Leader of the Opposition (UK)

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The Leader of the Opposition (UK) is the head of the largest political party in the House of Commons that is not in government, responsible for scrutinizing and challenging the policies and actions of the Prime Minister and the ruling party.

All labels observed (12)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf parliamentary position
political office
alsoKnownAs Leader of the Opposition (UK)
surface form: Leader of His Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition
appliesToJurisdiction British Parliament
surface form: Parliament of the United Kingdom
appointedBy largest opposition party in the House of Commons
constitutionalContext Westminster system
country United Kingdom
currentHolder Keir Starmer
currentHolderAssumedOffice April 4, 2020
currentHolderPoliticalParty Labour Party (UK)
hasAssociatedParty Official Opposition (United Kingdom)
hasPrivilege access to certain official information and briefings
additional salary beyond MP’s salary
priority in parliamentary debates
hasRight first response to the Prime Minister at PMQs
six questions at Prime Minister’s Questions
hasSubordinatePosition Deputy Leader of the Opposition (UK)
Shadow Cabinet member
inception 19th century
isPartOf political system of the United Kingdom
isPositionHeldBy head of the largest party not in government in the House of Commons
legalBasis Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975
legalStatus officially recognized in UK law
legislativeBody House of Commons of the United Kingdom
officeHoldersMustBe Members of Parliament in the House of Commons
officeType constitutional convention-based office
opposesBody His Majesty’s Government
opposesOffice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
parliamentaryFunction lead opposition during debates
nominate opposition members to select committees (via party mechanisms)
respond to major government statements
politicalSignificance considered alternative Prime Minister
precededByOffice Leader of the Opposition (UK) self-linksurface differs
surface form: Leader of His Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition
recognizedAsOfficeSince 1937
reportsTo House of Commons of the United Kingdom
surface form: House of Commons
residence United Kingdom
role appoint Shadow Cabinet
challenge actions of the Prime Minister
lead opposition questioning at Prime Minister’s Questions
lead the Official Opposition
propose alternative policies
provide alternative government-in-waiting
scrutinize government policy
seat House of Commons of the United Kingdom
surface form: House of Commons
style The Right Honourable
symbolicRole leader of the Official Opposition to the Crown’s government
termLength no fixed term
serves while leader of the largest non‑government party in the Commons

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (78)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Justine Thornton spousePositionHeld Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom
Harriet Harman (acting, as Leader of the Labour Party) positionHeld Leader of the Opposition (UK)
subject surface form: Harriet Harman
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (acting)
Leader of the Opposition of Jamaica analogousTo Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Leader of the Labour Party (UK) isUsually Leader of the Opposition (UK)
Leader of the Labour Party (UK) hasAssociatedPosition Leader of the Opposition (UK)
Leader of the Labour Party (UK) officeHoldersCanBecome Leader of the Opposition (UK)
William Jefferson Hague positionHeld Leader of the Opposition (UK)
subject surface form: William Hague
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Shadow Foreign Secretary reportsTo Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Shadow Foreign Secretary appointedBy Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Michael Mackintosh Foot positionHeld Leader of the Opposition (UK)
subject surface form: Michael Foot
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Foot positionHeld Leader of the Opposition (UK)
subject surface form: Michael Foot
Shadow Secretary of State for Wales subordinateTo Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Shadow Secretary of State for Wales appointedBy Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Shadow Secretary of State for Wales reportsTo Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Baron Hague of Richmond positionHeld Leader of the Opposition (UK)
subject surface form: William Hague
Baron Wilson of Rievaulx titleHolderPosition Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
James Harold Wilson positionHeld Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
14th Earl of Home positionHeld Leader of the Opposition (UK)
subject surface form: Alec Douglas-Home
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Leeds South positionHeld Leader of the Opposition (UK)
subject surface form: Hugh Gaitskell
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Dora Gaitskell, Baroness Gaitskell spouseOccupation Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (Hugh Gaitskell)
Gaitskell positionHeld Leader of the Opposition (UK)
subject surface form: Hugh Gaitskell
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Shadow Home Secretary reportsTo Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Shadow Home Secretary appointedBy Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Nicholas Howard positionHeld Leader of the Opposition (UK)
subject surface form: Michael Howard
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Lord Home of the Hirsel positionHeld Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Leader of the Opposition (Australia) isModeledOn Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Leader of the Opposition (New South Wales) isModeledAfter Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
Leader of the Opposition (Northern Territory) isAnalogousTo Leader of the Opposition (UK)
this entity surface form: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)