Unelected PMs

I saw a graphic yesterday about how 12 out of 24 recent UK Prime Ministers became Prime without winning a general election. They are:

  1. Theresa May
  2. John Major
  3. Jim Callaghan
  4. Alec Douglas-Home
  5. Harold Macmillan
  6. Anthony Eden'
  7. Neville Chamberlain
  8. Stanley Baldwin
  9. David Lloyd George
  10. HH Asquith
  11. Arthur Balfour

I assumed their high proportion was because of their five year terms, but have a look at NZ PMs and who came in via an election and not.

Elected

  1. Key
  2. Clark
  3. Bolger
  4. Lange
  5. Kirk
  6. Nash
  7. Holland
  8. Savage

Replaced PM

  1. Shipley
  2. Moore
  3. Palmer
  4. Rowling
  5. Marshall
  6. Holyoake
  7. Fraser

So fairly close. And in Australia:

Elected

  1. Abbott
  2. Rudd
  3. Howard
  4. Hawke
  5. Whitlam

Replaced PM

  1. Turnbull
  2. Gillard
  3. Keating
  4. Fraser
  5. McMahon
  6. Gorton
  7. McEwen
  8. Holt
  9. Menzies

So in Australia most PMs first became PM without an election.

Comments (22)

Login to comment or vote

Add a Comment