| Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition | |
|---|---|
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| Official Opposition Parliament of the United Kingdom Leader of the Opposition's Office | |
| Style | Leader of the Opposition (informal) The Right Honourable (formal) |
| Member of | |
| Appointer | Largest political party in the House of Commons that is not in government, serves at the pleasure of His Majesty. |
| Term length | While leader of the largest political party in the House of Commons that is not in government |
| Inaugural holder | The Lord Grenville |
| Formation | March 1807 1 July 1937 (Statutory) |
| Deputy | Deputy Leader of the Opposition |
| Salary | £144,649[1] (including £91,346 MP salary[2]) |
| Website | His Majesty's Official Opposition: The Shadow Cabinet |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Politics of the United Kingdom |
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The Leader of His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition, more commonly referred to as the Leader of the Opposition, is the person who leads the Official Opposition in the United Kingdom. The position is seen as the shadow head of government of the United Kingdom and thus the shadow prime minister of the United Kingdom.
Originally by convention, the Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the largest political party in the House of Commons that is not in government. When a single party wins outright, this is the party leader of the second-largest political party in the House of Commons. The role has since been codified by statute.[3]
The Leader of the Opposition is often viewed as an alternative or shadow prime minister, and is appointed to the Privy Council. They lead an Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet, which scrutinises the actions of the Cabinet and offers alternative policies.
In the nineteenth century, party affiliations were generally less fixed and the leaders in the two Houses were often of equal status. A single and clear Leader of the Opposition was only definitively settled if the opposition leader in the House of Commons or House of Lords was the outgoing prime minister. However, since the Parliament Act 1911, there has been no dispute that the leader in the House of Commons is pre-eminent and has always held the primary title. The Leader of the Opposition is entitled to a salary in addition to their salary as a Member of Parliament. In 2019, this additional entitlement was available up to £65,181.[1]
The role is considered by those who have held it as the worst and most difficult job in politics,[4][5] with Prime Minister Tony Blair and then-Leader of the Opposition William Hague agreeing that the opposition role was the harder job of the two positions.[6]
The incumbent Leader of the Opposition is Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Conservative Party, following the 2024 Conservative Party leadership election.
- ^ a b "Appendix 3: Ministerial salaries – salary entitlements" (PDF). House of Commons Library. p. 51. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "Pay and expenses for MPs". parliament.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975".
- ^ Greenstreet, Rosanna (19 August 2023). "Keir Starmer: 'I hate losing. Some say it's the taking part that counts. I am not in that camp'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
What is the worst job you've done? Leader of the opposition. I worked with the police service in Northern Ireland and then ran the Crown Prosecution Service. In each of those jobs, if something needed fixing, I could fix it. As leader of the opposition, you are not in power and it's the most frustrating job I've ever had, and a job I hope I don't have for much longer.
- ^ Wheeler, Brian (18 February 2011). "The secret to being a successful opposition leader". BBC News. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
Those who do it always say it is the worst job in politics. It is certainly one of the most difficult - the ultimate example of responsibility without power.
- ^ "The worst job in politics". BBC News. 17 June 1999. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
"Tony Blair and I were discussing which of us has the hardest job: and we both agreed that I do" William Hague