Leaders of political parties in the United Kingdom

This article lists the Leaders of political parties in the United Kingdom to provide insight into the politics of the United Kingdom. It contains details including which party the leader belongs to, the leader's seat, and which form of leadership that person holds.

Leaders in the House of Commons

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National party leaders are usually members of parliament. Some (including Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish parties) designate a separate leader in the House of Commons, or their leader is absent from the House of Commons and holds membership of a devolved body.

   
Keir Starmer
Leader of the Labour Party
Rishi Sunak
Leader of the Conservative Party
Leader Party Leader's seat Number of seats[1] Leader since
Keir Starmer Labour Party Holborn and St Pancras 411 4 April 2020
Rishi Sunak Conservative Party Richmond (Yorks) 121 24 October 2022
Ed Davey Liberal Democrats Kingston and Surbiton 72 27 August 2020
Stephen Flynn[a] Scottish National Party Aberdeen South 9 6 December 2022[2]
N/A[c] Sinn Féin N/A 7 [c]
Nigel Farage Reform UK Clacton 5 3 June 2024
Gavin Robinson[b] Democratic Unionist Party Belfast East 5 29 March 2024[3]
Carla Denyer and
Adrian Ramsay
Green Party of England and Wales Bristol Central (Carla Denyer)
Waveney Valley (Adrian Ramsay)
4 1 October 2021
Liz Saville Roberts[d] Plaid Cymru Dwyfor Meirionnydd 4 14 June 2017[4]
Colum Eastwood Social Democratic and Labour Party Foyle 2 14 November 2015
Sorcha Eastwood Alliance Party of Northern Ireland Lagan Valley 1 4 July 2024
Robin Swann Ulster Unionist Party South Antrim 1 4 July 2024
Jim Allister Traditional Unionist Voice North Antrim 1 4 July 2024
^a Leads the party in the House of Commons. The leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), John Swinney has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 1999.
^b Interim leader following the resignation of Jeffrey Donaldson.
^c In accordance with the party's policy of abstentionism, no elected Sinn Féin members of parliament have ever sat in the House of Commons.
^d Leads the party in the House of Commons. Plaid Cymru's leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth, has sat as a member of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) for Ynys Môn since 2 August 2013.

Leaders in the House of Lords

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Leader Party Members[5] Leader since
Nicholas True, Baron True Conservative Party 277 14 July 2016
Baroness Smith of Basildon[6] Labour Party 172 27 May 2015
Lord Newby[7] Liberal Democrats 79 13 September 2016

Leaders in the Scottish Parliament

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Leader Party Leader's seat Number
of seats
Leader since
John Swinney Scottish National Party 64 8 May 2024
Douglas Ross Scottish Conservatives Moray 31 5 August 2020
Anas Sarwar Scottish Labour Glasgow (region) 22 27 February 2021
Patrick Harvie Scottish Greens Glasgow (region) 7 22 September 2008
Lorna Slater Lothian (region) 1 August 2019
Alex Cole-Hamilton Scottish Liberal Democrats Edinburgh Western 4 20 August 2021

Leaders in the Senedd

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Leader Party Leader's seat Number
of seats
Leader since
Vaughan Gething Welsh Labour Cardiff South and Penarth 30 16 March 2024
Andrew RT Davies Welsh Conservatives South Wales Central
(region)
16 24 January 2021
Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru – Party of Wales Ynys Môn 13 16 June 2023
Jane Dodds Welsh Liberal Democrats Mid and West Wales
(region)
1 3 November 2017

Leaders in the Northern Ireland Assembly

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Leader Party Leader's seat Number
of seats
Leader since
Michelle O'Neill Sinn Féin Mid Ulster 27 23 January 2017
N/A[f] Democratic Unionist Party Belfast East (as an MP) 25 1 May 1997
Naomi Long Alliance Party of Northern Ireland Belfast East 17 October 2016
Doug Beattie Ulster Unionist Party Upper Bann 9 17 May 2021
N/A[g] Social Democratic and Labour Party Foyle (as an MP) 8 12 December 2019
Jim Allister Traditional Unionist Voice North Antrim 1 7 December 2007
Collective leadership People Before Profit N/A 1 N/A
^f The interim leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Gavin Robinson has sat in the House of Commons as an MP for Belfast East since 2015.
^g The leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), Colum Eastwood has sat in the House of Commons as an MP for Foyle since 2019.

References

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  1. ^ "State of the parties - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  2. ^ Sim, Philip (6 December 2022). "Stephen Flynn elected as new SNP leader at Westminster". BBC News. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  3. ^ "DUP: Gavin Robinson appointed interim leader by party officers". BBC News. 29 March 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Liz Saville Roberts new Plaid Cymru leader in Commons". BBC News. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Lords membership - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Parliamentary career for Baroness Smith of Basildon - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Dick Newby is new Lib Dem Lords leader". Lib Dem Voice.