Famous 21st Century British Political Leaders

Glenda Jackson is best known for her Academy Award-winning roles in the films Women in Love and A Touch of Class. She has also won two Emmys for playing Elizabeth I in the TV series Elizabeth R and a Tony for her role in the play Three Tall Women.

The son of a soldier and intelligence officer, Rory Stewart was educated at Eton and Oxford and was also a tutor to princes William and Harry. Apart from being a diplomat and MP later, he also traveled across several countries on foot and wrote about this remarkable journey in a bestselling book.

Jeremy Corbyn had served as the Labour Party leader and the leader of the opposition in the U.K. from 2015 to 2020. He earned the Gandhi International Peace Award for his anti-war stance. He has been serving as an Islington North MP since 1983. He calls himself a democratic socialist.

Jacob Rees-Mogg is a British politician. Since 2019, he has been serving as Leader of the House of Commons. A controversial personality in British politics, Jacob Rees-Mogg is known for his traditionalist attitude, which has earned him the nickname Honourable Member for the 18th century. A conviction politician, Jacob Rees-Mogg's anachronistic upper-class mannerisms are often viewed as entertaining.

Amber Rudd is a former politician who served as the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions of the United Kingdom from 2018 to 2019. From 2016 to 2018, she served as Home Secretary under Prime Minister Theresa May. Also a humanitarian, Amber Rudd is part of an organization called Snowdon Trust, which helps disabled people access education.

Former Labour Party leader Tony Blair was the prime minister of the U.K. from 1997 to 2007. He supported the U.S.’s “War on Terror.” Blair was the youngest British PM since 1812 and the longest-tenured from his party. He is known for introducing the “New Labour” and the “Third Way.”

Conservative Party politician George Osborne is the son of Osborne & Little co-founder Sir Peter Osborne. He initially aspired to be a journalist but started his career as an MP from Tatton and later served as the Chancellor Of The Exchequer and the First Secretary of State of the U.K.

Carrie Lam is a Hong Kong politician who has been serving as the Chief Executive of Hong Kong since 2017. From 2007 to 2012, she served as the Secretary for Development. From 2012 to 2017, Lam was the Chief Secretary for Administration. A controversial leader, Carrie Lam's administration witnessed the criminalization of the Hong Kong National Party.

Ken Livingstone is an English politician who served as the mayor of London from the creation of the office in 2000 until 2008. He is a former member of the Labor Party and ideologically identified himself as a democratic socialist. During his tenure as the mayor, he introduced the congestion charge, articulated buses, and Oyster card. 

Renowned British politician John Prescott had not just been the deputy leader of the Labour Party but had also served as deputy prime minister of the UK. Born to a railway signalman in Wales, he moved to England at age 4. He had also initially worked as a steward on passenger liners.

British politician Liam Fox has held important posts, such as that of the Secretary of State for International Trade and has also chaired the Conservative Party. He is also a qualified general physician and a former civilian army medical officer. He is married to a fellow doctor.

Michael Howard is an English politician who served as Leader of the Opposition as well as Leader of the Conservative Party from 2003 to 2005. An influential politician, Michael Howard held cabinet positions like the Home Secretary, Secretary of State for the Environment, and Secretary of State for Employment under the premiership of John Major and Margaret Thatcher.

Anna Soubry is a British journalist, barrister, and former politician. A vocal critic of Brexit, Soubry left the Conservative Party in February 2019 in order to join the Independent Group for Change (Change UK). Subsequently, Anna Soubry was appointed as the party's leader before the disbandment of Change UK following the party's failure at the December 2019 general election.

Theresa May is a British politician who became the United Kingdom's second female prime minister. She served as prime minister from 2016 to 2019. During her prime ministership, May's involvement in the Brexit negotiations gave rise to the Brexit withdrawal agreement. She is also credited with co-founding Women2Win, which promotes women empowerment.

Michael Gove is a British author, journalist, and politician who has been serving as the Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities since 2021. Gove has served under various prime ministers like Boris Johnson, Theresa May, and David Cameron. In February 2006, he was honored with the Rising Star Award by Channel 4.

Better known as the grandson of Sigmund Freud, Clement Freud was a broadcaster who made a name as a panelist on the BBC Radio 4 show Just a Minute. He was also a Liberal MP. His reputation was tainted later, after he was accused of molesting several underage girls.

Former United Kingdom Independence Party leader Nigel Farage later launched and led the Brexit Party. Born to affluent parents in Kent, he was educated at the prestigious Dulwich College. The Times Briton of the Year of 2014, he had also hosted his own radio show, The Nigel Farage Show.

Rachel Johnson is a British television presenter, journalist, and author. She is known for appearing in panel discussion programs and debate programs, such as The Pledge and Question Time. A well-known novelist, Johnson served as a judge of the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction, one of the most prestigious literary prizes in the UK.