Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)

The Leader of the Opposition (sometimes known as the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons) in the United Kingdom is the politician who leads His Majesty's Loyal Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition is normally the leader of the second largest party in the House of Commons.

The current Leader of the Opposition is Rishi Sunak, the Leader of the Conservative Party. Sunak assumed the position on 5 July 2024, after his party lost the 2024 election.

List of leaders of the opposition (1911–present)

+ List of leaders of the opposition since the Parliament Act Portrait Leader of the Opposition Term of office Elections Party Shadow cabinet Start End Duration 60px Sir Edward Carson 19 October 1915 6 December 1916  — Conservative 60px H. H. Asquith 6 December 1916 14 December 1918  1918 Independent Liberal   Sir Donald Maclean 14 December 1918 12 February 1920  — 60px H. H. Asquith 12 February 1920 21 November 1922  1922 60px Ramsay MacDonald 21 November 1922 22 January 1924  1923 Labour 60px Stanley Baldwin 22 January 1924 4 November 1924  1924 Conservative 60px Ramsay MacDonald 4 November 1924 5 June 1929  1929 Labour 60px Stanley Baldwin 5 June 1929 24 August 1931  — Conservative 60px Arthur Henderson 1 September 1931 25 October 1932  1931 Labour 80x80px George Lansbury 25 October 1932 8 October 1935  — 60px Clement Attlee 25 October 1935 11 May 1940  1935 Hastings Lees-Smith 22 May 1940 18 December 1941  — 60px Frederick Pethick-Lawrence 21 January 1942 February 1942  — 60px Arthur Greenwood February 1942 23 May 1945  — 60px Clement Attlee 23 May 1945 26 July 1945  1945  60px Winston Churchill 26 July 1945 26 October 1951  1950 Conservative 1951 60px Clement Attlee 26 October 1951 25 November 1955  1955  Labour 60px Herbert Morrison 25 November 1955 14 December 1955  — 60px Hugh Gaitskell 14 December 1955 18 January 1963  1959  60px George Brown 18 January 1963 14 February 1963  — 60px Harold Wilson 14 February 1963 16 October 1964  1964  Wilson I 60px Sir Alec Douglas-Home 16 October 1964 28 July 1965  — Conservative Douglas-Home 60px Edward Heath 28 July 1965 19 June 1970  1966 Conservative Heath I 1970 60px Harold Wilson 19 June 1970 4 March 1974  Feb 1974  Labour Wilson II 60px Edward Heath 4 March 1974 11 February 1975  Oct 1974 Conservative Heath II 60px Margaret Thatcher 11 February 1975 4 May 1979  1979 Thatcher 60px James Callaghan 4 May 1979 10 November 1980  — Labour Callaghan 60px Michael Foot 10 November 1980 2 October 1983  1983 Foot 60px Neil Kinnock 2 October 1983 18 July 1992  1987 Kinnock 1992 John Smith 18 July 1992 12 May 1994  — Smith 60px Margaret Beckett 12 May 1994 21 July 1994  — Beckett 60px Tony Blair 21 July 1994 2 May 1997  1997 Blair 60px John Major 2 May 1997 19 June 1997  — Conservative Major 60px William Hague 19 June 1997 13 September 2001  2001 Hague 68x68px Iain Duncan Smith 13 September 2001 6 November 2003  — Duncan Smith 80x80px Michael Howard 6 November 2003 6 December 2005  2005 Howard 60px David Cameron 6 December 2005 11 May 2010  2010 Cameron 60px Harriet Harman 11 May 2010 25 September 2010  — Labour Harman I 60px Ed Miliband 25 September 2010 8 May 2015  2015 Miliband 60px Harriet Harman 8 May 2015 12 September 2015  — Harman II 60px Jeremy Corbyn 12 September 2015 4 April 2020  2017 Corbyn 2019 60px Sir Keir Starmer 4 April 2020 5 July 2024  2024 Starmer 60px Rishi Sunak 5 July 2024 2 November 2024  — Conservative Sunak 60px Kemi Badenoch 2 November 2024 Incumbent  — Badenoch

 References 


Category:Opposition leaders