List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies represented by sitting prime ministers explained

This is a chronological list of parliamentary constituencies in the Kingdom of Great Britain and its successor state the United Kingdom which were represented by sitting prime ministers.

A majority of constituencies are or were (in the case of those abolished) in England, apart from three in Wales and six in Scotland. No prime minister has represented a constituency in Ireland or Northern Ireland.

ConstituencyCountyPrime MinisterPortraitdata-sort-type="date"Startdata-sort-type="date"EndNotes
King's Lynn Norfolkdata-sort-value="Walpole" Sir Robert Walpole3 April 17216 February 1742Regarded as the first prime minister in the modern sense. Created Earl of Orford on 6 February 1742
Earl of Orford House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Orford" The Earl of Orford6 February 174211 February 1742See previous entry.
Earl of Wilmington House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Wilmington" The Earl of Wilmington16 February 17422 July 1743
Sussex Sussexdata-sort-value="Pelham" Henry Pelham27 August 17436 March 1754
Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Newcastle" The Duke of Newcastle16 March 175411 November 1756
Duke of Devonshire House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Devonshire" The Duke of Devonshire16 November 175629 June 1757
Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Newcastle" The Duke of Newcastle29 June 175726 May 1762
Representative Peer House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Bute" The Earl of Bute26 May 17628 April 1763[1]
Buckingham Buckinghamshiredata-sort-value="Grenville" George Grenville16 April 176310 July 1765
Marquess of Rockingham House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Rockingham" The Marquess of Rockingham13 July 176530 July 1766
Bath Somersetdata-sort-value="Pitt the Elder" William Pitt the Elder30 July 17664 August 1766Pitt "kissed hands" as a commoner on 30 July 1766. He chose to become Lord Privy Seal, and was created Earl of Chatham on 4 August 1766.
Earl of Chatham House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Chatham" The Earl of Chatham4 August 176614 October 1768See previous entry.
Duke of Grafton House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Grafton" The Duke of Grafton14 October 176828 January 1770
Banbury Oxfordshiredata-sort-value="North" Lord North28 January 177027 March 1782
Marquess of Rockingham House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Rockingham" The Marquess of Rockingham27 March 17821 July 1782
Baron Wycombe House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Shelburne" The Earl of Shelburne4 July 178226 March 1783[2]
Duke of Portland House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Portland" The Duke of Portland2 April 178318 December 1783
Appleby WestmorlandWilliam Pitt the Younger19 December 17833 April 1784
Cambridge University Cambridgeshire3 April 178414 March 1801Chose to stand for different constituency
Devizes Wiltshiredata-sort-value="Addington" Henry Addington17 March 180110 May 1804
Cambridge University Cambridgeshiredata-sort-value="Pitt the Younger" William Pitt the Younger10 May 180423 January 1806
Baron Grenville House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Greville" The Lord Grenville11 February 180625 March 1807
Duke of Portland House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Portland" The Duke of Portland31 March 18074 October 1809
Northampton Northamptonshiredata-sort-value="Perceval" Spencer Perceval4 October 180911 May 1812Perceval was shot and killed in the lobby of the House of Commons. He is the only British prime minister to have been assassinated.
Earl of Liverpool House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Liverpool" The Earl of Liverpool8 June 18129 April 1827
Seaford Sussexdata-sort-value="Canning" George Canning20 April 18278 August 1827Chose to stand for different constituency
Viscount Goderich House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Goderich" The Viscount Goderich31 August 18278 January 1828
Duke of Wellington House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Wellington" The Duke of Wellington22 January 182816 November 1830
Earl Grey House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Grey" The Earl Grey22 November 18309 July 1834
Baron Melbourne House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Melbourne" The Viscount Melbourne16 July 183414 November 1834
Duke of Wellington House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Wellington" The Duke of Wellington17 November 18349 December 1834
Tamworth Staffordshiredata-sort-value="Peel" Sir Robert Peel, Bt.10 December 18348 April 1835
Baron Melbourne House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Melbourne" The Viscount Melbourne18 April 183530 August 1841
Tamworth Staffordshiredata-sort-value="Peel" Sir Robert Peel, Bt.30 August 184129 June 1846
City of London City of Londondata-sort-value="Russell" Lord John Russell30 June 184621 February 1852Later created Earl Russell on 27 July 1861
Earl of Derby House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Derby" The Earl of Derby23 February 185217 December 1852
Viscount Gordon House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Aberdeen" The Earl of Aberdeen19 December 185230 January 1855
Tiverton Devondata-sort-value="Palmerston" The Viscount Palmerston6 February 185519 February 1858
Earl of Derby House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Derby" The Earl of Derby20 February 185811 June 1859
Tiverton Devondata-sort-value="Palmerston" The Viscount Palmerston12 June 185918 October 1865
Earl Russell House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Russell" The Earl Russell29 October 186526 June 1866Previously Lord John Russell.
Earl of Derby House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Derby" The Earl of Derby28 June 186625 February 1868
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshiredata-sort-value="Disraeli" Benjamin Disraeli27 February 18681 December 1868
Greenwich Kentdata-sort-value="Gladstone" William Ewart Gladstone3 December 186817 February 1874
Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshiredata-sort-value="Disraeli" Benjamin Disraeli20 February 187421 August 1876Created Earl of Beaconsfield on 21 August 1876
Earl of Beaconsfield House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Beaconsfield" The Earl of Beaconsfield21 August 187621 April 1880See previous entry.
Midlothian Edinburghdata-sort-value="Gladstone" William Ewart Gladstone23 April 18809 June 1885
Marquess of Salisbury House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Salisbury" The Marquess of Salisbury23 June 188528 January 1886
Midlothian Edinburghdata-sort-value="Gladstone" William Ewart Gladstone1 February 188620 July 1886
Marquess of Salisbury House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Salisbury" The Marquess of Salisbury25 July 188611 August 1892
Midlothian Edinburghdata-sort-value="Gladstone" William Ewart Gladstone15 August 18922 March 1894
Baron Rosebery House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Rosebery" The Earl of Rosebery5 March 189422 June 1895
Marquess of Salisbury House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Salisbury" The Marquess of Salisbury25 June 189511 July 1902
Manchester East Lancashiredata-sort-value="Balfour" Arthur Balfour12 July 19024 December 1905
Stirling Burghs StirlingshireSir Henry Campbell-Bannerman5 December 19055 April 1908
Perthshire
Fife
Linlithgowshire
Fife East Fifedata-sort-value="Asquith" H. H. Asquith5 April 19085 December 1916
Caernarvon Boroughs Caernarfondata-sort-value="Lloyd George" David Lloyd George6 December 191619 October 1922
Glasgow Central Glasgowdata-sort-value="Law" Bonar Law23 October 192220 May 1923
Bewdley Worcestershiredata-sort-value="Baldwin" Stanley Baldwin22 May 192322 January 1924
Aberavon Glamorgandata-sort-value="MacDonald" Ramsay MacDonald22 January 19244 November 1924
Bewdley Worcestershiredata-sort-value="Baldwin" Stanley Baldwin4 November 19244 June 1929
Seaham County Durhamdata-sort-value="MacDonald" Ramsay MacDonald5 June 19297 June 1935
Bewdley Worcestershiredata-sort-value="Baldwin" Stanley Baldwin7 June 193528 May 1937
Birmingham Edgbaston Warwickshiredata-sort-value="Chamberlain" Neville Chamberlain28 May 193710 May 1940
Epping EssexWinston Churchill10 May 19405 July 1945Constituency abolished effective with 1945 general election
Woodford Essex5 July 194526 July 1945
Limehouse County of LondonClement Attlee26 July 194523 February 1950Constituency abolished effective with 1950 general election
Walthamstow West Essex23 February 195026 October 1951
Woodford Essexdata-sort-value="Churchill" Sir Winston Churchill26 October 19515 April 1955
Warwick and Leamington Warwickshiredata-sort-value="Eden" Sir Anthony Eden6 April 19559 January 1957
Bromley Kentdata-sort-value="Macmillan" Harold Macmillan10 January 195718 October 1963
Earl of Home House of Lordsdata-sort-value="Home" The Earl of Home19 October 196322 October 1963Douglas-Home was the Earl of Home when he became prime minister and renounced his peerage four days later to stand for the House of Commons.
Sir Alec Douglas-Home23 October 19637 November 1963Douglas-Home was in neither House of Parliament and during an active parliament, briefly for twenty days. He was elected in by-election on 8 November 1963, but did not take his seat until 12 November.
Kinross and Western Perthshire Kinross-shire8 November 196316 October 1964
Perthshire
Huyton Lancashiredata-sort-value="Wilson" Harold Wilson16 October 196419 June 1970
Bexley Greater LondonEdward Heath19 June 197028 February 1974Constituency abolished effective with February 1974 general election
Sidcup Greater London28 February 19744 March 1974Heath was elected for Sidcup and did not resign as prime minister for several days while he attempted to form a coalition.
Huyton Merseysidedata-sort-value="Wilson" Harold Wilson4 March 19745 April 1976
Cardiff South East South Glamorgandata-sort-value="Callaghan" James Callaghan5 April 19764 May 1979
Finchley Greater Londondata-sort-value="Thatcher" Margaret Thatcher4 May 197928 November 1990
Huntingdon Cambridgeshiredata-sort-value="Major" John Major28 November 19902 May 1997
Sedgefield County Durhamdata-sort-value="Blair" Tony Blair2 May 199727 June 2007
Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Fifedata-sort-value="Brown" Gordon Brown27 June 200711 May 2010
Witney Oxfordshiredata-sort-value="Cameron" David Cameron11 May 201013 July 2016
Maidenhead Berkshiredata-sort-value="May" Theresa May13 July 201624 July 2019
Uxbridge and South Ruislip Greater Londondata-sort-value="Johnson" Boris Johnson24 July 20196 September 2022
South West Norfolk Norfolkdata-sort-value="Truss" Elizabeth Truss6 September 202225 October 2022
Richmond (Yorks) North YorkshireRishi Sunak25 October 202230 May 2024Constituency abolished effective with 2024 general election
Richmond and Northallerton4 July 20245 July 2024Sunak was elected for Richmond and Northallerton and resigned as prime minister the next day.
Holborn and St Pancras Greater Londondata-sort-value="Starmer" Sir Keir Starmer5 July 2024data-sort-value="99999999" Incumbent

External links

Notes and References

  1. Members of the Peerage of Scotland were not automatically permitted to sit in the House of Lords until the passing of the Peerage Act 1963. Up to that point, Scottish peers could only sit in the House of Lords if they were elected as one of the sixteen Representative Peers, or if they held, in addition to their Scottish peerage, an additional title in either the Peerage of Great Britain or the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Following the passing of the Peerage Act, all Scottish peers were given the right to a seat in the House of Lords. This right lasted until the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999.
  2. Members of the Peerage of Ireland were not automatically permitted to sit in the House of Lords. Only Irish peers that had been elected as one of 28 Representative Peers (from 1801 to 1921), or those that held, in addition to their Irish peerage, an additional title in either the Peerage of Great Britain or the Peerage of the United Kingdom. This lasted until the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999. However, those Irish peers that were not entitled to a seat in the House of Lords were entitled to stand for election to the House of Commons.