Prime Minister of the United Kingdom seats than the opposition in a general election. Since 1722, most Prime Ministers have been members of the Commons; since 1902, all have had a seat there. Like other members, they are elected initially to represent only a constituency. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, for example, represented Sedgefield in County Durham from 1983 to 2007. He became Prime Minister because in 1994 he was elected Labour Party leader and then led the party to victory in the 1997 general election, winning 418 seats compared to 165 for the Conservatives and gaining a majority in the House of Commons. Neither the
Northampton (UK Parliament constituency) Northampton (UK Parliament constituency) Northampton was a parliamentary constituency (centred on the town of Northampton), which existed until 1974. It returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was reduced to one member for the 1918 general election. The constituency was abolished for the February 1974 general election, when it was replaced by the new constituencies of Northampton North and Northampton South. A former MP of note for the constituency was Spencer Perceval, the only British Prime Minister to be assassinated. Vernon Smith was appointed Secretary of