Prime Minister and Cabinet

Abstract

The use of the term Prime Minister was no more than a tenuous convention from the time of Robert Walpole (1721–42) to the time when Lord North insisted that his Administration resign en bloc in 1782 when he lost favour with King George III. In fact, it is worth noting that the term ‘Prime Minister’ when used to describe both Harley and Godolphin during the reign of Queen Anne (1702–14) was actually used as a term of abuse; an insult to signify that the politician concerned was seen as being in the pocket of the Monarch and as little more than the Monarch’s messenger. Indeed, on a number of occasions during the eighteenth century, the most powerful politician of the time, Lord Chatham, was actually the leading Secretary of State in various Administrations headed by others, such as Lord Pelham or Lord Newcastle. Until the beginning of William Pitt’s Administration in 1784, all Prime Ministers were chosen because of their good relationships with the Monarch and they survived in office because of their ability to manage the House of Commons.