Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)

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 of the United Kingdom 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.

The Leader of the Opposition is often viewed as an alternative or shadow prime minister, and is appointed to the Privy Council (if not already appointed as a member). They lead an Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet, which scrutinises the actions of the Cabinet and offers alternative policies to those of the party in government.

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.

The role is considered by those who have held it as the worst and most difficult job in politics, 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.

The Incumbent Leader of the Opposition is Kemi Badenoch, appointed on 2 November 2024 as the Leader of the Conservative Party, succeeding to the Leader of the Opposition position following the 2024 Conservative Party leadership election.