Dates | Government | Key event(s)[a] | Head | Governing party | Monarch |
1 May 1707 – 8 Aug 1710 | Godolphin–Marlborough ministry | | | The Duke of Marlborough | Tory | Whig | Anne |
16 Nov 1710 – Sep 1714 | Harley ministry | | | Robert Harley[b] | Tory |
Accession of George I (1714) | George I |
Sep 1714 – 1717 | Townshend ministry | 1715 general election | | The Viscount Townshend[c] | Whig |
1717 – 1718 | First Stanhope–Sunderland ministry | [data missing] | | The Earl Stanhope |
1718 – Feb 1721 | Second Stanhope–Sunderland ministry | [data missing] |
3 Apr 1721 – 16 May 1730 | Walpole–Townshend ministry | | | Robert Walpole[d] |
| George II |
16 May 1730 – 11 Feb 1742 | Walpole ministry | |
12 Feb 1742 – 24 Nov 1744 | Carteret ministry | 1742 vote of no confidence in the Walpole ministry | | The Earl of Wilmington |
Death of Wilmington (1743) | | Henry Pelham |
24 Nov 1744 – 10 Feb 1746 | First Broad Bottom ministry | [data missing] |
14 Feb 1746 – 6 Mar 1754 | Second Broad Bottom ministry[e] | |
16 Mar 1754 – 11 Nov 1756 | First Newcastle ministry | | | The Duke of Newcastle |
Nov 1756 – Apr 1757 | Pitt–Devonshire ministry | Collapse following the Fall of Minorca (1756) | | The Duke of Devonshire |
Apr 1757 – Jun 1757 | 1757 caretaker ministry | Dismissal of Pitt | Whig (caretaker) |
27 Jun 1757 – 1761 | Pitt–Newcastle ministry | Pitt reappointed (1757) | | The Duke of Newcastle | Whig |
Accession of George III (1760) | George III |
1761 – 26 May 1762 | Bute–Newcastle coalition | | Tory | Whig |
1762 – 1763 | Bute ministry | Resignation of Newcastle (1762) | | The Earl of Bute |
16 Apr 1763 – 13 Jul 1765 | Grenville ministry | Bute's resignation following fierce criticism of the Treaty of Paris (1763) | | George Grenville |
13 Jul 1765 – 30 Jul 1766 | First Rockingham ministry | King disliked Grenville to the point of dismissal (1765) | | The Marquess of Rockingham | Whig |
30 Jul 1766 – 14 Oct 1768 | Chatham (Pitt) ministry | | | The Earl of Chatham | Whig | Tory |
14 Oct 1768 – 28 Jan 1770 | Grafton ministry | [data missing] | | The Duke of Grafton |
28 Jan 1770 – 27 Mar 1782 | North ministry | [data missing] | | Lord North | Tory | Whig |
| Tory |
27 Mar 1782 – 1 Jul 1782 | Second Rockingham ministry | Fall of the North ministry | | The Marquess of Rockingham | Whig |
4 Jul 1782 – 26 Mar 1783 | Shelburne ministry | Death of Rockingham (1782) | | The Earl of Shelburne | Whig | Tory |
2 Apr 1783 – 18 Dec 1783 | Fox–North coalition | [data missing] | | The Duke of Portland |
19 Dec 1783 – 14 Mar 1801 | First Pitt ministry | [data missing] | | William Pitt the Younger | Tory (minority) |
| Tory |
| Tory | Whig |
17 Mar 1801 – 10 May 1804 | Addington ministry | | | Henry Addington | Tory |
10 May 1804 – 23 Jan 1806 | Second Pitt ministry | [data missing] | | William Pitt the Younger |
11 Feb 1806 – 31 Mar 1807 | Ministry of All the Talents | | | The Lord Grenville | Whig | Tory |
31 Mar 1807 – 4 Oct 1809 | Second Portland ministry | [data missing] | | The Duke of Portland | Tory (minority) |
1807 general election | Tory |
4 Oct 1809 – 11 May 1812 | Perceval ministry | [data missing] | | Spencer Perceval |
8 Jun 1812 – 9 Apr 1827 | Liverpool ministry | | | The Earl of Liverpool |
| George IV |
Apr 1827 – Aug 1827 | Canning ministry | Cerebral haemorrhage of Liverpool | | George Canning | Tory (Canningite) | Whig |
Sep 1827 – Jan 1828 | Goderich ministry | Death of Canning (1827) | | The Viscount Goderich |
22 Jan 1828 – 16 Nov 1830 | Wellington–Peel ministry | Resignation of Goderich (1828) | | The Duke of Wellington | Tory |
Accession of William IV (1830) | William IV |
1830 general election | Tory (minority) |
15 Nov 1830 – Jul 1834 | Grey ministry | Defeat of the Wellington–Peel ministry (1830) | | The Earl Grey | Whig (minority) |
| Whig |
Jul 1834 – Nov 1834 | First Melbourne ministry | [data missing] | | The Viscount Melbourne |
14 Nov 1834 – 10 Dec 1834 | Wellington caretaker ministry | Melbourne was dismissed and Peel, who was to be appointed, was out of the country | | The Duke of Wellington | Tory (caretaker) |
10 Dec 1834 – 8 Apr 1835 | First Peel ministry | Appointed to lead a short-lived Conservative minority | | Robert Peel | Conservative (minority) |
Apr 1835 – Sep 1841 | Second Melbourne ministry | 1835 general election | | The Viscount Melbourne | Whig |
| Victoria |
30 Aug 1841 – 29 Jun 1846 | Second Peel ministry | 1841 general election | | Robert Peel | Conservative |
Jul 1846 – Feb 1852 | First Russell ministry | | | Lord John Russell | Whig (minority) |
28 Feb 1852 – 17 Dec 1852 | Who? Who? ministry | Fall of the Whig government | | The Earl of Derby | Conservative (minority) |
1852 general election | Conservative |
19 Dec 1852 – 30 Jan 1855 | Aberdeen ministry | [data missing] | | The Earl of Aberdeen | Coalition (minority) |
6 Feb 1855 – 19 Feb 1858 | First Palmerston ministry | [data missing] | | The Viscount Palmerston | Whig (minority) |
1857 general election | Whig |
20 Feb 1858 – 11 Jun 1859 | Second Derby–Disraeli ministry | [data missing] | | The Earl of Derby | Conservative (minority) |
12 Jun 1859 – 18 Oct 1865 | Second Palmerston ministry | | | The Viscount Palmerston | Liberal |
18 Oct 1865 – 26 Jun 1866 | Second Russell ministry | [data missing] | | The Earl Russell |
28 Jun 1866 – 27 Feb 1868 | Third Derby–Disraeli ministry | [data missing] | | The Earl of Derby | Conservative (minority) |
27 Feb 1868 – 1 Dec 1868 | Resignation of Derby due to ill health | | Benjamin Disraeli |
3 Dec 1868 – 17 Feb 1874 | First Gladstone ministry | 1868 general election | | William Ewart Gladstone | Liberal |
20 Feb 1874 – 21 Apr 1880 | Second Disraeli ministry | 1874 general election | | Benjamin Disraeli[f] | Conservative |
23 Apr 1880 – 9 Jun 1885 | Second Gladstone ministry | 1880 general election | | William Ewart Gladstone | Liberal |
23 Jun 1885 – 28 Jan 1886 | First Salisbury ministry | [data missing] | | The Marquess of Salisbury | Conservative (minority) |
1885 general election | Conservative (caretaker)[g] |
1 Feb 1886 – 20 Jul 1886 | Third Gladstone ministry | First Salisbury defeat | | William Ewart Gladstone | Liberal (minority) |
25 Jul 1886 – 11 Aug 1892 | Second Salisbury ministry | 1886 general election | | The Marquess of Salisbury | Conservative (minority) |
1892 general election | Conservative (caretaker)[g] |
15 Aug 1892 – 2 Mar 1894 | Fourth Gladstone ministry | 1892 vote of no confidence in the Salisbury ministry | | William Ewart Gladstone | Liberal (minority) |
5 Mar 1894 – 22 Jun 1895 | Rosebery ministry | Resignation of Gladstone over the rejection of his Home Rule Bill (1894) | | The Earl of Rosebery |
25 Jun 1895 – 24 Oct 1900 | Third Salisbury ministry | [data missing] | | The Marquess of Salisbury | Conservative (minority) |
1895 general election | Conservative | Liberal Unionist |
1900 general election |
24 Oct 1900 – 11 Jul 1902 | Fourth Salisbury ministry |
Accession of Edward VII (1901) | Edward VII |
12 Jul 1902 – 4 Dec 1905 | Balfour ministry | [data missing] | | Arthur Balfour |
5 Dec 1905 – 5 Apr 1908 | Campbell-Bannerman ministry | [data missing] | | Henry Campbell-Bannerman | Liberal (minority) |
1906 general election | Liberal |
5 Apr 1908 – 9 Feb 1910 | First Asquith ministry | [data missing] | | H. H. Asquith |
9 Feb 1910 – 19 Dec 1910 | Second Asquith ministry | Jan 1910 general election | Liberal (minority) |
Accession of George V (May 1910) | George V |
19 Dec 1910 – 25 May 1915 | Third Asquith ministry | Dec 1910 general election |
25 May 1915 – 5 Dec 1916 | Asquith coalition ministry | [data missing] | Coalition |
6 Dec 1916 – 14 Dec 1918 | Lloyd George war ministry | [data missing] | | David Lloyd George |
14 Dec 1918 – 19 Oct 1922 | Second Lloyd George ministry | 1918 general election |
23 Oct 1922 – 20 May 1923 | Law ministry | | | Bonar Law | Conservative |
22 May 1923 – 22 Jan 1924 | First Baldwin ministry | [data missing] | | Stanley Baldwin |
1923 general election | Conservative (caretaker)[g] |
22 Jan 1924 – 4 Nov 1924 | First MacDonald ministry | Defeat of the Baldwin ministry | | Ramsay MacDonald | Labour (minority) |
4 Nov 1924 – 4 Jun 1929 | Second Baldwin ministry | 1924 general election | | Stanley Baldwin | Conservative |
1929 general election | Conservative (caretaker)[g] |
5 Jun 1929 – 24 Aug 1931 | Second MacDonald ministry | 1929 Lib–Lab pact | | Ramsay MacDonald | Labour (minority) |
24 Aug 1931 – 27 Oct 1931 | First National Government | [data missing] | | National |
27 Oct 1931 – 7 Jun 1935 | Second National Government | 1931 general election |
7 Jun 1935 – 28 May 1937 | Third National Government | | | Stanley Baldwin |
Accession of Edward VIII (1936) | Edward VIII |
Abdication of Edward VIII and accession of George VI (1936) | George VI |
28 May 1937 – 3 Sep 1939 | Fourth National Government | Resignation of Baldwin (1937) | | Neville Chamberlain |
3 Sep 1939 – 10 May 1940 | Chamberlain war ministry | Restructuring for World War II |
10 May 1940 – 23 May 1945 | Churchill war ministry | Fall of Chamberlain after the Norway Debate (1940) | | Winston Churchill | Coalition |
23 May 1945 – 26 Jul 1945 | Churchill caretaker ministry | Coalition broke up over whether it should remain through Japanese defeat in World War II | National (caretaker) |
26 Jul 1945 – 23 Feb 1950 | First Attlee ministry | 1945 general election | | Clement Attlee | Labour |
23 Feb 1950 – 26 Oct 1951 | Second Attlee ministry | 1950 general election |
26 Oct 1951 – 5 Apr 1955 | Third Churchill ministry | 1951 general election | | Winston Churchill | Conservative |
Accession of Elizabeth II (1952) | Elizabeth II |
6 Apr 1955 – 9 Jan 1957 | Eden ministry | | | Anthony Eden |
9 Jan 1957 – 8 Oct 1959 | First Macmillan ministry | [data missing] | | Harold Macmillan |
8 Oct 1959 – 18 Oct 1963 | Second Macmillan ministry | 1959 general election |
19 Oct 1963 – 16 Oct 1964 | Douglas-Home ministry | [data missing] | | Alec Douglas-Home[h] |
16 Oct 1964 – 31 Mar 1966 | First Wilson ministry | 1964 general election | | Harold Wilson | Labour |
31 Mar 1966 – 19 Jun 1970 | Second Wilson ministry | 1966 general election |
19 Jun 1970 – 4 Mar 1974 | Heath ministry | 1970 general election | | Edward Heath | Conservative |
Feb 1974 general election | Conservative (caretaker)[g] |
4 Mar 1974 – 5 Apr 1976 | Third Wilson ministry | Fall of the Heath ministry (1974) | | Harold Wilson | Labour (minority) |
Fourth Wilson ministry | Oct 1974 general election | Labour |
5 Apr 1976 – 4 May 1979 | Callaghan ministry | 1976 Labour leadership election | | James Callaghan |
1977 Lib–Lab pact | Labour (minority) |
4 May 1979 – 10 Jun 1983 | First Thatcher ministry | 1979 general election | | Margaret Thatcher | Conservative |
10 Jun 1983 – 11 Jun 1987 | Second Thatcher ministry | 1983 general election |
11 Jun 1987 – 28 Nov 1990 | Third Thatcher ministry | 1987 general election |
28 Nov 1990 – 10 Apr 1992 | First Major ministry | 1990 Conservative leadership election | | John Major |
10 Apr 1992 – 13 Dec 1996 | Second Major ministry | 1992 general election |
13 Dec 1996 – 2 May 1997 | 1996 Barnsley East by-election | Conservative (minority) |
2 May 1997 – 8 Jun 2001 | First Blair ministry | 1997 general election | | Tony Blair | Labour |
8 Jun 2001 – 6 May 2005 | Second Blair ministry | 2001 general election |
6 May 2005 – 27 Jun 2007 | Third Blair ministry | 2005 general election |
28 Jun 2007 – 11 May 2010 | Brown ministry | 2007 Labour leadership election | | Gordon Brown |
2010 general election | Labour (caretaker)[g] |
11 May 2010 – 8 May 2015 | Cameron–Clegg coalition | 2010 government formation | | David Cameron | Conservative | Liberal Democrat |
8 May 2015 – 13 Jul 2016 | Second Cameron ministry | 2015 general election | Conservative |
13 Jul 2016 – 8 Jun 2017 | First May ministry | 2016 Conservative leadership election | | Theresa May |
8 Jun 2017 – 11 Jun 2017 | 2017 general election | Conservative (caretaker)[g] |
11 Jun 2017 – 24 Jul 2019 | Second May ministry | Conservative–DUP agreement | Conservative (minority) |
24 Jul 2019 – 16 Dec 2019 | First Johnson ministry | 2019 Conservative leadership election | | Boris Johnson |
16 Dec 2019 – 6 Sep 2022 | Second Johnson ministry | 2019 general election | Conservative |
6 Sep 2022 – 25 Oct 2022 | Truss ministry | July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election | | Liz Truss |
Accession of Charles III (2022) | Charles III |
25 Oct 2022 – present | Sunak ministry | October 2022 Conservative Party leadership election | | Rishi Sunak |