Sir Alan Campbell was appointed Lord President of the Council, and Leader of the House of Commons on 5 September 2025. He was previously Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip) between 5 July 2024 and 5 September 2025. He was elected as the MP for Tynemouth in May 1997.
The Rt Hon Sir Alan Campbell MP promotion is a fantastic testament to a long and distinguished career in public service. Sir Alan Campbell has been a Member of Parliament for Tynemouth since 1997, giving him a quarter-century of invaluable experience in the House of Commons. His career has been defined by his work as a whip—the critical role of maintaining party discipline and ensuring government business gets done. He has served as both a government and opposition whip, as well as Chief Whip, which has given him a unique and unparalleled understanding of the inner workings of Parliament. His vast experience has made him a master of the procedural intricacies and traditions of Westminster.
In a recent cabinet reshuffle, Sir Alan Campbell was appointed Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons. This promotion is a powerful recognition of his extensive experience and political acumen. As Leader of the House of Commons, he is now in charge of organizing and managing the government’s business in the House, working with opposition parties through the “usual channels.” This is a role that requires immense skill, patience, and a deep knowledge of parliamentary procedure. His new position as Lord President of the Council also means he is the formal link between the government and the sovereign. His dual role puts him at the very heart of the machinery of Parliament, making him a central figure in the new administration. It is a truly exciting new chapter for a politician who has spent his career mastering the art of the possible in Parliament.
The Leader of the House of Commons is a government minister whose main role is organising government business in the Commons. The Leader of the House does this by working closely with the government’s Chief Whip.
Every sitting Thursday, the Leader of the House tells the Commons about the business scheduled for the following week and usually provisional business for the week after.
The Leader chairs one Cabinet Committee, the Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee.
The Leader can deputise for the Prime Minister, either at Prime Minister’s Questions or for formal duties. Ordinarily the Deputy Prime Minister or First Secretary of State can fulfil this function.
The title does not appear to have become established until about the middle of the nineteenth-century although the institution is much older. The leadership of the House is not a statutory office nor is the Leader formally appointed by the Crown; for these reasons the post has usually been held together with another office; recently this has usually been that of Lord President of the Council.
Until 1942 the Prime Minister, if a Minister of the House of Commons, generally also acted as Leader of the House, although day-to-day duties were frequently carried out after 1922 by an appointed deputy Leader. Since 1942 it has been the regular practice to have a separate Leader of the House, and there have also been instances of the appointment of a deputy Leader of the House.
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