Leader of the House of Commons

Summary

The Leader of the House of Commons is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom whose main role is organising government business in the House of Commons. The Leader is always a member or attendee of the cabinet of the United Kingdom.

United Kingdom
Leader of the
House of Commons
Incumbent
Lucy Powell
since 5 July 2024
Cabinet Office
Office of the Leader of the House of Commons
StyleThe Right Honourable
Formation4 April 1721
First holderSir Robert Walpole
Salary£159,038 per annum (2022)[1]
(including £86,584 MP salary)[2]
Websitewww.gov.uk/leader-commons

The House of Commons devotes approximately three-quarters of its time to debating and explaining government business, such as bills introduced by the government and ministerial statements.[citation needed] The Leader of the House of Commons, with the parties' chief whips ("the usual channels"), is responsible for organising government business and providing time for non-government (backbench) business to be put before the House of Commons.[3]

The position of leader of the House of Commons is currently held by Lucy Powell, who was appointed on 5 July 2024 by Keir Starmer.

Responsibilities

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The current responsibilities of the Leader of the House of Commons are as follows:

The Osmotherly Rules, which set out guidance on how civil servants should respond to parliamentary select committees, are jointly updated by the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons and the Cabinet Office.[5]

History

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The title was not established until about the middle of the 19th century, although the institution is much older.[6]

Until 1942, the title was usually held by the prime minister if he sat in the House of Commons, however, in more recent years, the title has been held by a separate politician.[6]

The title holder is not formally appointed by the Crown[clarification needed] and the title alone does not attract a salary,[6] so is now usually held in addition to a sinecure, currently Lord President of the Council.

List of Leaders of the House of Commons (1721–present)

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Leader
Constituency
Term of office Other ministerial offices held as Leader Party Ministry
  Robert Walpole
MP for King's Lynn
4 April
1721
6 February
1742
Whig Walpole–Townshend
Walpole
  Samuel Sandys
MP for Worcester
12 February
1742
27 August
1743
Carteret
  Henry Pelham
MP for Sussex
27 August
1743
6 March
1754
Broad Bottom
(I & II)
  Thomas Robinson
MP for Christchurch
23 March
1754
October
1755
Newcastle I
  Henry Fox
MP for Windsor
14 November
1755
13 November
1756
  William Pitt 'the Elder'
MP for Okehampton
4 December
1756
6 April
1757
Pitt–Devonshire
Vacant April
1757
June
1757
1757 Caretaker
  William Pitt 'the Elder'
MP for Bath
27 June
1757
6 October
1761
Whig Pitt–Newcastle
  George Grenville
MP for Buckingham
October
1761
May
1762
  Henry Fox
MP for Dunwich
May
1762
April
1763
Bute
(ToryWhig)
  George Grenville
MP for Buckingham
16 April
1763
13 July
1765
Grenville
  Henry Seymour Conway
MP for Thetford
July
1765
20 October
1768
Rockingham I
Chatham
(WhigTory)
  Frederick North
Lord North

MP for Banbury
October
1768
22 March
1782
Tory Grafton
(WhigTory)
North
  Charles James Fox
MP for Westminster
27 March
1782
July
1782
Whig Rockingham II
  Thomas Townshend
MP for Whitchurch
10 July
1782
6 March
1783
Shelburne
(WhigTory)
  Charles James Fox
MP for Westminster
2 April
1783
19 December
1783
Fox–North
  Frederick North
Lord North

MP for Banbury
Tory
  William Pitt 'the Younger'
MP for Appleby until 1784
MP for Cambridge University from 1784
19 December
1783
14 March
1801
Pitt I
  Henry Addington
MP for Devizes
17 March
1801
10 May
1804
Addington
  William Pitt 'the Younger'
MP for Cambridge University
10 May
1804
23 January
1806†
Pitt II
  Charles James Fox
MP for Westminster
February
1806
13 September
1806†
Whig All the Talents
  Charles Grey
Viscount Howick

MP for Northumberland
September
1806
31 March
1807
  Spencer Perceval
MP for Northampton
April
1807
11 May
1812
Tory Portland II
Perceval
  Robert Stewart
Viscount Castlereagh

MP for Down until 1821
MP for Orford from 1821
The Marquess of Londonderry from 1821
June
1812
12 August
1822†
Liverpool
  George Canning
MP for Liverpool until 1823
MP for Harwich 1823–1826
MP for Newport 1826–1827
MP for Seaford from 1827
16 September
1822
8 August
1827†
Canning
(CanningiteWhig)
  William Huskisson
MP for Liverpool
3 September
1827
21 January
1828
Goderich
(CanningiteWhig)
  Robert Peel
MP for Oxford University until 1829
MP for Westbury from 1829
26 January
1828
16 November
1830
Wellington–Peel
  John Spencer
Viscount Althorp

MP for Northamptonshire until 1832
MP for South Northamptonshire from 1832
22 November
1830
14 November
1834
Whig Grey
Melbourne I
Vacant 14 November
1834
10 December
1834
Wellington Caretaker
  Robert Peel
MP for Tamworth
10 December
1834
8 April
1835
Conservative Peel I
  Lord John Russell
MP for Stroud
18 April
1835
30 August
1841
Whig Melbourne II
  Robert Peel
MP for Tamworth
30 August
1841
29 June
1846
Conservative Peel II
  Lord John Russell
MP for City of London
30 June
1846
21 February
1852
Whig Russell I
  Benjamin Disraeli
MP for Buckinghamshire
27 February
1852
17 December
1852
Conservative Who? Who?
  Lord John Russell
MP for City of London
28 December
1852
30 January
1855
Whig Aberdeen
(PeeliteWhig)
  Henry John Temple
The Viscount Palmerston

MP for Tiverton
6 February
1855
19 February
1858
Palmerston I
  Benjamin Disraeli
MP for Buckinghamshire
26 February
1858
11 June
1859
Conservative Derby–Disraeli II
  Henry John Temple
The Viscount Palmerston

MP for Tiverton
12 June
1859
18 October
1865†
Liberal Palmerston II
  William Ewart Gladstone
MP for South Lancashire
October
1865
26 June
1866
Russell II
  Benjamin Disraeli
MP for Buckinghamshire
6 July
1866
1 December
1868
Conservative Derby–Disraeli III
  William Ewart Gladstone
MP for Greenwich
3 December
1868
17 February
1874
Liberal Gladstone I
  Benjamin Disraeli
MP for Buckinghamshire
20 February
1874
21 August
1876
Conservative Disraeli II
  Stafford Northcote
MP for Devonshire North
21 August
1876
21 April
1880
  William Ewart Gladstone
MP for Midlothian
23 April
1880
9 June
1885
Liberal Gladstone II
  Michael Hicks-Beach
MP for Bristol West
24 June
1885
28 January
1886
Conservative Salisbury I
  William Ewart Gladstone
MP for Midlothian
1 February
1886
2 July
1886
Liberal Gladstone III
  Lord Randolph Churchill
MP for Paddington South
3 August
1886
14 January
1887
Conservative Salisbury II
  W. H. Smith
MP for Strand
17 January
1887
October
1891
  Arthur Balfour
MP for Manchester East
October
1891
11 August
1892
  William Ewart Gladstone
MP for Midlothian
15 August
1892
2 March
1894
Liberal Gladstone IV
  William Harcourt
MP for Derby
2 March
1894
21 June
1895
Rosebery
  Arthur Balfour[7]
MP for Manchester East
29 June
1895
4 December
1905
Conservative Salisbury
(III & IV)

(Con.Lib.U.)
Balfour
(Con.Lib.U.)
  Henry Campbell-Bannerman[7]
MP for Stirling Burghs
5 December
1905
5 April
1908
Liberal Campbell-Bannerman
  H. H. Asquith[7]
MP for East Fife
5 April
1908
5 December
1916
Asquith
(I–III)
Asquith Coalition
(Lib.Con.Lab.)
  Bonar Law[7]
MP for Bootle until 1918
MP for Glasgow Central from 1918
10 December
1916
23 March
1921
Conservative Lloyd George
(I & II)

(Lib.Con.Lab.)
  Austen Chamberlain[7]
MP for Birmingham West
23 March
1921
19 October
1922
  Bonar Law[7]
MP for Glasgow Central
23 October
1922
20 May
1923
Law
  Stanley Baldwin[7]
MP for Bewdley
22 May
1923
22 January
1924
Baldwin I
  Ramsay MacDonald[7]
MP for Aberavon
22 January
1924
3 November
1924
Labour MacDonald I
  Stanley Baldwin[7]
MP for Bewdley
4 November
1924
4 June
1929
Conservative Baldwin II
  Ramsay MacDonald[7]
MP for Seaham
5 June
1929
7 June
1935
Labour MacDonald II
National Labour National I
(N.Lab.Con.Lib.N.
Lib.
)
National II
(N.Lab.Con.Lib.N.
Lib. until 1932
)
  Stanley Baldwin[7]
MP for Bewdley
7 June
1935
28 May
1937
Conservative National III
(Con.N.Lab.Lib.N.)
Neville Chamberlain[7]
MP for Birmingham Edgbaston
28 May
1937
10 May
1940
National IV
(Con.N.Lab.Lib.N.)
Chamberlain War
(Con.N.Lab.Lib.N.)
  Winston Churchill[7]
MP for Epping
10 May
1940
19 February
1942
Churchill War
(All parties)
  Stafford Cripps[7]
MP for Bristol East
19 February
1942
22 November
1942
Independent
  Anthony Eden[7]
MP for Warwick and Leamington
22 November
1942
26 July
1945
Conservative
Churchill Caretaker
(Con.N.Lib.)
  Herbert Morrison[7]
MP for Lewisham East until 1950
MP for Lewisham South from 1950
27 July
1945
9 March
1951
Labour Attlee
(I & II)
  James Chuter Ede[7]
MP for South Shields
9 March
1951
26 October
1951
  Harry Crookshank[7]
MP for Gainsborough
28 October
1951
20 December
1955
Conservative Churchill III
Eden
  R. A. Butler[7]
MP for Saffron Walden
20 December
1955
9 October
1961
Macmillan
(I & II)
  Iain Macleod[7]
MP for Enfield West
9 October
1961
20 October
1963
  Selwyn Lloyd[7]
MP for Wirral
20 October
1963
16 October
1964
Douglas-Home
Herbert Bowden[7]
MP for Leicester South West
16 October
1964
11 August
1966
Labour Wilson
(I & II)
  Richard Crossman[7]
MP for Coventry East
11 August
1966
18 October
1968
Fred Peart[7]
MP for Workington
18 October
1968
19 June
1970
Willie Whitelaw[7]
MP for Penrith and The Border
20 June
1970
7 April
1972
Conservative Heath
Robert Carr[7]
MP for Mitcham
7 April
1972
5 November
1972
Jim Prior[7]
MP for Lowestoft
5 November
1972
4 March
1974
  Edward Short[7]
MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central
5 March
1974
8 April
1976
Labour Wilson
(III & IV)
  Michael Foot[7]
MP for Ebbw Vale
8 April
1976
4 May
1979
Callaghan
Norman St John-Stevas[7]
MP for Chelmsford
5 May
1979
5 January
1981
Conservative Thatcher I
  Francis Pym[7]
MP for Cambridgeshire
5 January
1981
5 April
1982
John Biffen[7]
MP for Oswestry until 1983
MP for Shropshire North from 1983
5 April
1982
13 June
1987
Thatcher II
  John Wakeham[7]
MP for South Colchester and Maldon
13 June
1987
24 July
1989
Thatcher III
  Geoffrey Howe[7]
MP for East Surrey
24 July
1989
2 November
1990
  John MacGregor[7]
MP for South Norfolk
2 November
1990
10 April
1992
Major I
  Tony Newton[8]
MP for Braintree
10 April
1992
2 May
1997
Major II
  Ann Taylor[9]
MP for Dewsbury
2 May
1997
27 July
1998
Labour Blair I
  Margaret Beckett[10]
MP for Derby South
27 July
1998
8 June
2001
  Robin Cook[11]
MP for Livingston
8 June
2001
17 March
2003
Blair II
  John Reid[12]
MP for Hamilton North and Bellshill
4 April
2003
13 June
2003
  Peter Hain[13]
MP for Neath
11 June
2003
6 May
2005
  Geoff Hoon[14]
MP for Ashfield
6 May
2005
5 May
2006
Blair III
  Jack Straw[15]
MP for Blackburn
5 May
2006
27 June
2007
  Harriet Harman[16]
MP for Camberwell and Peckham
28 June
2007
11 May
2010
Brown
  George Young[17]
MP for North West Hampshire
12 May
2010
3 September
2012
Conservative Cameron–Clegg
(Con.L.D.)
  Andrew Lansley[18]
MP for South Cambridgeshire
4 September
2012
14 July
2014
  William Hague[19]
MP for Richmond (Yorks)
14 July
2014
8 May
2015
  Chris Grayling[20]
MP for Epsom and Ewell
9 May
2015
14 July
2016
Cameron II
  David Lidington[21]
MP for Aylesbury
14 July
2016
11 June
2017
May I
  Andrea Leadsom[22]
MP for South Northamptonshire
11 June
2017
22 May
2019
May II
  Mel Stride[23]
MP for Central Devon
23 May
2019
24 July
2019
  Jacob Rees-Mogg[24]
MP for North East Somerset
24 July
2019
8 February
2022
Johnson I
Johnson II
 
Mark Spencer[25]
MP for Sherwood
8 February
2022
6 September
2022
 
Penny Mordaunt[26]
MP for Portsmouth North
6 September
2022
5 July
2024
Truss
Sunak
 
Lucy Powell
MP for Manchester Central
5 July
2024
Incumbent Labour Starmer

Timeline

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Lucy PowellPenny MordauntMark Spencer (British politician)Jacob Rees-MoggMel StrideAndrea LeadsomDavid LidingtonChris GraylingWilliam HagueAndrew LansleyGeorge Young, Baron Young of CookhamHarriet HarmanJack StrawGeoff HoonPeter HainJohn Reid, Baron Reid of CardowanRobin CookMargaret BeckettAnn Taylor, Baroness Taylor of BoltonTony Newton, Baron Newton of BraintreeJohn MacGregor, Baron MacGregor of Pulham MarketGeoffrey HoweJohn WakehamJohn BiffenFrancis PymNorman St John-StevasMichael FootEdward Short, Baron GlenamaraJim PriorRobert CarrWillie WhitelawFred PeartRichard CrossmanHerbert BowdenSelwyn LloydIain MacleodRab ButlerHarry CrookshankJames Chuter EdeHerbert MorrisonAnthony EdenStafford CrippsWinston ChurchillNeville ChamberlainRamsay MacDonaldStanley BaldwinAusten ChamberlainBonar LawH. H. AsquithHenry Campbell-BannermanWilliam Hardcourt (politician)Arthur BalfourWilliam Henry SmithLord Randolph ChurchillMichael Hicks-BeachStafford NorthcoteWilliam Ewart GladstoneHenry John TempleBenjamin DisraeliJohn Russell, 1st Earl RussellJohn Spencer, Viscount AlthorpRobert PeelWilliam HuskissonGeorge CanningRobert Stewart, Viscount CastlereaghSpencer PercevalCharles Grey, 2nd Earl GreyHenry AddingtonWilliam Pitt the YoungerThomas TownshendCharles James FoxFrederick North, Lord NorthHenry Seymour ConwayGeorge GrenvilleWilliam Pitt the ElderHenry Fox, 1st Baron HollandThomas Robinson, 1st Baron GranthamHenry PelhamSamuel SandysRobert Wapole

Deputy Leader of the House of Commons

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From 1922, when the prime minister was also Leader of the House of Commons, day-to-day duties were frequently carried out by a Deputy Leader of the House of Commons.[6] At other times, a Deputy Leader of the House of Commons was appointed merely to enhance an individual politician's standing within the government.[citation needed]

The title has been in use since 1942, but was not used from the 2019 dissolution of the Second May ministry to 2022, when it was revived by Boris Johnson.[27] This was shortlived however, as it was abolished by Liz Truss after she became Prime Minister a few months later.[28]

List of Deputy Leaders of the House of Commons

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Deputy Leader Term Start Term End
Paddy Tipping 23 December 1998 11 June 2001
Stephen Twigg 11 June 2001 29 May 2002
Ben Bradshaw 29 May 2002 13 June 2003
Phil Woolas 13 June 2003 9 May 2005
Nigel Griffiths 10 May 2005 13 March 2007
Paddy Tipping 28 March 2007 27 June 2007
Helen Goodman 28 June 2007 5 October 2008
Chris Bryant 5 October 2008 9 June 2009
Barbara Keeley 9 June 2009 11 May 2010
David Heath 14 May 2010 4 September 2012
Tom Brake 4 September 2012 8 May 2015
Thérèse Coffey 11 May 2015 17 July 2016
Michael Ellis 17 July 2016 9 January 2018
Chris Heaton-Harris 9 January 2018 9 July 2018
Mark Spencer 15 July 2018 24 July 2019
Peter Bone 8 July 2022 27 September 2022

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Salaries of Members of His Majesty's Government – Financial Year 2022–23" (PDF). 15 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Pay and expenses for MPs". parliament.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Leader of the House of Commons – GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Leader of the House of Commons". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  5. ^ Gay, Oonagh (4 August 2005). "The Osmotherly Rules (Standard Note: SN/PC/2671)" (PDF). Parliament and Constitution Centre, House of Commons Library. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
  6. ^ a b c d "Leader of the House of Commons". www.parliament.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai David Butler and Gareth Butler, British Political Facts 1900–1994 (7th edn, Macmillan 1994) 65.
  8. ^ "Lord Newton of Braintree". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Baroness Taylor of Bolton". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  10. ^ "Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Rt Hon Robin Cook". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Lord Reid of Cardowan". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  13. ^ "Lord Hain". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  14. ^ "Mr Geoffrey Hoon". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  15. ^ "Rt Hon Jack Straw". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  16. ^ "Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  17. ^ "Lord Young of Cookham". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  18. ^ "Lord Lansley". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  19. ^ "Lord Hague of Richmond". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  20. ^ "Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  21. ^ "Rt Hon David Lidington MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  22. ^ "Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  23. ^ "Rt Hon Mel Stride MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  24. ^ "Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  25. ^ "Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  26. ^ "Penny Mordaunt". UK Parliament. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  27. ^ "Parliamentary Secretary of State (Deputy Leader of the House of Commons) – GOV.UK". www.gov.uk.
  28. ^ Commentator, Tim Shipman, Chief Political. "The rebels' smartphone spreadsheet that means Liz Truss is still in deep trouble". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 8 October 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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  • Official website
  • Deputy Leader of the House of Commons
  • Parliamentary website