This is a list of female party leaders of British political parties.
Parliamentary parties Alliance Party of Northern Ireland LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft officeNaomi Long Belfast East 26 October 2016 Incumbent May Johnson Truss SunakStarmerBurnham
Conservative Party LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft office Margaret Thatcher Finchley 11 February 1975 28 November 1990 Wilson Callaghan Herself Theresa May Maidenhead 11 July 2016 23 July 2019 Herself Liz Truss South West Norfolk 6 September 2022 24 October 2022 Herself Kemi Badenoch North West Essex 2 November 2024 Incumbent Starmer Burnham
Democratic Unionist Party LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft office Arlene Foster Fermanagh and South Tyrone 17 December 2015 28 May 2021 Cameron May Johnson
Green Party of England and Wales LeaderPortraitTitleTook officeLeft office Jean Lambert Female Principal Speaker 1992 1993 Major Jan Clark Female Principal Speaker 1993 1995 Peg Alexander Female Principal Speaker 1995 1997 Jean Lambert Female Principal Speaker 1998 1999 Blair Margaret Wright Female Principal Speaker 1999 2003 Caroline Lucas Female Principal Speaker 2003 24 November 2006 Siân Berry Female Principal Speaker 24 November 2006 30 November 2007 BlairBrown Caroline Lucas Female Principal Speaker 30 November 2007 5 September 2008 Leader of the Green Party 5 September 2008 3 September 2012 Cameron Natalie Bennett Leader of the Green Party 3 September 2012 2 September 2016 CameronMay Caroline Lucas Co-leader of the Green Party 2 September 2016 4 September 2018 Siân Berry Co-leader of the Green Party 4 September 2018 1 October 2021 MayJohnson Carla Denyer Co-leader of the Green Party 1 October 2021 2 September 2025 JohnsonTrussSunakStarmer
Labour Party LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft office Margaret Beckett Derby South 12 May 1994 21 July 1994 Major Harriet Harman Camberwell and Peckham 11 May 2010 25 September 2010 Cameron 8 May 2015 12 September 2015
Liberal Democrats LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft office The Baroness Brinton N/A 8 May 2015 16 July 2015 Cameron Jo Swinson East Dunbartonshire 22 July 2019 13 December 2019 May Johnson The Baroness Brinton N/A 13 December 2019 31 December 2019
Plaid Cymru LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft office Leanne Wood Rhondda 16 March 2012 28 September 2018 Cameron May
Scottish National Party LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft office Nicola Sturgeon Glasgow Southside 14 November 2014 27 March 2023 Cameron May Johnson Truss Sunak
Sinn Féin LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft office Margaret Buckley N/A 1937 1950 Chamberlain Churchill Attlee Mary Lou McDonald Dublin Central 10 February 2018 Incumbent May Johnson Truss SunakStarmerBurnham
Social Democratic and Labour Party LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft office Margaret Ritchie South Down 7 February 2010 5 November 2011 BrownCameron Claire Hanna Belfast South and Mid Down 5 October 2024 Incumbent Starmer Burnham
Parties with representation in devolved parliaments Green Party in Northern Ireland LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Lindsay Whitcroft None 2004 2005 (Northern Ireland Assembly) Kelly Andrews None 2005 2009 Karly Greene None 2009 2011 Clare Bailey Belfast South 21 November 2018 15 August 2022
Liberal Vannin Party LeaderConstituencyTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Kate Costain Douglas South 24 February 2014 Incumbent (House of Keys)
Scottish Greens LeaderPortraitConstituency / WardTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Marian Coyne None 1999 1999 (Scottish Parliament) Eleanor Scott Highlands and Islands 2002 2004 Shiona Baird North East Scotland 2004 2007 Alison Johnstone Lothian 2007 2008 Eleanor Scott N/A 2008 2011 Martha Wardrop Hillhead 2011 November 2013 Maggie Chapman Leith Walk November 2013 1 August 2019 Lorna Slater Lothian 1 August 2019 29 August 2025 Gillian Mackay Central Scotland 29 August 2025 Incumbent
Regional branches of parliamentary parties
London Conservatives LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Angie Bray West Central 2006 2007 (London Assembly) Susan Hall Additional member 17 December 2019 Incumbent
Scottish Conservatives LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Annabel Goldie West Scotland 8 November 2005 4 November 2011 (Scottish Parliament) Ruth Davidson Glasgow Edinburgh Central 4 November 2011 29 August 2019
Scottish Labour LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Cathy Jamieson Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley 8 November 2001 22 November 2001 (Scottish Parliament) 15 August 2007 14 September 2007 Wendy Alexander Paisley North 14 September 2007 28 June 2008 Cathy Jamieson Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley 28 June 2008 3 September 2008 Johann Lamont Glasgow Pollok 17 December 2011 24 October 2014 Kezia Dugdale Lothian 15 August 2015 29 August 2017Jackie BaillieDumbarton 15 November 2017 18 November 2017 14 January 2021 27 February 2021 23 July 2026 19 September 2026
Welsh Labour LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Eluned Morgan Mid and West Wales 24 July 2024 8 May 2026 (Senedd)
Welsh Liberal Democrats LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Kirsty Williams Brecon and Radnorshire 8 December 2008 6 May 2016 (Senedd) 16 June 2017 3 November 2017 Jane Dodds Brecon and Radnorshire Mid and West Wales Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd 3 November 2017 Incumbent
Parties with representation in local government
Alliance for Local Living LeaderWardTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Felicity Rice Oakdale 1 April 2019 Incumbent 4 councillors
Animal Welfare Party LeaderPortraitWardTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Vanessa Hudson N/A October 2010Animal Welfare Party website: About Incumbent None
Reform UK LeaderWardTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Catherine Blaiklock N/A 20 January 2019 20 March 20191 MP and 9 councillors
Guildford Greenbelt Group LeaderWardTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Susan Parker Send 2013 Incumbent 3 councillors
Horwich and Blackrod First LeaderWardTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Marie Brady Horwich North East 8 February 2019 Incumbent 2 councillors
Independence for Scotland Party LeaderTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Colette Walker 7 May 2020 Incumbent 1 councillor
Lincolnshire Independents LeaderWardTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Marianne Overton Cliff Villages 2008 Incumbent 1 councillor
Mebyon Kernow LeaderTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Helena Sanders January 1951 1957Bernard Deacon, Dick Cole, Garry Tregidga, Mebyon Kernow and Cornish Nationalism, Welsh Academic Press, 2003. 5 councillors Loveday Carlyon 1986 1989 Loveday Jenkin 1990 1997
Orkney Manifesto Group LeaderWardTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Rachael King West Mainland March 2013 Incumbent None
Progressive Unionist Party LeaderPortraitWardTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Dawn Purvis Belfast East 23 January 2007 2 June 2010 1 councillor
The Rubbish Party LeaderWardTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Sally Cogley Irvine Valley March 2017 Incumbent 1 councillor
UK Independence Party (UKIP) LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft officeCurrent representation Diane James South East England 16 September 2016 4 October 2016None Pat Mountain N/A 30 October 2019 25 April 2020
Parties with no elected UK representation Advance Together LeaderTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Annabel Mullin September 2018 Incumbent 2019 general election
Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist–Leninist) LeaderTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Ella Rule 24 October 2018 Incumbent None
Freedom Alliance LeaderTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Carol Dobson(acting) 27 January 2021 Incumbent 2021 Scottish Parliament election2021 United Kingdom local elections
Left Unity LeaderTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Sharon McCourt 25 March 2017 Incumbent None
National Health Action Party LeaderTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Veronika Wagner c. August 2019 Incumbent 2021 local elections
Renew Party LeaderPortraitSeatTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Annabel Mullin N/A 20 September 2018 7 June 2019 2019 European Parliament election Julie Girling South West England 7 June 2019 7 July 2020 2019 general election
Scottish Socialist Party LeaderPortraitTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Frances Curran c.2007 2012 2009 European Parliament election2010 general election2011 Scottish Parliament election Sandra Webster 2012 2016 2015 general election2016 Scottish Parliament election Katie Bonnar 2016 2018 None Róisín McLaren 2018 Incumbent None
Socialist Party (England and Wales) LeaderTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Hannah Sell 11 March 2020 Incumbent None
UK Independence Party LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft office Diane James South East England 16 September 2016 4 October 2016 Pat Mountain N/A 30 October 2019 25 April 2020 Lois Perry N/A 13 May 2024 15 June 2024
Workers' Party (Ireland) LeaderTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Marian Donnelly March 1992Flackes, William D. & Elliott, Sydney. Northern Ireland: a political directory, 1968-1993 (1994)()("in 1992 Marian Donnelly of Maghera, Co. Deny, became national chairwoman of the party") 1994 1993 Northern Ireland local elections
Regional branches of parties without elected representation Reform UK Scotland LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Michelle Ballantyne South Scotland 11 January 2021 16 February 2022 2021 Scottish Parliament election
Defunct parties Change UK / The Independent Group for Change LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Heidi Allen South Cambridgeshire 29 March 2019 4 June 2019 2019 European Parliament election Anna Soubry Broxtowe 4 June 2019 19 December 2019 2019 general election
Communist Party of Great Britain LeaderTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Nina Temple 13 January 1990 23 November 1991 None
For Britain Movement LeaderPortraitWardTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Anne Marie Waters N/A October 2017 13 July 2022 2019 local elections2021 local elections2022 local elections
Highlands and Islands Alliance LeaderTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Lorraine Mann Autumn 1998 24 August 2004 1999 Scottish Parliament election
Independent Labour Party LeaderTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Annie Maxton 1953 1958 1955 United Kingdom general election
Jersey Democratic Alliance LeaderTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Christine Papworth April 2005 October 2011 2005 Jersey general election2008 Jersey general election
Nationalist Alliance LeaderTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Catherine Parker-Brown 2005 2008 None
No Candidate Deserves My Vote! LeaderTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Amanda Ringwood November 2000 2012 2001 local elections2002 local elections2010 general election
Northern Ireland Women's Coalition LeaderPortraitConstituencyTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Monica McWilliams Belfast South April 1996 11 May 2006 1996 NI Forum election1997 general election1998 NI Assembly election2001 NI local elections2001 general election2003 NI Assembly election2005 NI local elections Pearl Sagar Belfast East
Respect Party LeaderPortraitTook officeLeft officeElections contested as leader Linda Smith 2004 2005 N/A Salma Yaqoob 2005 September 2012 2005 general election2006 local elections2010 general election2010 local elections
Unionist Party of Northern Ireland