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British Political Party Leaders of the Past
There are 3 main political parties in Great Britain, the conservatives, labour and liberal democrats. Listed below are the past leaders of these political parties. Leaders who were in power are marked with PM (which means Prime Minister) along with the years during which they were prime minister.
Past Leaders of the Labour Party
The labour party was founded in 1900. In the table below all the past labour party leaders since 1906 are listed in chronological order.
| Labour Party Leader | Dates of Leadership |
Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Blair | 1994-present | PM 97-present |
| John Smith | 1992-1994 | Died as leader |
| Neil Kinnock | 1983-1992 | |
| Michael Foot | 1980-1983 | |
| James Callaghan | 1976-1980 | PM 76-79 |
| Harold Wilson | 1963-1976 | PM 64-70 & 74-76 |
| Hugh Gaitskell | 1955-1963 | Died as Leader |
| Clement Attlee | 1935-1955 | PM 45-51 |
| George Lansbury | 1932-1935 | |
| Arthur Henderson | 1931-1932 | |
| Ramsay MacDonald | 1922-1931 | PM 1924 & 29-35 |
| John Robert Clynes | 1921-1922 | |
| William Adamson | 1917-1921 | |
| Arthur Henderson | 1914-1917 | |
| Ramsay MacDonald | 1911-1914 | |
| George Nicoll Barnes | 1910-1911 | |
| Arthur Henderson | 1908-1910 | |
| Keir Hardie | 1906-1908 |
Past Leaders of the Conservative Party
The conservative party is a descendent of the Tory party formed around 1688. The party was renamed in 1830 as the conservative party. Up until 1922 there was no official leader of the conservative party, both the leader of the house of commons and the leader of the house of lords were considered equal leaders. But some were more equal than others.
| Conservative Party Leader | Dates of Leadership |
Comment |
|---|---|---|
| David Cameron | 2005 - present | |
| Michael Howard | 2003 - 2005 | |
| Iain Duncan Smith | 2001 - 2003 | |
| William Hague | 1997 - 2001 | |
| John Major | 1990 - 1997 | PM 90-97 |
| Margaret Thatcher | 1975 - 1990 | PM 79-90 |
| Edward Heath | 1965 - 1975 | PM 70-74 |
| Sir Alec Douglas-Home | 1963 - 1965 | PM 63-64 |
| Harold Macmillan | 1957 - 1963 | PM 57-63 |
| Sir Anthony Eden | 1955 - 1957 | PM 55-57 |
| Sir Winston Churchill | 1940 - 1955 | PM 40-45 & 51-55 |
| Neville Chamberlain | 1937 - 1940 | PM 37-40 |
| Stanley Baldwin | 1923 - 1937 | PM 1923 & 24-29 & 35-37 |
| Andrew Bonar Law | 1922 - 1923 | PM 22-23 |
The Leaders of the Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats is a recently formed party (founded in 1988) but has roots in the earlier Liberal party which was a successful political force in the 19th century. Below the past leaders of the Lib Dems are listed until 1988, prior to that, past leaders of the Liberal party are listed.
| Liberal Democrat Party Leader | Dates of Leadership |
|---|---|
| Sir Menzies Campbell | 2006-present |
| Charles Kennedy | 1999-2006 |
| Paddy Ashdown | 1988-1999 |
| David Steel and Robert Maclennan | 1988 (interim) |
| Below are listed the leaders of the liberal party (prior to the formation of the Lib Dems) | |
| David Steel | 1976-1988 |
| Jo Grimond | 1976 |
| Jeremy Thorpe | 1967-1976 |
| Jo Grimond | 1956-1967 |
| Clement Davies | 1945-1956 |
| Sir Archibald Sinclair | 1935-1945 |
| Sir Herbert Samuel | 1931-1935 |
| David Lloyd George | 1926-1931 |
| Donald Maclean, Acting Leader | 1919-1922 |
| Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith (1925) | 1916-1926 |