"spouses of former prime ministers: Spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The spouse of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the wife or husband of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. To date, there have been forty-four women and two men who have been married to British prime ministers in office. There have also been four bachelor and nine widower prime ministers; the last bachelor was Edward Heath (1970–1974) and the last widower was Ramsay MacDonald (1924, 1929–1935). The Duke of Grafton (1766–1768) is the only Prime Minister to have divorced and remarried while"
"Prime Minister of the day. The style is chosen to mock the perceived foibles and folly of each Prime Minister: Not all of ""Private Eye""'s parodies have been unsympathetic. During the 1980s, Ingrams and John Wells wrote fictional letters from Denis Thatcher to Bill Deedes in the ""Dear Bill"" column, mocking Thatcher as an amiable, golf-playing drunk. The column was collected in a series of books and became a play in which Wells played the fictional Denis, a character now inextricably ""blurred [with] the real historical figure"", according to Ingrams. ""Private Eye"" also contains a variety of regular mini-sections, consisting"
"small company from the boss (Edward Heath, nicknamed ""Grocer""), and ""St Albion Parish News"" was in this broad style. The format was a spoof of the parish magazine typically published by English churches. Prime Minister Tony Blair was depicted as the earnest and trendy young vicar of St Albion, ""Rev ARP Blair, MA (Oxon)"". Leading political figures were given satirical roles within a typical Anglican community, for example, Gordon Brown was the PCC Treasurer, John Prescott was in charge of the working men's club and the Home Secretary was Chairman of Neighbourhood Watch. Foreign dignitaries were described as Ministers in"
"Heath The Prime Ministers were impersonated by various members of the Private Eye staff and friends, including Peter Cook, John Bird. Richard Ingrams and Willie Rushton. Prime Minister parodies (Private Eye) Prime Minister parodies are a long-running feature of the British satirical magazine ""Private Eye"", which have been included in the majority of issues since the magazine's inception. The parodies consist of one arch satirical personification of the Prime Minister of the day, and use that personification to send up continuously that Prime Minister's personality and style of leadership, and the personalities and general features of his cabinet. Such are"
"St Xavier's School, during which he was photographed making a speech in front of a stained-glass window, with the choir surrounding him. It was noted that this made Blair look like the ""vicar of St Albions"". St Albion Parish News St Albion Parish News was a regular feature in the British satirical magazine ""Private Eye"" during the premiership of Tony Blair. It was in the ""Private Eye"" tradition of featuring a fortnightly column lampooning the Prime Minister of the day and their close associates, seemingly written in a gossipy style by an insider. This has taken either of two broad"
"more than 15 million copies in 40 countries. In the 1990s the satirical magazine ""Private Eye"" lampooned John Major, British prime minister 1990–97, in ""The Secret Diary of John Major aged 47"", a hybrid of the Adrian Mole diaries with ""The Diary of a Nobody"", which made much fun of Major's lower-middle class origins. The social historian James Hammerton defines ""Pooterism"" as ""the dependent weakness and inflated social pretension of white-collar workers, constructed in the workplace but expressed just as powerfully at home"". Jon Wilde of ""The Guardian"" observes this characteristic in a number of British TV comedy creations of"
"Whowen"", a reference to BBC sci-fi hero Doctor Who. Battle for Britain (Private Eye) Battle for Britain was a comic strip cartoon published in the fortnightly satirical magazine ""Private Eye"" in the United Kingdom during the 1980s. It depicted Margaret Thatcher's second term of office as Prime Minister, but with the politicians shown as British soldiers or Nazi officials, as in a comic of the Second World War. The strip was attributed to Monty Stubble, which was a ""nom de plume"" of editor Ian Hislop, and to his artistic collaborator Nick Newman. The name ""Monty Stubble"" is a play on"
"Prime Minister parodies (Private Eye) Prime Minister parodies are a long-running feature of the British satirical magazine ""Private Eye"", which have been included in the majority of issues since the magazine's inception. The parodies consist of one arch satirical personification of the Prime Minister of the day, and use that personification to send up continuously that Prime Minister's personality and style of leadership, and the personalities and general features of his cabinet. Such are their popularity that the parodies usually find their way into mainstream culture far beyond simply being viewed as a joke within the pages of ""Private Eye"","
"of 2002 all attracted similar complaints. Following the 7/7 London bombings the magazine's cover (issue number 1137) featured Prime Minister Tony Blair saying to London mayor Ken Livingstone: ""We must track down the evil mastermind behind the bombers..."", to which Livingstone replies: ""...and invite him around for tea"", in reference to his controversial invitation of the Islamic theologian Yusuf al-Qaradawi to London. During the early 2000s ""Private Eye"" published many stories on the MMR vaccine controversy, substantially supporting the interpretation by Andrew Wakefield of published research in ""The Lancet"" by the Royal Free Hospital's Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study Group, which"
"""The Crown"". Jock Colville Sir John Rupert Colville, CB, CVO (28 January 1915 – 19 November 1987), known as Jock Colville, was a British civil servant. He is best known for his diaries, which provide an intimate view of number 10 Downing Street during the wartime Prime Ministership of Winston Churchill. Colville came from a politically active and well-connected family, although, as he stated in the introduction to his published diaries, he was the younger son of a younger son and so did not inherit family wealth. His father was the Hon. George Charles Colville, who was secretary of the"
"contemporary Conservative politician, was singled out for perhaps the most consistent ridicule. Then-Secretary of State for Education and Science, and (well after the programme had ended) Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, was occasionally mentioned, in particular referring to Thatcher's brain as being in her shin received a hearty laugh from the studio audience. Then-US President Richard Nixon was also frequently mocked, as was Conservative party leader Edward Heath, prime minister for much of the series' run. The British police were also a favourite target, often acting bizarrely, stupidly, or abusing their authority, frequently in drag. Although there were few recurring characters,"
"Assassination of Spencer Perceval Spencer Perceval, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, was shot and killed in the lobby of the House of Commons in London, at about 5:15 pm on Monday 11 May 1812. His assassin was John Bellingham, a Liverpool merchant with a grievance against the government. Bellingham was detained and, four days after the murder, was tried, convicted and sentenced to death. He was hanged at Newgate Prison one week later on 18 May. Perceval had led the Tory government since 1809, during a critical phase of the Napoleonic Wars. His"
"St Albion Parish News St Albion Parish News was a regular feature in the British satirical magazine ""Private Eye"" during the premiership of Tony Blair. It was in the ""Private Eye"" tradition of featuring a fortnightly column lampooning the Prime Minister of the day and their close associates, seemingly written in a gossipy style by an insider. This has taken either of two broad formats. ""Mrs Wilson's Diary"" and ""Dear Bill"" were supposedly the observations of spouses Mary Wilson and Denis Thatcher respectively. ""Heathco - A Message from the Managing Director"" was a motivational newsletter sent to staff of a"
"Craig Brown (satirist) Craig Edward Moncrieff Brown (born 23 May 1957) is an English critic and satirist, best known for his parodies in ""Private Eye"". Brown was educated at Eton and Bristol University and then became a freelance journalist in London, contributing to ""The Tatler"", ""The Spectator"", ""The Times Literary Supplement"", ""Literary Review"", the ""Evening Standard"" (as a regular columnist), ""The Times"" (notably as parliamentary sketchwriter; these columns were compiled into a book called ""A Life Inside"") and ""The Sunday Times"" (as TV and restaurant critic). He later continued his restaurant column in ""The Sunday Telegraph"" and has contributed a"
"Prime Minister"" is also referenced in the 1923 short story ""The Submarine Plans"", which was published in book form in the 1974 collection ""Poirot's Early Cases"". It is possible that his name, ""David MacAdam"", is a Celtic wordplay on the name of the real Prime Minister during the latter days of the First World War, David Lloyd George. In ""The Adventure of the Western Star"", Lady Yardly was advised to visit Poirot by her friend Mary Cavendish, a long time friend of Hastings. Cavendish appears in ""The Mysterious Affair at Styles"", Christie's first mystery novel, and the one which introduced"
"James Callaghan Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, (; 27 March 1912 – 26 March 2005), often known as Jim Callaghan, served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980. Callaghan is, to date, the only British politician to have served in all four of the Great Offices of State, having been Chancellor of the Exchequer (1964–1967), Home Secretary (1967–1970), and Foreign Secretary (1974–1976) prior to his appointment as Prime Minister. As Prime Minister, he had some successes, but is mainly remembered for the ""Winter of"
"Patrick Mayhew, John Smith and Tony Benn. Like many politicians, Heffer was a target for satirists who would highlight his left-wing attitude. He was especially targeted in the satirical strip ""Battle for Britain"" which ran in the magazine ""Private Eye"" between 1983 and 1987 — Margaret Thatcher's second term in office as Prime Minister. Heffer appears in the majority of the strips, his ""cruel Cockney humour"" being described as lowering morale on his side, especially when directed at Neil Kinnock. Heffer was a bibliophile whose collection of 12,000 books was much more than his small house would normally accommodate. He"
"Spencer Perceval Spencer Perceval (1 November 1762 – 11 May 1812) was a British statesman who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1809 until his assassination in May 1812. Perceval is the only British prime minister to have been murdered. He was also the only Solicitor General or Attorney General to become Prime Minister. The younger son of an Irish earl, Perceval was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge. He studied Law at Lincoln's Inn, practised as a barrister on the Midland circuit and in 1796 became a King's Counsel before entering politics aged 33"
"Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, (13 March 1764 – 17 July 1845), known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from November 1830 to July 1834. A member of the Whig Party, he was a long-time leader of multiple reform movements, most famously the Reform Act 1832. His government also saw the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, in which the government purchased slaves from their owners in 1833. Grey was a strong opponent of the foreign and domestic policies of William Pitt the Younger in the"
"Jock Colville Sir John Rupert Colville, CB, CVO (28 January 1915 – 19 November 1987), known as Jock Colville, was a British civil servant. He is best known for his diaries, which provide an intimate view of number 10 Downing Street during the wartime Prime Ministership of Winston Churchill. Colville came from a politically active and well-connected family, although, as he stated in the introduction to his published diaries, he was the younger son of a younger son and so did not inherit family wealth. His father was the Hon. George Charles Colville, who was secretary of the Institute of"
"human dignity and the environment, and for the major role he has played in helping to stabilise the world's financial system"". Speeches Gordon Brown James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Blair Government from 1997 to 2007. Brown was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1983 to 2015, first for Dunfermline East and later for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath. A doctoral graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Brown spent his"
"Alec Douglas-Home Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel, (; 2 July 1903 – 9 October 1995) was a British statesman and Conservative Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1963 to October 1964. He is notable for being the most recent Prime Minister to hold office while being a member of the House of Lords, before renouncing his peerage and taking up a seat in the House of Commons for the remainder of his premiership. His reputation, however, rests more on his two spells as Britain's foreign secretary than on his brief"
"garden) The terrace and garden have provided a casual setting for many gatherings of First Lords with foreign dignitaries, Cabinet ministers, guests, and staff. Prime Minister Tony Blair, for example, hosted a farewell reception in 2007 for his staff on the terrace. John Major announced his 1995 resignation as leader of the Conservative Party in the garden. Churchill called his secretaries the ""garden girls"" because their offices overlook the garden. It was also the location of the first press conference announcing the Coalition Government between David Cameron's Conservatives and Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats. Number 10 is filled with fine paintings,"
"Many Prime Ministers have used this tactic during their premierships; former Prime Minister, David Cameron, only employed one Parliamentary Private Secretary at a time during his tenure in office, but he appointed John Henry Hayes as a minister without portfolio with responsibility for the Parliamentary Conservative Party, a job typically reserved for the Parliamentary Private Secretary. The final instalment of Michael Dobbs's and the BBC's ""House of Cards"" trilogy, ""The Final Cut"", includes a character, Claire Carlsen, who serves as Prime Minister Francis Urquhart's Parliamentary Private Secretary, ultimately betraying him by attempting to leak documents about his service in the"
"Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986) was a British statesman and Conservative Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Nicknamed ""Supermac"", he was known for his pragmatism, wit and unflappability. Macmillan served in the Grenadier Guards during the First World War. He was wounded three times, most severely in September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. He spent the rest of the war in a military hospital unable to walk, and suffered pain and partial immobility for the rest of his"
"asking price. Maxwell was known to be litigious against those who would speak or write against him. The satirical magazine ""Private Eye"" lampooned him as ""Cap'n Bob"" and the ""bouncing Czech"", the latter nickname having originally been devised by Prime Minister Harold Wilson (under whom Maxwell was an MP). Maxwell took out several libel actions against ""Private Eye"", one resulting in the magazine losing an estimated £225,000 and Maxwell using his commercial power to hit back with a one-off spoof magazine ""Not Private Eye"". A hint of Maxwell's service to the Israeli state was provided by John Loftus and Mark"
"Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and the first woman to hold that office. A Soviet journalist dubbed her ""The 'Iron Lady, a nickname that became associated with her uncompromising politics and leadership style. As Prime Minister, she implemented policies known as Thatcherism. A research chemist at Somerville College, Oxford, before becoming a barrister, Thatcher"
"worst prime minister since World War II. Some of McMahon's most prominent critics have been those who served with him in cabinet. John Gorton called him ""utterly untrustworthy"", while Doug Anthony said he was ""just not big enough for the job"". Malcolm Fraser said he ""had an insatiable ambition [...] he wasn't immoral, he was totally amoral"". Billy Snedden considered McMahon ""conspiratorial, devious, untrustworthy"", and Paul Hasluck viewed him as ""disloyal, devious, dishonest, untrustworthy, petty, cowardly"", in his diaries referring to him as ""that treacherous bastard"". McMahon was nicknamed ""Billy the Leak"" for his willingness to divulge intimate and confidential"
"Foundation in 2006, where she established the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom. Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and the first woman to hold that office. A Soviet journalist dubbed her ""The 'Iron Lady, a nickname that became associated with her uncompromising politics and leadership style. As Prime Minister, she implemented policies known as Thatcherism."
"Battle for Britain (Private Eye) Battle for Britain was a comic strip cartoon published in the fortnightly satirical magazine ""Private Eye"" in the United Kingdom during the 1980s. It depicted Margaret Thatcher's second term of office as Prime Minister, but with the politicians shown as British soldiers or Nazi officials, as in a comic of the Second World War. The strip was attributed to Monty Stubble, which was a ""nom de plume"" of editor Ian Hislop, and to his artistic collaborator Nick Newman. The name ""Monty Stubble"" is a play on the film-title ""I Was Monty's Double""; the film being"
"Young was promoted to Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. He was a somewhat stiff figure in public whom Private Eye nicknamed 'Lord Suit'. He served two years in the role and privatised the last of the state industries in the department. In May 1989 he told the Prime Minister he would like to return to private life. He resigned from the Cabinet in 1989 but received an appointment as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party to help Kenneth Baker reorganise Central Office and stood down on the resignation of Margaret Thatcher. Young then went back to business as"
"the Prime Minister. ""Powell had been at the epicentre of power. As Tony Blair's Chief of Staff, he was the ultimate fixer, the Prime Minister's first line of defence against events, baby-catcher in chief. When things went wrong, people called Powell."" When Jonathan Powell stood down as Chief of Staff at the end of the Blair Premiership in June 2007, incoming Prime Minister Gordon Brown temporarily appointed civil servant Tom Scholar as both Downing Street Chief of Staff and Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister. This was again altered upon Scholar's scheduled departure in January 2008, when the title"
"are either miniatures or are based on a death mask by Joseph Nollekens. Perceval was the last British prime minister to wear a powdered wig tied in a queue, and knee-breeches according to the old-fashioned style of the 18th century. He is sometimes referred to as one of Britain's forgotten prime ministers, remembered only for the manner of his death. Although not considered an inspirational leader, he is generally seen as a devout, industrious, principled man who at the head of a weak government steered the country through difficult times. A contemporary MP Henry Grattan, used a naval analogy to"