Cite web |date=10 January 1957 |title=Sir Anthony Eden resigns |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1957/jan/10/conservatives.past |access-date=22 February 2021 |website=The Guardian |quote=Sir Anthony Eden resigned the office of Prime Minister yesterday because, in the opinion of four doctors, "his health will no longer enable him to sustain the heavy burdens inseparable from the office of Prime Minister."}}</ref> If the prime minister resigns mid-term, and their party has a majority in the Commons, the party selects a new leader according to its rules, and this new leader is invited by the monarch to become the new prime minister. The outgoing prime minister is likely to remain in post until the new leader has been chosen by the party. After resigning, the outgoing prime minister remains a [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]]. An outgoing prime minister can ask the monarch to bestow honours on any number of people of their choosing, known as the [[Prime Minister's Resignation Honours]]. No incumbent prime minister has ever lost their own seat at a general election.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What happens if a prime minister loses their seat in a general election? |url=https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/prime-minister-lost-seat-general-election |access-date=22 February 2021 |website=[[Institute for Government]] |date=27 November 2019 |quote=Has a prime minister ever lost their seat? No incumbent prime minister has ever lost his or her seat at a general election.}}</ref> Only one prime minister has been assassinated: [[Assassination of Spencer Perceval|Spencer Perceval, in 1812]].

==Precedence, privileges and form of address==
{{Main|List of peerages held by prime ministers of the United Kingdom|Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom}}
{{Multiple image
|perrow   = 1
|header   = Prime ministerial residences
|image1   = Larry the cat outside 10 Downing St.jpg
|image2   = Chequers (cropped).jpg
|caption1 = [[10 Downing Street]], the official place of residence of the prime minister
|caption2 = [[Chequers]], used by the prime minister as a country retreat.
}}
On taking office a new prime minister usually makes a public statement to announce to the country that they have been appointed by the reigning monarch (called "[[kissing hands]]"). This is usually done by saying words to the effect of:

{{Blockquote
| His Majesty the King ''[Her Majesty the Queen]'' has asked me to form a government and I have accepted.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cameron |first=David |date=11 May 2010 |title=David Cameron becomes PM: Full Downing Street statement |agency=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8676405.stm |access-date=11 May 2010}}; {{YouTube|id=TezCBzlB3d8|title=Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrives at Downing Street}}; {{YouTube|id=Ebj1vT7CMyk|title=Transfer of Power from James Callaghan to Margaret Thatcher}}; {{Cite news |last=May |first=Theresa |date=13 July 2016 |title=Prime Minister Theresa May promises 'a better Britain' – the full speech |agency=[[Total Politics]] |url=https://www.totalpolitics.com/articles/news/prime-minster-theresa-may-promises-better-britain-full-speech |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref>}}

Throughout the United Kingdom, the prime minister outranks all other dignitaries except members of the royal family, the [[lord chancellor]], and senior ecclesiastical figures.{{refn|
These include: in [[England and Wales]], the [[Church of England|Anglican]] archbishops of Canterbury and York; in Scotland, the lord high commissioner and the [[moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland]]; in [[Northern Ireland]], the [[Church of Ireland|Anglican]] and Roman Catholic archbishops of Armagh and Dublin and the [[Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland|moderator of the General Assembly]] of the [[Presbyterian Church in Ireland|Presbyterian Church]].|group= n}}

In 2010, the prime minister received £142,500 including a salary of £65,737 as a member of parliament.<ref>{{Citation |title=A new politics: cutting Ministerial pay |date=13 May 2010 |url=http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/latest-news/2010/05/a-new-politics-cutting-ministerial-pay-50065 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618230623/http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/latest-news/2010/05/a-new-politics-cutting-ministerial-pay-50065 |publisher=Number10.gov.uk |access-date=19 June 2010 |archive-date=18 June 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Until 2006, the [[lord chancellor]] was the highest-paid member of the government, ahead of the prime minister. This reflected the lord chancellor's position at the head of the [[Judiciary of England and Wales#Judicial salaries|judicial pay scale]]. The [[Constitutional Reform Act 2005]] eliminated the lord chancellor's judicial functions and also reduced the office's salary to below that of the prime minister.

The prime minister is customarily a member of the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]] and thus entitled to the appellation "[[The Right Honourable]]". Membership of the council is retained for life. It is a constitutional convention that only a privy counsellor can be appointed prime minister. Most potential candidates have already attained this status. The only case when a non-privy counsellor was the natural appointment was [[Ramsay MacDonald]] in 1924. The issue was resolved by appointing him to the Council immediately prior to his appointment as prime minister.

According to the now-defunct [[Department for Constitutional Affairs]], the prime minister is made a privy counsellor as a result of taking office and should be addressed by the official title prefixed by "The Right Honourable" and not by a personal name.{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=July 2016}} Although this form of address is employed on formal occasions, it is rarely used by the media. As "prime minister" is a position, not a title, the incumbent should be referred to as "the prime minister", although the title "Prime Minister" (e.g. "Prime Minister Rishi Sunak") has become commonplace within current political reporting.<ref>{{cite web |title=Life after the premiership of Tony Blair |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tony-Blair/Life-after-the-premiership |website=Britannica.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Gordon Brown: Labour plan would make UK work for Scotland |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-63853652 |access-date=6 November 2023 |work=BBC News |date=5 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Castel |first1=Steven |title=The Race for a New British Prime Minister Begins, Again |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/21/world/europe/british-prime-minister-race.html |access-date=6 November 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=21 October 2022}}</ref> Within the UK, the expression "Prime Minister Sunak" is never used, although it, too, is sometimes used by foreign dignitaries and news sources.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

10 Downing Street, in [[London]], has been the [[official residence|official place of residence]] of the prime minister since 1732; they are entitled to use its staff and facilities, including extensive offices. [[Chequers]], a [[English country house|country house]] in Buckinghamshire, gifted to the government in 1917, may be used as a country retreat for the prime minister.

== Retirement honours ==
Upon retirement, it is customary for the sovereign to grant a prime minister some honour or dignity. The honour bestowed is commonly, but not invariably, membership of the UK's most senior order of chivalry, the [[Order of the Garter]]. The practice of creating a retired prime minister a Knight Companion of the Garter (KG) has been fairly prevalent since the mid-nineteenth century. Upon the retirement of a prime minister who is Scottish, it is likely that the primarily Scottish honour of [[Order of the Thistle|Knight of the Thistle]] (KT) will be used instead of the Order of the Garter, which is generally regarded as an English honour.{{refn|This circumstance is somewhat confused, however, as since the Great Reform Act 1832, only seven Scots have served as prime minister. Of these, two – [[Bonar Law]] and [[Ramsay MacDonald]] – died while still sitting in the Commons, not yet having retired; MacDonald was offered the KT in 1935, but declined it as acceptance would have conflicted with his principles as a Labour Party member.<ref>{{cite book |last=Vickers |first=Hugo |date=1994 |title=Royal Orders |location=Great Britain |publisher=Boxtree Limited |page=55 |isbn=1852835109}}</ref> The [[George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen|Earl of Aberdeen]] was appointed to ''both'' the Order of the Garter and the Order of the Thistle, while [[Alec Douglas-Home]] became a KT while Foreign Secretary. Yet another, [[Arthur Balfour]], was appointed to the Order of the Garter, but represented an English constituency and may not have considered himself entirely Scottish; of the remaining two, the [[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery|Earl of Rosebery]] became a KG, and [[Gordon Brown]] remained in the House of Commons as a [[backbencher]] until 2015.|group= n}}

Historically it has also been common to grant prime ministers a [[peerage]] upon retirement from the Commons, elevating the individual to the Lords. Formerly, the peerage bestowed was usually an [[earl]]dom.{{refn|Churchill was offered a [[Duke of London|dukedom]] but declined.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rasor |first=Eugene L. |url=https://archive.org/details/winstonschurchil00raso |title=Winston S. Churchill, 1874–1965: a comprehensive historiography and annotated bibliography |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-313-30546-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/winstonschurchil00raso/page/205 205] |url-access=registration}}</ref>|group= n}} The last such creation was for [[Harold Macmillan]], who resigned in 1963. Unusually, he became [[Earl of Stockton]] only in 1984, over twenty years after leaving office. 

Macmillan's successors [[Alec Douglas-Home]], [[Harold Wilson]], [[James Callaghan]], [[Margaret Thatcher]] and [[David Cameron]] all accepted [[life peer]]ages (although Douglas-Home had previously disclaimed his hereditary title as [[Earl of Home]]). [[Edward Heath]] did not accept a peerage of any kind and nor have any of the prime ministers, other than Cameron (having done so to re-join the Cabinet, rather than as an honour per se), who have retired since 1990. Edward Heath (in 1992), [[John Major]] (in 2005) and [[Tony Blair]] (in 2022) were later appointed as Knights Companion of the Garter, although Blair had previously disclosed that he did not want honours bestowed for himself or future prime ministers.{{cn|date=October 2023}}

The most recent former prime minister to die was [[Margaret Thatcher]] (1979–1990) on 8 April 2013. Her death meant that for the first time since 1955 (the year in which the [[Earldom of Attlee]] was created, subsequent to the death of [[Earl Baldwin of Bewdley|Earl Baldwin]] in 1947) the membership of the House of Lords included no former prime minister, a situation which remained the case until David Cameron was appointed to the House in November 2023.

== {{anchor|Public Duty Costs Allowance|PDCA}} Public Duty Costs Allowance (PDCA) ==

All former prime ministers are entitled to claim for salary or office expenses incurred in fulfilling public duties in that role. The allowance may not be used to pay for private or parliamentary duties. It is administered by the Cabinet Office Finance Team.

The maximum amount which may be claimed per year is £115,000, plus 10% towards any staff pension costs. This limit is reviewed annually, and at the start of each Parliament, by the prime minister. The maximum level may be adjusted downwards if the former prime minister receives any public funds for fulfilling other  public appointments.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Public Duty Costs Allowance guidance |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-duty-cost-allowance/public-duty-costs-allowance-guidance |access-date=2 November 2022 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref> Downing Street confirmed in November 2023 that former prime minister David Cameron would not claim from the PDCA while he is Foreign Secretary.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Allegretti |first=Steven Swinford, Chris Smyth, Laurence Sleator, Oliver Wright, Geraldine Scott, Matt Dathan, Aubrey |date=25 November 2023 |title=MP files letter of no confidence in Rishi Sunak as reshuffle backlash begins — as it happened |newspaper=[[The Times]] |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rishi-sunak-cabinet-reshuffle-2023-latest-news-suella-braverman-whvp0c88l |access-date=25 November 2023 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref>

== See also ==

===Lists of prime ministers by different criteria===
{{Div col|colwidth=27em}}
* [[Timeline of prime ministers of Great Britain and the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom by length of tenure]]
* [[List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom by age]]
* [[List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom by education]]
* [[List of current heads of government in the United Kingdom and dependencies]]
* [[List of fictional prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of peerages held by prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies represented by sitting prime ministers]]
* [[Historical rankings of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
{{Div col end}}
All lists: [[:Category:Lists of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]

===Other related pages===
{{Div col|colwidth=27em}}
* [[Air transport of the Royal Family and Government of the United Kingdom]]
* [[Spouse of the prime minister of the United Kingdom]]
* [[Records of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]]
* [[Cultural depictions of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]] 
* [[List of things named after prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of nicknames of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[:Category:Books written by prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[Armorial of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of burial places of prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]
{{Div col end}}
More related pages: [[:Category:Prime ministers of the United Kingdom]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=n}}
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Works cited ===
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bagehot |first=Walter |title=The English Constitution |publisher=Wm. Collins & Sons |year=1963 |isbn=978-0-521-46535-9 |ref=Bagehot |author-link=Walter Bagehot |orig-year=1867}}
* {{Cite book |last=Chrimes |first=S. B. |title=English Constitutional History |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1947 |isbn=978-0-404-14653-5 |location=Oxford |ref=Chrimes}}
* {{Cite book |last=Barnett |first=Hilaire |title=Constitutional & Administrative Law |publisher=Routledge-Cavendish |year=2009 |edition=7th |location=Abingdon, Oxfordshire |ref=Barnett}}
* {{Cite book |last=Farnborough, Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron |title=Constitutional History of England since the Accession of George the Third |publisher=Longmans, Green and Co. |year=1896 |edition=11th |location=London}}
* {{Cite book |last=Hanchant |first=W.L. |title=England Is Here—Speeches and Writings of the Prime Ministers of England |publisher=Bodley Head |year=1943 |ref=Hanchant}}
* {{Cite book |last=King |first=Anthony |title=The British Constitution |publisher=Oxford University Press, Oxford |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-9691436-3-5}}
* {{Cite book |last=Le May |first=G. H. L. |title=The Victorian Constitution, Conventions, Usages and Contingencies |publisher=Duckworth |year=1979 |ref=Le May}}
* {{Cite book |last=Leonard |first=Dick |title=A History of British Prime Ministers, Walpole to Cameron |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-137-33804-4 |ref=Leonard}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/primeministersfr0000vant |title=The Prime Ministers, From Sir Robert Walpole to Edward Heath |publisher=Stein and Day |year=1974 |isbn=978-0-8128-1738-6 |editor-last=Van Thal |editor-first=Herbert |editor-link=Herbert van Thal |url-access=registration}}
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==

* {{Cite journal |last1=Denver |first1=David |last2=Garnett |first2=Mark |date=2012 |title=The popularity of British prime ministers. |journal=British Journal of Politics and International Relations |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=57–73 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-856X.2011.00466.x |s2cid=143249516}}
* {{Cite journal |last1=Kaarbo |first1=Juliet |last2=Hermann |first2=Margaret G. |date=1998 |title=Leadership styles of prime ministers: How individual differences affect the foreign policymaking process. |url=http://panel.inkuba.com/sites/2/archivos/Leadership%203.pdf |journal=Leadership Quarterly |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=243–263 |doi=10.1016/S1048-9843(98)90029-7}}
* {{Cite book |title=The British Prime Minister' |date=1985 |publisher=Duke University Press |editor-last=King |editor-first=Anthony Stephen}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Langer |first=Ana Inés |date=2007 |title=A historical exploration of the personalisation of politics in the print media: The British Prime Ministers (1945–1999). |journal=Parliamentary Affairs |volume=60 |issue=3 |pages=371–387 |doi=10.1093/pa/gsm028}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Seldon |first1=Anthony |title=The Impossible Office? The History of the British Prime Minister |last2=Meakin |first2=Jonathan |last3=Thoms |first3=Illias |date=2021 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781316515327 |ol=34770382M}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Strangio |first1=Paul |title=Understanding Prime-Ministerial Performance: Comparative Perspectives |last2=Hart |first2=Paul 't |last3=Walter |first3=James |date=2013 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780199666423}}
* {{Cite journal |last1=Theakston |first1=Kevin |last2=Gill |first2=Mark |date=2006 |title=Rating 20th-century British prime ministers. |journal=British Journal of Politics and International Relations |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=193–213 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-856x.2006.00220.x |s2cid=145216328}}
* {{Cite book |last=Thomson |first=George Malcolm |title=The Prime Ministers: From Robert Walpole to Margaret Thatcher |date=1980 |publisher=Secker & Warburg}}{{ISBN?}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Prime ministers of the United Kingdom}}
* [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/prime-ministers-office-10-downing-street#content Number 10 official website]
* [http://www.parliament.uk Parliament of the United Kingdom website]
* [http://www.archontology.org/nations/uk/bpm/ Principal Ministers of the Crown: 1730–2006]

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