The Prime Minister at 300

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The Prime Minister at 300: The liminal premiership

The liminal premiership

BBC Radio 4 - The Prime Minister at 300, The liminal premiership

Sir Anthony Seldon charts 300 years of the top job in British politics.

Sir Anthony Seldon examines how the role of prime minister has changed in 300 years.

It's 300 years since Sir Robert Walpole took office as the first recognisable office holder of Prime Minister. To mark the anniversary, the historian and biographer Sir Anthony Seldon, examines how the role came about and why it has survived despite various crises and periods of change in the life of the nation. What do Walpole and Boris Johnson, the 55th occupant of the office, have in common?

Former Prime Ministers, Foreign Secretaries, Cabinet Secretaries and others at the heart of government talk about the pressures on the modern office and the responsibilities that come with it. Has the job become too difficult to perform effectively and what could be done to enhance the role of Prime Minister?

The first programme explores the origins of the office and how it was shaped by two of the longest serving Prime Ministers, Sir Robert Walpole and William Pitt the Younger.

Producer: Peter Snowdon

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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Factual: Politics

Sir Anthony Seldon examines how the role of Prime Minister has changed over 300 years.

In April 1721, Sir Robert Walpole became the first recognisable holder of the office of Prime Minister. Sir Anthony Seldon examines how the role has changed in the past 300 years.

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