Anthony seldon the impossible office7/3/2023 ![]() ![]() Only since 1902 has the combined office of prime minister and that of First Lord of the Treasury always been held by a member of the House of Commons and therefore, crucially, by virtue of democratic election, by the voters. Henry Pelham, who was prime minister between 17, owed his power to the confidence of the House of Commons, whereas for the most part Walpole owed his own power to George II and Queen Caroline of Ansbach.īoth of these prime ministers, however, did rely heavily on bribing members of parliament. Furthermore, there are serious historians who believe that Walpole was not the first prime minister. ![]() ![]() The book is published to mark the 300th anniversary of the office of the British prime minister, the first claimed to be Robert Walpole, although he did not recognise the title himself. It is compelling reading, but leaves seminal questions unanswered, particularly on the relationship of the office itself to democracy. The Impossible Office? The History of the British Prime MinisterĪnthony Seldon’s book The Impossible Office? is a work of consolidated scholarship about our prime ministers, based on many sources, ranging across several centuries. ![]()
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