Talk:Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Start has Prime Minister of United Kingdom non-capitalized?
I'm not exactly sure but shouldn't this be capitalized? Or am I just illiterate? A-37Dragonfly (talk) 03:35, 26 April 2024 (UTC)


 * Yes, this should be capitalised as Prime Minister is a title. Recollect4741 (talk) 21:33, 27 May 2024 (UTC)
 * See MOS:JOB, it depends on whether it is being used to refer to the generic job or to a specific person. -- DeFacto (talk). 21:53, 27 May 2024 (UTC)
 * Thank You for pointing that out, glad to be aware even if it is absurd. Recollect4741 (talk) 22:03, 27 May 2024 (UTC)
 * I think it might stay uncapitalized after reading MOS:JOB but im still not sure A-37Dragonfly (talk) 01:54, 28 May 2024 (UTC)

Retirement Honours
The section on retirement honours makes no reference to awards of membership of the Order of Merit or the Order of the Companions of Honour which have been awarded to former prime ministers on or after retirement. Churchill, Attlee, Macmillan and Thatcher were made OM, and Major and Brown were appointed CH, all after they left office. Ulpian2499 (talk) 10:07, 16 June 2024 (UTC)

Timing of appointment of PM.
Sir Keir is listed as incumbent PM, but doesn't that happen when the King asks him to form the next Government? DavidFarmbrough (talk) 05:09, 5 July 2024 (UTC)


 * @DavidFarmbrough: No, in practice he's PM immediately, the constitutional formalism doesn't adjust reality. All processes like COBRA/etc. know that Starmer is now the PM. James F. (talk) 10:25, 5 July 2024 (UTC)
 * @DavidFarmbrough: Constitutionally, he's not PM until the monarch invites him to form a government, which will happen soon now his predecessor has resigned as PM. Meanwhile, we live in an absolute monarchy ;-), which is nice. Bazza 7 (talk) 10:36, 5 July 2024 (UTC)
 * To quote specifically from the Cabinet Manual:
 * "The Prime Minister accepts office at a private audience with the Sovereign, at which time the appointment takes effect."
 * … so I suppose we can hold for the next few minutes, though I'm not sure it serves readers very well. James F. (talk) 10:47, 5 July 2024 (UTC)


 * [Secondary thread, merging. James F. (talk) 10:53, 5 July 2024 (UTC)]

I understand that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia where people can create or change pages/sections but can there be a rule where people with common sense are able to make changes? Why am I seeing modifications from people changing Rishi Sunak to Keir Starmer when he hasn't resigned as PM officially from HM The King? SferaEbbasta87 (talk) 07:59, 5 July 2024 (UTC)


 * @SferaEbbasta87: I agree, but it's easy to revert such changes when you see them, as I and others have been doing. It won't be for long. Bazza 7 (talk) 08:01, 5 July 2024 (UTC)

Term Length
Should the term length be ‘Up to Five Years’ instead of ‘At His Majesty’s Pleasure’? Formally it’s true that the PM serves at the King’s pleasure, but that’s not actually true - the PM’s term is five years or shorter if they wish to call the election early.

To have it describe the formal term length instead of the actual term length is inconsistent with the recent decision to say that the incumbent is Keir Starmer before he was asked by the king to form a government, which he formally wasn’t. Furthermore, ‘Up to Five Years’ is a far more relevant and helpful piece of information to have. Jayfin-1 (talk) 11:54, 6 July 2024 (UTC)

Request to update and add new information
In the section “Authority, Powers and Constraints” there needs to be some new information accessing the legislative powers, executive powers and the royal prerogative powers of the British Prime Minister in policy making and the eligibility. Can anyone on this article write and add the following needed information to this page? Altonydean (talk) 11:59, 7 July 2024 (UTC)


 * I suppose for legislative powers we could have a brief explanation of how the PM gets their party to vote with them with the Whips system, parliamentary party rebellions, votes being confidence issue, etc.?
 * I don’t think we need a separate section for executive powers and royal prerogatives, since RPs are a form of executive power. We could have a list of RPs, followed by an explanation of secondary legislation, maybe with own or two examples of executive powers the PM has been granted by parliament through specific acts - e.g. The War Act of 1914 and The Coronavirus Act of 2020. Jayfin-1 (talk) 15:12, 8 July 2024 (UTC)
 * Exactly, but there is no need to write a new section. Just write on the existing “Authority, power and constraints” section instead. But you do need to add three sub sections on legislative powers as well as executive powers and the royal prerogative powers which are omitted from this section rather disproportionately. Although it should be explained in a detailed manner so readers could understand. If you are willing to add such information, please do, the article needs urgent attention. Thank you. Altonydean (talk) 16:13, 8 July 2024 (UTC)