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Leader of the Opposition (UK)

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The Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom is the politician who leads Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition (the body in Parliament recognized as the Official Opposition).

Since 1937 the Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom has received a state salary, at first at £2,000, and rising since to £65,482. This is in addition to their salary as an MP (currently £56,358). The holder of the post also receives a chauffeur driven car from the Government Car and Dispatch Agency (GCDA) for official business, usually of equivalent cost and specification to the vehicles used by most cabinet ministers.

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Leader of the Opposition in the UK

Those who have subsequently served as Prime Minister are indicated in italics.

Official Leaders of the Opposition

The largest party in Parliament that was not in the Coalition was the anti-war Independent Labour Party which had 3 MPs. It campaigned in by-elections during the war, which were otherwise unopposed by other Parliamentary parties. The party's leader was James Maxton. However, he never formally performed the role of Leader of the Opposition and attempts by the ILP to take the Opposition bench were opposed across the House.

After the Reform of the House of Lords, triggered by Lloyd George's Budget, a Prime Minister was effectively compelled to be an MP. Thus, from this point the leader of the main opposition party in the Commons was the prospective Prime Minister. Before this, Prime Ministers, and leaders of the opposition were drawn from either the House of Lords, or the House of Commons. Sometimes there was no overall leader of the opposition. In the lists below, those generally seen as leaders of the whole opposition are indicated in bold

Leaders of the Opposition in the House of Commons, 1807-1915

Leaders of the Opposition in the House of Lords, 1807-1915

During Asquith's coalition government of 1915-1916, there was no opposition in either the Commons or the Lords. The only party not in Asquith's Liberal, Conservative, Labour Coalition was the Irish Nationalist Party led by John Redmond. However, this party supported the government and did not function as an Opposition

See also

 

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