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Who's who of British politics

A list of some of the most influential people in politics in Britain over the last hundred years.

Diane Abbott

Former Shadow Health Secretary and Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, she is a prominent member of the Labour Party. She has been MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington in London since 1987.

Aneurin Bevan

A former Healthy Secretary, he was an MP from 1929 until 1960. His constituency was Ebbw Vale in South Wales. During his time as Healthy Secretary, he was responsible for the creation of the National Health Service (NHS). He also held positions as Shadow Foreign Secretary and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.

Ernest Bevin

A member of the Labour Party, Bevin was once the nation's Foreign Secretary. He was instrumental in founding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which helped to ensure peace after the Second World War. He represented several constituencies, including Wandsworth Central in London.

Tony Blair

Former Prime Minister of Great Britain, from 1997 to 2007. He was a member of the Labour Party. During his leadership he oversaw the creation of the Human Rights Act and the UK's involvement in the Iraq War. His constituency was Sedgefield in County Durham.

Gordon Brown

Former Prime Minister of Great Britain, from 2007 to 2010. He was a member of the Labour Party and was also Chancellor of the Exchequer throughout Tony Blair's time as Prime Minister. His constituency was Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath in Scotland.

David Cameron

Former Prime Minister of Great Britain, from 2010 to 2016. He was a member of the Conservative Party. During his leadership, he oversaw the Brexit referendum in which the UK voted to leave the European Union (EU). His constituency was Witney in Oxfordshire.

Winston Churchill

Former Prime Minister of Great Britain, from 1940 to 1945, and again from 1951 to 1955. He was the Prime Minister during the Second World War and was a member of the Conservative Party. He represented five different constituencies during his time in Parliament.

Nick Clegg

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Great Britain, from 2010 to 2015. He was a member of the Liberal Democrats Party and its leader from 2008 to 2015. He also served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2004. His constituency was Sheffield Hallam in South Yorkshire.

Ed Davey

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Party since 2020. He has been the MP for Kingston and Surbiton in London on and off since 1997. He was previously Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, as well as having served as his party's deputy leader.

Nigel Farage

Former Leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), from 2006 to 2009 and 2010 to 2016. He was a founding member of UKIP, after leaving the Conservative Party. He campaigned for the UK to leave the European Union and is now Leader of the Reform Party.

Vaughn Gething

The current First Minister of Wales and Leader of the Welsh Labour Party. He was previously the Minister for Health and is now the first black leader of a European country. He is a Member of the Welsh Senedd (or Senedd Cymru) – the Welsh parliament. His constituency is Cardiff South and Penarth in Wales.

Simon Harris

The current Taoiseach of Ireland. Martin became Taoiseach in April 2024. He has previously served as Minister for Health and Minister for Justice, among other roles. He is a member of the Fine Gael party and he has represented Wicklow since 2011.

Lindsay Hoyle

Current Speaker of the House of Commons. He is the MP for Chorley in Lancashire, a position he has held since 1997. He was formerly a member of the Labour Party, but as is the tradition for Speakers of the House, he gave up his links to his party in order to take on the politically neutral role of Speaker.

Roy Jenkins

The first leader of the Social Democratic Party, he later formed the Liberal Democrats. He served as both Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer. He oversaw the abolition of capital punishment, and introduced the first sex and race discrimination laws. He had various constituencies, including Birmingham Stechford.

Boris Johnson

Former Prime Minister of Great Britain, between July 2019 and September 2022. He was leader during the Coronavirus pandemic. He is a member of the Conservative Party and his constituency is Uxbridge and South Ruislip in Greater London. He has previously served as Foreign Secretary and Mayor of London.

Sadiq Khan

The Mayor of London since 2016. He is a member of the Labour Party. He held positions within the party, including acting as party whip and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, before becoming Minister of State for Transport. He was MP for Tooting from 2005 to 2016.

David Lloyd George

Former Prime Minister of Great Britain, from 1916 to 1922. He oversaw the end of the UK's involvement in the First World War. He signed the treaty that separated northern and southern Ireland, to create the independent Irish state. His constituency was Caernarvon Boroughs in north Wales, of which he was MP for 55 years.

Caroline Lucas

Former Leader of the Green Party, from 2008 to 2012 and 2016 to 2018. She was the first Green Party member to be elected as an MP. She has previously been voted 'Most Influential MP' and 'Most Ethical Politician' during her time in office. Until she left Parliament in 2024, her constituency was Brighton Pavilion.

Theresa May

Former Prime Minister of Great Britain, from 2016 to 2019. She is a member of the Conservative Party and continues to represent her constituency of Maidenhead, in Berkshire. She previously held positions as Minister for Women and Equalities, as well as Home Secretary.

Angela Rayner

The Deputy Prime Minister since 2024. She has been a Labour MP since 2015 and her constituency is Ashton-under-Lyne, in Manchester. Before their time in government, she held positions in Labour's Shadow Cabinet, including Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities and Shadow Education Secretary.

Rachel Reeves

The current Chancellor of the Exchequer and the first woman in history to hold this position. During Labour's years in opposition she served as Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, as well as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. She has been the MP for Leeds West and Pudsey since 2010.

Keir Starmer

Current Prime Minister of Great Britain – his term began in July 2024. His constituency is Holborn and St Pancras in London, where he has been Member of Parliament since 2015. He also served in Labour's Shadow Cabinet before he was elected as their leader.

Nicola Sturgeon

Former First Minister of Scotland, from 2014 to 2023. She is a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP). She is a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) and her current constituency is Glasgow Southside in Scotland.

Rishi Sunak

Former Prime Minister of Great Britain from October 2022 to July 2024, and Britain's first Prime Minister from a BAME background. He was the Chancellor of the Exchequer under Boris Johnson. He is a member of the Conservative Party and he has been MP for Richmond in Yorkshire since 2015.

John Swinney

He has been the First Minister of Scotland since May 2024. He is the MSP for Perthshire North, in Scotland. As a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he has held several high-profile roles. These include Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills.

Margaret Thatcher

Former Prime Minister of Great Britain, from 1979 to 1990, and Britain's first female Prime Minister. Previously, she had also held the position of Education Secretary. She was a member of the Conservative Party and her constituency was Finchley in London.

Liz Truss

Former Prime Minister of Great Britain, her term began in September and ended in October 2022. Previously, she has held several Cabinet positions, including Secretary of State for Justice and Foreign Secretary. She is a member of the Conservative Party and her constituency is South West Norfolk in the south-east of England.

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