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

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	Kemi Badenoch Leader of the Conservative Party

	Party	Leader's seat	Number of seats^[1]	Leader since
Keir Starmer	Labour Party	Holborn and St Pancras	402	4 April 2020
Kemi Badenoch	Conservative Party	North West Essex	121	2 November 2024
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^[b]	Sinn Féin	N/A	7 ^[b]
Nigel Farage	Reform UK	Clacton	5	3 June 2024
Gavin Robinson	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^[c]	Plaid Cymru	Dwyfor Meirionnydd	4	14 June 2017^[4]
Claire Hanna	Social Democratic and Labour Party	Belfast South and Mid Down	2	5 October 2024
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 In accordance with the party's policy of abstentionism, no elected Sinn Féin members of parliament have ever sat in the House of Commons.

^c 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

	Party	Members^[5]	Leader since
Nicholas True, Baron True	Conservative Party	272	14 July 2016
Baroness Smith of Basildon^[6]	Labour Party	186	27 May 2015
Lord Newby^[7]	Liberal Democrats	78	13 September 2016

Leaders in the Scottish Parliament

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

Leaders in the Senedd

	Party	Leader's seat	Number of seats	Leader since
Eluned Morgan	Welsh Labour	Mid and West Wales (region)	30	24 July 2024
Darren Millar	Welsh Conservatives	Clwyd West	16	5 December 2024
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

	Party	Leader's seat	Number of seats	Leader since
Michelle O'Neill	Sinn Féin	Mid Ulster	27	23 January 2017
N/A^[d]	Democratic Unionist Party	Belfast East (as an MP)	25	29 March 2024
Naomi Long	Alliance Party of Northern Ireland	Belfast East	17	26 October 2016
Mike Nesbitt	Ulster Unionist Party	Strangford	9	28 September 2024
Matthew O'Toole	Social Democratic and Labour Party	Belfast South	8	13 May 2022
N/A^[e]	Traditional Unionist Voice	North Antrim (as an MP)	1	7 December 2007
Collective leadership	People Before Profit	N/A	1	N/A

^d The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Gavin Robinson has sat in the House of Commons as MP for Belfast East since 2015.

^e The leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), Jim Allister was previously a North Antrim MLA until his election to the House of Commons in 2024 as MP for North Antrim.

References

^ "State of the parties - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
^ Sim, Philip (6 December 2022). "Stephen Flynn elected as new SNP leader at Westminster". BBC News. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
^ "DUP: Gavin Robinson appointed interim leader by party officers". BBC News. 29 March 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
^ "Liz Saville Roberts new Plaid Cymru leader in Commons". BBC News. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
^ "Lords membership - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
^ "Parliamentary career for Baroness Smith of Basildon - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
^ "Dick Newby is new Lib Dem Lords leader". Lib Dem Voice.

[:1-1] "State of the parties - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 9 November 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.

[:0-5] "Lords membership - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 9 November 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.

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