British Prime Ministers

Leader of Her Majesty's Government, the Prime Minister is responsible for policy and decision making of the government. A key figure in the House of Commons, appointing members of the government and administering the Civil Service and government agencies. The prime Minister is the leader of the political party that holds the largest number of seats in the chamber and appointed by the Queen under constitutional conventions. The role was not established by constitutional document but instead has evolved over the past 300 years. The overthrow of King James II during the Revolution of 1688 created a shift in the power dynamic and resulted in monarchs becoming more dependent on parliament. Robert Walpole is cited as the first modern Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury. By 1805 the Times newspaper began to use the term Prime Minister and it was used in parliamentary debates. By 1918 the Prime Minster had the authority to request dissolution of Parliament by the monarch to trigger a general election. In the same year, 10 Downing Street became the official residence.