Gordon Brown became Prime Minister on 27 June 2007, taking over from Tony Blair after Blair resigned.
When did Brown become PM?
Gordon Brown became Prime Minister on 27 June 2007, succeeding Tony Blair who stepped down that day.
Brown had already spent ten years as Chancellor under Blair, and his move to Number 10 marked the first Labour leadership change without a general election since 1976. Once in office, he guided the UK through the early chaos of the global financial crisis, pushing through bank bailouts and stimulus packages. His time as PM lasted until May 2010, when the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats formed a coalition under David Cameron.
How long was Tony Blair Prime Minister?
Tony Blair served as Prime Minister for 10 years and 55 days, from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007.
He became the youngest PM since 1812 at just 43, and pulled off something no Labour leader had done before—three straight election wins. His time in power brought big changes like devolving power to Scotland and Wales, introducing the minimum wage, and making the controversial call to join the Iraq War in 2003. Blair’s the only Labour leader to win three general elections in a row.
Who was the Prime Minister before Gordon Brown?
Tony Blair was Prime Minister before Gordon Brown, leading Labour from 1997 until 2007.
| Prime Minister | Term | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Blair | 1997–2007 | Labour |
| Gordon Brown | 2007–2010 | Labour |
| David Cameron | 2010–2016 | Conservative |
| Theresa May | 2016–2019 | Conservative |
When was Cameron PM?
David Cameron served as Prime Minister from 11 May 2010 to 13 July 2016.
Cameron stepped into a hung parliament in 2010 and struck a deal with the Liberal Democrats, becoming the youngest PM in nearly two centuries. His years in charge included the 2014 Scottish independence vote, winning the 2015 election outright, and watching the Brexit referendum tear his party—and the country—apart. The Leave result forced him out just weeks later.
What is Gordon Brown famous for?
Gordon Brown is best known for his decade as Chancellor of the Exchequer, overseeing the UK’s longest stretch of economic growth, and for taking over as PM right as the 2008 crash hit.
As Chancellor (1997–2007), he built a reputation as the steady hand on the economy, sticking to his “prudent” fiscal rules. But he also made a costly mistake—selling off Britain’s gold reserves at rock-bottom prices in the late 1990s. When the financial storm hit, he nationalized banks and pushed through a £500 billion rescue plan, which pleased almost no one. His leadership style was often compared to that of other prominent figures in British politics.
Who is the oldest British prime minister?
William Ewart Gladstone holds the record as the oldest British prime minister, returning to office for the last time at age 82 in 1892.
Born in 1809, Gladstone served four separate stints as PM between 1868 and 1894. His stamina in his 80s earned him the nickname “The Grand Old Man,” and he’s still the only PM to form a government after turning 80. Not bad for a guy pushing 90.
Who stood against Tony Blair?
At the 2005 general election, Tony Blair faced Reg Keys, an independent running in Blair’s own Sedgefield constituency.
Keys ran as a protest after his son, Lance Corporal Tom Keys, died in Iraq in 2003. Blair still won, but Keys’ campaign put the war’s unpopularity on full display and became one of the election’s defining moments. Blair had held Sedgefield since 1983—this was the first real challenge to his local dominance.
What was Sir Anthony Eden sick with?
Sir Anthony Eden suffered severe health problems after botched bile duct surgeries in April 1953, leaving him with chronic pain and recurring infections.
Those surgeries nearly killed him and wrecked his health for good. The fallout from the operations left him weak during the 1956 Suez Crisis, a disaster that forced him to resign in January 1957. He claimed ill health, but the Suez mess didn’t help.
Who is the prime of India?
As of 2026, Narendra Modi remains Prime Minister of India, holding the office since 26 May 2014.
| Office | Details |
|---|---|
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Assumed Office | 26 May 2014 |
| Political Party | Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) |
| Style | Honourable (Hon’ble) in formal contexts |
How many prime ministers served under Queen Elizabeth?
Queen Elizabeth II appointed 15 prime ministers during her 70-year reign, starting with Winston Churchill in 1952 and ending with Liz Truss in 2022.
Her time on the throne saw 15 different leaders across 14 Commonwealth countries, though a few served multiple non-consecutive terms. The first was Dudley Senanayake in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1952, and the last was Liz Truss in the UK in 2022. It’s a reminder of how the monarchy’s role is mostly ceremonial—signing off on whoever wins elections.
Who is the youngest prime minister ever?
Sanna Marin is the youngest person to become a prime minister, taking office in Finland at age 34 in December 2019.
Marin’s rise in Finland’s coalition government turned her into a global symbol of young leadership. Over here in the UK, the youngest PM was William Pitt the Younger, who started at 24 in 1783. While the UK hasn’t had a female PM younger than Margaret Thatcher (she became leader at 53), Marin’s story shows how younger faces are breaking into politics worldwide.
How many British PM have been assassinated?
Only one British Prime Minister has been assassinated in office: Spencer Perceval, shot on 11 May 1812.
Perceval was killed by John Bellingham, a merchant with a grudge against the government. Since then, no serving UK PM has been assassinated, though six MPs were murdered in sectarian violence between 1982 and 1990, and Labour’s Jo Cox was killed in 2016 by a far-right extremist during the Brexit campaign.
Who ran against David Cameron?
In the 2010 Witney constituency election, David Cameron faced Duncan Enright (Labour), Simon Strutt (UKIP), and Andy Graham (Liberal Democrats).
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | David Cameron | 35,201 |
| Labour | Duncan Enright | 10,046 |
| UKIP | Simon Strutt | 5,352 |
| Liberal Democrats | Andy Graham | 3,953 |