Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom as to the absence of a formal post of Deputy Prime Minister in Britain's uncodified constitution. Theoretically the sovereign possesses the unrestricted right to choose someone to form a government following the death, resignation or dismissal of a Prime Minister. One argument made to justify the non-existence of a permanent deputy premiership is that such an office-holder would be seen as possessing a presumption of succession to the premiership, thereby effectively limiting the sovereign's right to choose a prime minister. However, only two Deputy Prime Ministers have gone on to become Prime Minister. Clement Attlee won the 1945 general election
Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty Elswick Ordnance Company and the Armstrong Whitworth Shipbuilding Company, was appointed as an Additional Civil Lord on the Board of Admiralty. The post was sometimes styled Extra-Professional Civil Lord or Second Civil Lord during the periods in question. The post holder was usually held by a person who was neither a naval officer or a politician it existed briefly until 1885 before being abolished. In 1912 the post was re-established and usually held by one person. In 1917 due to the increasing workload of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty extra civil lords were added however they were restyled as