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
Tony Lloyd remained a Trafford councillor until 1984, rising to the rank of Deputy Labour Leader. Lloyd entered the House of Commons as Member of Parliament for Stretford on 9 June 1983, after the 1983 general election. He was an opposition whip between 1986 and 1987, and became the opposition spokesman for transport (1987–1992), employment (1992–1994), the environment (1994–1995), and foreign affairs (1995–1997). Constituency boundaries were reformed for the 1997 general election, and Lloyd was selected for the Manchester Central constituency, where he returned at each subsequent general election through to 2010. Following the 1997 general election which returned Tony Blair as