The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom and the Head of Her Majesty's Government. The Prime Minister and Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior government department heads) are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party, and ultimately to the electorate.
The position of Prime Minister was ...
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The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom and the Head of Her Majesty's Government. The Prime Minister and Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior government department heads) are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party, and ultimately to the electorate.
The position of Prime Minister was not created; it evolved slowly and erratically over three hundred years. Its origins are found in constitutional changes that occurred during the Revolutionary Settlement (1688 - 1720) and the resulting shift of political power from the Sovereign to Parliament. Early Prime Ministers (1720 - 1784) were ambivalent about the office; many refused to acknowledge it or use the title. The position was given little formal recognition and was not mentioned in legal documents. Between 1784 and 1911, numerous accidents of history and political...
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