British Prime Ministers: A story of success and failure (Upper-Intermediate B2)
This year is the 300th anniversary of Britain's first prime minister taking power. As a definition, a prime minister is the most powerful political figure in the UK, but the backgrounds of the position are not really clear. In the early 18th century, Britain's monarchy was losing power to Parliament. This created a chance for a politician who could control Parliament and work with the monarch. That man was Sir Robert Walpole. In spite of the fact that he didn't hold the title, historians consider him to be the country's first prime minister. A bit of history The politicians who followed Walpole developed his role, but no one used the term 'prime minister'. During the 19th century, however, it step-by-step became acceptable. Britain's premiership is mainly informal in character. The prime minister's powers come from convention, rather than the law. In 1870, the prime minister acquired the exclusive right to call cabinet meetings. In 1903, it was decided h...
