United Kingdom Political Leadership

Who holds power in the United Kingdom: the Sovereign, the Prime Minister and the Great Offices of State, the composition of the Houses of Commons and Lords, the Leader of the Opposition, and the devolved First Ministers, with a time machine back to the early 18th century.

The constitution

25 instruments since 1689

The United Kingdom has a constitution but not a document. It is a body of statutes, prerogative powers, court decisions and conventions, and any of the statutes can be changed by an ordinary Act of Parliament. That is why the comparative dataset records no amendment procedure for it: there is nothing to amend, only law to replace.

The constitutional statutes1689 to 2022
  1. 1689Bill of RightsSettled the terms on which the Crown holds power: no suspending laws, no taxation without Parliament, free elections, free speech in Parliament.
  2. 1701Act of SettlementFixed the succession and gave judges tenure during good behaviour rather than at the Crown's pleasure.
  3. 1707Union with Scotland ActMerged the English and Scottish parliaments into one Parliament of Great Britain.
  4. 1800Union with Ireland ActAdded Ireland to the union, in force from 1801.
  5. 1832Representation of the People ActThe Great Reform Act: redrew the borough seats and widened the franchise for the first time.
  6. 1867Representation of the People ActExtended the vote to urban working men, roughly doubling the electorate.
  7. 1884Representation of the People ActExtended the county franchise on the same terms as the boroughs.
  8. 1911Parliament ActRemoved the Lords' veto over money bills and replaced it with a delaying power.
  9. 1918Representation of the People ActNear-universal male suffrage and the vote for women over 30 with a property qualification.
  10. 1928Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) ActEqualised the franchise at 21 for women and men.
  11. 1931Statute of WestminsterEnded Westminster's power to legislate for the dominions without their request.
  12. 1949Parliament ActCut the Lords' delaying power from two years to one.
  13. 1958Life Peerages ActCreated appointed life peers, remaking the composition of the second chamber.
  14. 1969Representation of the People ActLowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
  15. 1972European Communities ActGave European law effect in the United Kingdom and priority over inconsistent domestic law.
  16. 1998Human Rights ActMade Convention rights enforceable in domestic courts and required legislation to be read compatibly where possible.
  17. 1998Scotland ActCreated the Scottish Parliament and defined what is reserved to Westminster.
  18. 1998Government of Wales ActCreated the National Assembly for Wales.
  19. 1998Northern Ireland ActPut the Belfast Agreement into law and created the Assembly and the power-sharing executive.
  20. 1999House of Lords ActRemoved all but 92 hereditary peers from the Lords.
  21. 2005Constitutional Reform ActSeparated the top court from the Lords, creating the Supreme Court, and reformed the Lord Chancellor's role.
  22. 2011Fixed-term Parliaments Actrepealed 2022Took the power to call an early election out of the Prime Minister's hands. Repealed in 2022.
  23. 2018European Union (Withdrawal) ActRepealed the 1972 Act and converted retained EU law into domestic law.
  24. 2020European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) ActGave effect to the withdrawal agreement and the transition period.
  25. 2022Dissolution and Calling of Parliament ActRestored the prerogative power to dissolve Parliament.

How this compares with every other country's constitution →

Election history

UK general elections →

Every general election: seats, vote share and the governments they made.

Forecast

UK forecast model →

Weighted polling averages and simulated seat ranges for the next election.

Time machine

A day in British political history →

The Sovereign, Prime Minister, cabinet and Parliament on any date back to the early 18th century.

Crown & Government

The Sovereign

King Charles III

since 2022

Prime Minister

Andy Burnham

Labour · since 2026

Chancellor of the Exchequer

John Healey

Labour · since 2026

Foreign Secretary

Ed Miliband

Labour · since 2026

Home Secretary

Shabana Mahmood

Labour · since 2025

Leader of the Opposition

Kemi Badenoch

Conservative · since 2024

House of Commons

2024 Parliament (current composition) · 650 seats

403Labour117Conservative71Liberal Democrat13Independent8SNP7Reform UK7Sinn Féin5DUP5Green4Plaid Cymru2SDLP2Your1Alliance1Restore Britain1Speaker1Traditional Unionist Voice1Ulster Unionist1Vacant

Devolved First Ministers

Scotland

John Swinney

Scottish National · since 2024

Wales

Rhun ap Iorwerth

Plaid Cymru · since 2026

Northern Ireland

Michelle O'Neill

Sinn Féin · since 2024