Prime Ministers that have never been Leader of the Opposition

[GMH]

It seems that Gordon Brown has been one of a few British Prime Ministers who has never been Leader of the Opposition, either before they entered 10 Downing Street or afterwards because he had resigned as Labour leader before resigning as Prime Minister.

Prior to Gordon Brown, who was the last British Prime Minister to have never been Leader of the Opposition either before or after they got the top job? And how how many have there been?

[jackthehat]

John Major

[mike11111]

Anthony Eden and Harold MacMillan were never Opposition Leaders.

[mike11111]

Nor, for that matter were Herbert Asquith and Neville Chamberlain. I think that's about it for the 20th C.

[GMH]

I originally thought that, but wasn't John Major caretaker leader until William Hague was chosen, or would that not count as being Leader of the Opposition?

[mike11111]

Correct. Major was briefly opposition leader from May till June 1997 when Hague took over. This situation normally only arises when a PM is appointed and resigns otherwise than as the result of a general election. Brown is slightly unusual in that he resigned as Labour leader with immediate effect, thereby promoting his deputy as Leader of the Opposition temporarily. Unlike Labour, the Tory party does not have an official deputy leader.

[New Judge]

And we seem to have forgotten Sir Alec Douglas-Home who took over from Harold MacMillan. Lord Home (as he then was) was serving as Foreign Secretary from the House of Lords but renounced his peerage to take over as Prime Minister in 1963.

His tenure in office lasted just one year and he was defeated by the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson in 1964.

[squarebear]

And who was the last Prime Minister not to have a wife?

[sandyRoe]

Ted 'Grocer' Heath was a confirmed bachelor.

[squarebear]

Wrong

[sandyRoe]

Mrs T then

[squarebear]

Hehe! Yep, that's it. Someone fooled me with that one a few weeks ago.

[mike11111]

For the information of NewJudge we have not forgotten Lord Hume. After his defeat in 1964 he was Leader of the Opposition until 1965 when succeeded by Heath, which seems to remove him fromtne eqautioon.

[lardhelmet]

WasTed Heath gay?

[mike11111]

For the information of NewJudge we have not forgotten Lord Hume. After his defeat in 1964 he was Leader of the Opposition until July 1965 when succeeded by Heath, which seems to remove him fromt the equation. (Apologies for the previous typos)

[mike11111]

WasTed Heath gay?

Apparently so. After becoming Tory Chief Whip in the 50s he was advised by the men in grey suits to abandon his predilictions for visiting public toilets for fear it could bring his political career to a premature end. Given his future political career it might have been a good idea if he had been caught. We might not now be so subservient to Brussels.

[New Judge]

Quite right, mike, and apologies.

I misread (or perhaps did not fully read) the question. I assumed it was asking about PMs who had not been leader of the opposition before becoming PM.

Didn't read the question properly. No excuses.