List of British governments explained

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

"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. 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.^{[1] [2]}

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.^[3]

Ministries

	Colour key

Start date		Government	Event	Head		Governing party		Monarch
align=right colspan=2		Godolphin–Marlborough ministry	Acts of Union			rowspan=3	Tory	rowspan=3	Whig	Anne
align=right colspan=2		General election
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1710	Dismissal	colspan=2
align=right		Harley ministry	General election			colspan=2 rowspan=3	Tory
align=right colspan=2		General election
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1714	Accession		class=nowrap rowspan=8	George I
align=right		Townshend ministry				colspan=2 rowspan=26	Whig
align=right colspan=2		General election
align=right colspan=2		First Stanhope–Sunderland ministry
align=right colspan=2		Second Stanhope–Sunderland ministry
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1721	Death	colspan=2
align=right		Walpole–Townshend ministry
align=right colspan=2		General election
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1727	Accession		class=nowrap rowspan=21	George II
align=right		General election
align=right colspan=2		Walpole ministry	Townshend resigns
align=right colspan=2		General election
align=right colspan=2		General election
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1742	No confidence	colspan=2
align=right		Carteret ministry
align=right
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1743	Death	colspan=2
align=right
align=right colspan=2		First Broad Bottom ministry<		---->
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1746	Dismissal	colspan=2
align=right		Second Broad Bottom ministry<	---->
align=right colspan=2		General election
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1754	Death	colspan=2
align=right		First Newcastle ministry
align=right		General election
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1756	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		Pitt–Devonshire ministry
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1757	1757 caretaker ministry		Pitt dismissed	colspan=2	Whig (caretaker)
align=right		Pitt–Newcastle ministry				colspan=2 rowspan=4	Whig
align=right colspan=2		Accession	class=nowrap rowspan=42	George III
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1761	General election
align=right rowspan=2		Pitt resigns
Bute–Newcastle coalition		rowspan=6	Tory	rowspan=4		Whig
align=right colspan=2 rowspan=2		Dismissal	colspan=2
Bute ministry
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1763	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		Grenville ministry				rowspan=2
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1765	Dismissal	colspan=2
align=right		First Rockingham ministry			colspan=2	Rockingham Whig
align=right colspan=2		Chatham ministry			rowspan=3		rowspan=3	Tory
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1768		General election
align=right		Grafton ministry
align=right colspan=2		North ministry				Tory		Whig
align=right colspan=2		General election	colspan=2 rowspan=3		Tory
align=right colspan=2		General election
align=right rowspan=2		align=right rowspan=4	1782		No confidence
Second Rockingham ministry				colspan=2 rowspan=2	Rockingham Whig
align=right		Death	colspan=2
align=right		Shelburne ministry				rowspan=2		rowspan=4	Tory
align=right		align=right rowspan=4	1783	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		Fox–North coalition				rowspan=2	Whig
align=right		Dismissal	colspan=2
align=right		First Pitt ministry				colspan=2 rowspan=2	Tory (minority)
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1784	No confidence
align=right		General election	colspan=2 rowspan=2	Tory
align=right colspan=2		General election
align=right colspan=2		General election	rowspan=2	Tory		rowspan=2	Whig
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1801	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		Addington ministry				colspan=2 rowspan=2	Tory
align=right colspan=2		General election
align=right colspan=2		Second Pitt ministry				colspan=2 rowspan=2	Tory
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1806	Death	colspan=2
align=right		Ministry of All the Talents				rowspan=2	Whig	rowspan=2	Tory
align=right		General election
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1807	Second Portland ministry				colspan=2	Tory (minority)
align=right		General election	colspan=2 rowspan=10	Tory
align=right colspan=2		Perceval ministry
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1812	Assassination	colspan=2
align=right		Liverpool ministry
align=right		General election
align=right colspan=2		General election
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1820	Accession		class=nowrap rowspan=9	George IV
align=right		General election
align=right colspan=2		General election
align=right		align=right rowspan=4	1827	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		Canning ministry<	---->				rowspan=4		rowspan=4	Whig
align=right		Death	colspan=2
align=right		Goderich ministry<	---->
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1828	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		Wellington–Peel ministry				colspan=2 rowspan=2	Tory
align=right		align=right rowspan=4	1830	Accession		class=nowrap rowspan=15	William IV
align=right		General election	colspan=2 rowspan=2	Tory (minority)
align=right		No confidence	colspan=2
align=right		Grey ministry<	---->				colspan=2	Whig (minority)
align=right colspan=2		General election	colspan=2 rowspan=5	Whig
align=right colspan=2		General election
align=right		align=right rowspan=6	1834	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		First Melbourne ministry<	---->
align=right		Dismissal	colspan=2
align=right		Wellington caretaker ministry				colspan=2 rowspan=2	Tory (caretaker)
align=right		Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		First Peel ministry				colspan=2 rowspan=3	Conservative (minority)
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1835	General election
align=right		No confidence	colspan=2
align=right		Second Melbourne ministry				colspan=2 rowspan=6	Whig
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1837	Accession		Victoria
align=right		General election
align=right		align=right rowspan=4	1841	No confidence
align=right		General election
align=right rowspan=2		No confidence
Second Peel ministry				colspan=2 rowspan=2	Conservative
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1846	No confidence	colspan=2
align=right		First Russell ministry					colspan=2 rowspan=4	Whig (minority)
align=right colspan=2		General election
align=right colspan=2	1851	No confidence
align=right		align=right rowspan=5	1852	No confidence	colspan=2
align=right		Who? Who? ministry					colspan=2	Conservative (minority)
align=right		General election	colspan=2 rowspan=2	Conservative
align=right		No confidence	colspan=2
align=right		Aberdeen ministry					colspan=2 rowspan=2	Coalition (minority)
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1855	No confidence	colspan=2
align=right		First Palmerston ministry					colspan=2 rowspan=2	Whig (minority)
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1857	No confidence
align=right		General election	colspan=2 rowspan=2	Whig
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1858	No confidence	colspan=2
align=right		Second Derby–Disraeli ministry					colspan=2 rowspan=3	Conservative (minority)
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1859	General election
align=right		No confidence	colspan=2
align=right		Second Palmerston ministry<	---->					colspan=2 rowspan=5	Liberal
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1865	General election
align=right		Death	colspan=2
align=right		Second Russell ministry<	---->
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1866	No confidence	colspan=2
align=right		Third Derby–Disraeli ministry					colspan=2 rowspan=4	Conservative (minority)
align=right		align=right rowspan=4	1868	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right
align=right		Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		First Gladstone ministry	General election				colspan=2 rowspan=3	Liberal
align=right colspan=2	1873	No confidence
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1874	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		Second Disraeli ministry	General election				colspan=2 rowspan=2	Conservative
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1880	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		Second Gladstone ministry	General election				colspan=2 rowspan=2	Liberal
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1885	No confidence	colspan=2
align=right		First Salisbury ministry					colspan=2	Conservative (minority)
align=right		General election	colspan=2 rowspan=2	Conservative (caretaker)
align=right		align=right rowspan=4	1886	No confidence	colspan=2
align=right		Third Gladstone ministry					colspan=2 rowspan=2	Liberal (minority)
align=right		No confidence	colspan=2
align=right		Second Salisbury ministry	General election				colspan=2	Conservative (minority)
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1892	General election			colspan=2 rowspan=2	Conservative (caretaker)
align=right		No confidence	colspan=2
align=right		Fourth Gladstone ministry<	---->					colspan=2 rowspan=4	Liberal (minority)
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1894	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		Rosebery ministry<	---->
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1895	No confidence	colspan=2
align=right		Third Salisbury ministry<	---->					colspan=2	Conservative (minority)
align=right		General election	rowspan=6	Conservative	rowspan=6
align=right colspan=2		Fourth Salisbury ministry<	---->	General election
align=right colspan=2		Accession	class=nowrap rowspan=8	Edward VII
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1902	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		Balfour ministry<	---->
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1905	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		Campbell-Bannerman ministry<	---->				colspan=2	Liberal (minority)
align=right colspan=2		General election	colspan=2 rowspan=2	Liberal
align=right colspan=2		First Asquith ministry<	---->
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1910	Second Asquith ministry<	---->		General election	colspan=2 rowspan=3	Liberal (minority)
align=right		Accession	class=nowrap rowspan=22	George V
align=right		Third Asquith ministry<	---->	General election
align=right colspan=2		Asquith coalition ministry		colspan=2 rowspan=5	Coalition
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1916	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		Lloyd George war ministry<	---->
align=right colspan=2		Second Lloyd George ministry<	---->	General election
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1922	Carlton Club meeting	colspan=2
align=right		Law ministry<	---->				colspan=2 rowspan=4	Conservative
align=right		General election
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1923	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		First Baldwin ministry<	---->
align=right		General election	colspan=2 rowspan=2	Conservative (caretaker)
align=right rowspan=2		align=right rowspan=4	1924	No confidence
First MacDonald ministry				colspan=2 rowspan=2	Labour (minority)
align=right rowspan=2		No confidence
Second Baldwin ministry	General election			colspan=2	Conservative
align=right		align=right rowspan=3		1929	General election	colspan=2 rowspan=2	Conservative (caretaker)
align=right		Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		Second MacDonald ministry	Lib–Lab pact			colspan=2	Labour (minority)
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1931	First National Government				colspan=2 rowspan=8	National
align=right		Second National Government	General election
align=right colspan=2		Third National Government	General election
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1936	Accession		class=nowrap rowspan=2	Edward VIII
align=right rowspan=2		Abdication
Accession	class=nowrap rowspan=8	George VI
align=right colspan=2		Fourth National Government
align=right colspan=2		Chamberlain war ministry
align=right colspan=2		Churchill war ministry	Norway Debate			colspan=2	Coalition
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1945	Churchill caretaker ministry		Coalition resigns	colspan=2	Coalition (caretaker)
align=right		First Attlee ministry<	---->	General election			colspan=2 rowspan=2	Labour
align=right colspan=2		Second Attlee ministry<	---->	General election
align=right colspan=2		Third Churchill ministry	General election			colspan=2 rowspan=9	Conservative
align=right colspan=2		Accession	class=nowrap rowspan=36	Elizabeth II
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1955	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		Eden ministry
align=right		General election
align=right colspan=2		First Macmillan ministry<	---->
align=right colspan=2		Second Macmillan ministry<	---->	General election
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1963	Resignation	colspan=2
align=right		Douglas-Home ministry<	---->
align=right colspan=2		First Wilson ministry<	---->	General election			colspan=2 rowspan=2	Labour
align=right colspan=2		Second Wilson ministry<	---->	General election
align=right colspan=2		Heath ministry	General election			colspan=2	Conservative
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	1974	General election		colspan=2	Conservative (caretaker)
align=right		Third Wilson ministry<	---->				colspan=2	Labour (minority)
align=right		Fourth Wilson ministry<	---->	General election	colspan=2 rowspan=2		Labour
align=right colspan=2		Callaghan ministry<	---->	Leadership election
align=right colspan=2		Lib–Lab pact	colspan=2 rowspan=2	Labour (minority)
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	1979	No confidence
align=right		First Thatcher ministry	General election			colspan=2 rowspan=5	Conservative
align=right colspan=2		Second Thatcher ministry	General election
align=right colspan=2		Third Thatcher ministry	General election
align=right colspan=2		First Major ministry	Leadership election
align=right colspan=2		Second Major ministry	General election
align=right colspan=2		By-election	colspan=2	Conservative (minority)
align=right colspan=2		First Blair ministry	General election			colspan=2 rowspan=4	Labour
align=right colspan=2		Second Blair ministry	General election
align=right colspan=2		Third Blair ministry	General election
align=right colspan=2		Brown ministry	Leadership election
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	2010	General election		colspan=2	Labour (caretaker)
align=right		Cameron–Clegg coalition	Formation				Conservative
align=right colspan=2		Second Cameron ministry	General election	colspan=2 rowspan=2		Conservative
align=right colspan=2		First May ministry	Leadership election
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	2017	General election		colspan=2	Conservative (caretaker)
align=right		Second May ministry	DUP agreement	colspan=2 rowspan=2		Conservative (minority)
align=right		align=right rowspan=2	2019	First Johnson ministry	Leadership election
align=right		Second Johnson ministry	General election	colspan=2 rowspan=4	Conservative
align=right		align=right rowspan=3	2022	Truss ministry	Leadership election
align=right		Accession	class=nowrap rowspan=3	Charles III
align=right		Sunak ministry	Leadership election
align=right colspan=2		Starmer ministry	General election			colspan=2	Labour

See also

• List of English ministries, for ministries of the Kingdom of England
• List of Scottish Governments, for ministries of the modern Scottish Government
• List of Northern Ireland Executives, for ministries of the Northern Ireland Executive
• List of Welsh Governments, for ministries of the modern Welsh Government
• List of British shadow cabinets, for a list of shadow cabinets

Notes

Citations

Notes and References

1. cs2 . Part 6 Historical information on the Australian Parliament . 31 October 2014 . . 6 March 2017 .
2. cs2 . Ministers of the Crown . . 4 May 2012.
3. Web site: cs2 . live . First Lord of the Treasury . . 3 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130520022327/https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/first-lord-of-the-treasury . 20 May 2013.