Who is the Chancellor of the Exchequer?

The current Chancellor of the Exchequer is Rt Hon. Sajid Javid MP. who was appointed in July 2016.

He replaced Phillip Hammond who held the position of Chancellor from 2016 to 2019 and the election of Boris Johnson as British Prime Minister.

What does the Chancellor do?

The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the government’s chief financial minister and is responsible for raising revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling public spending. He has overall responsibility for the work of the Treasury.

The Chancellor’s responsibilities cover:

•fiscal policy (including the presenting of the annual Budget)
monetary policy, setting inflation targets
ministerial arrangements (in his role as Second Lord of the Treasury)

Spotlight on Previous Chancellors of the Exchequer

Due to the importance of managing the countries money, this role has been held by many people who then go on to be Prime Minister. These include Winston Churchill, William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli and in more recent years Sir John Major and Gordon Brown. In fact, the very first Prime Minister Robert Walpole was Chancellor in 1715.

List of Chancellors of the Exchequer

20th & 21st centuries

Phillip Hammond – 2016- 2019
George Osborne – 2010-2016
Alistair Darling -  2007 to 2010
Gordon Brown  – 1997 to 2007
Kenneth Clarke  – 1993 to 1997
Norman Lamont  – 1990 to 1993
John Major  -1989 to 1990
Nigel Lawson - 1983 to 1989
Sir Geoffrey Howe - 1979 to 1983
Denis Healey  – 1974 to 1979
Anthony Barber –  1970 to 1974
Ian Macleod  – 1970
Roy Jenkins  – 1967 to 1970
James Callaghan  – 1964 to 1967
Reginald Maudling –  1962 to 1964
Selwyn Lloyd –  1960 to 1962
Derick Heathcoat-Amory  – 1958 to 1960
Peter Thorneycroft –  1957 to 1958
Harold Macmillan –  1955 to 1957
Rab Butler  – 1951 to 1955
Hugh Gaitskell  – 1950 to 1951
Sir Stafford Cripps – 1947 to 1950
Hugh Dalton –  1945 to 1947
Sir John Anderson  – 1943 to 1945
Sir Kingsley Wood –  1940 to 1943
Sir John Simon –  1937 to 1940
Neville Chamberlain –  1931 to 1937
Philip Snowden –  1929 to 1931
Winston Churchill – 1924 to 1929
Philip Snowden  – 1924
Neville Chamberlain –  1923 to 1924
Stanley Baldwin –  1922 to 1923
Sir Robert Horne –  1921 to 1922
Austen Chamberlain  – 1919 to 1922
Bonar Law –  1916 to 1919
Reginald McKenna –  1915 to 1916
David Lloyd George –  1908 to 1915
H. H. Asquith –  1905 to 1908
Austen Chamberlain –  1903 to 1905
Charles Ritchie –  1902 to 1903

19th century

Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Bt –  1895 to 1902
Sir William Vernon Harcourt  – 1892 to 1895
George Goschen –  1887 to 1892
Lord Randolph Churchill –  1886
Sir William Vernon Harcourt  – 1886
Sir Michael Hicks Beach –  1885 to 1886
Hugh Childers –  1882 to 1885
William Gladstone  – 1880 to 1882
Sir Stafford Henry Northcote –  1874 to 1880
William Gladstone –  1873 to 1874
Robert Lowe –  1868 to 1873
George Ward Hunt –  1868
Benjamin Disraeli –  1866 to 1868
William Gladstone –  1859 to 1866
Benjamin Disraeli  – 1858 to 1859
Sir George Cornewall Lewis –  1855 to 1858
William Gladstone  – 1852 to 1855
Benjamin Disraeli  – 1852
Sir Charles Wood  – 1846 to 1852
Henry Goulburn  – 1841 to 1846
Francis Baring  – 1839 to 1841
Thomas Spring Rice  – 1835 to 1839
Sir Robert Peel – 1834 to 1835
Viscount Althorp  – 1830 to 1834
Henry Goulburn  – 1828 to 1830
John Charles Herries –  1827 to 1828
The Lord Tenterden  – 1827
George Canning –  1827
Hon. Frederick John Robinson –  1823 to 1827
Nicholas Vansittart –  1812 to 1823
Spender Perceval –  1807 to 1812
Lord Henry Petty –  1806 to 1807
William Pitt the Younger –  1804 to 1806
Henry Addington  – 1801 to 1804

18th century

William Pitt the Younger  – 1783 to 1801
Lord John Cavendish  – 1783
William Pitt the Younger –  1782 to 1783
Lord North  – 1767 to 1782
Charles Townshend –  1766 to 1767
William Dowdeswell –  1765 to 1766
George Grenville – 1763 to 1765
Sir Francis Dashwood –  1762 to 1763
Viscount Barrington –  1761 to 1762
Henry Bilson Legge  – 1757 to 1761
Lord Mansfield –  1757
Henry Bilson Legge –  1756 to 1757
Sir George Lyttleton –  1755 to 1756
Henry Bilson Legge –  1754 to 1755
Sir William Lee –  1754
Henry Pelham –  1743 to 1754
Samuel Sandys –  1742 to 1743
Sir Robert Walpole –  1721 to 1742
Sir John Pratt –  1721
John Aislabie –  1718 to 1721
Viscount Stanhope –  1717 to 1718
Robert Walpole  – 1715 to 1717
Sir Richard Onslow  – 1714 to 1715
Sir William Wyndhan –  1713 to 1714
Robert Benson –  1711 to 1713
Robert Harley –  1710 to 1711
Sir John Smith –  1708 to 1710
Henry Boyle  – 1701 to 1708

16th & 17th centuries

Sir John Smith –  1699 to 1701
Charles Montagu –  1694 to 1699
Richard Hampden  – 1690 to 1694
Henry Booth  – 1689 to 1690
Sir John Ernle  – 1676 to 1689
Sir John Duncombe –  1672 to 1676
Lord Ashley –  1661 to 1672
Sir Edward Hyde –  1642 to 1646
Sir John Colepepper –  1642 to 1643
Lord Cottington  – 1629 to 1642
Lord Barrett  – 1628 to 1629
Sir Richard Weston –  1621 to 1628
Sir Fulke Greville  – 1614 to 1621
Sir Julius Caesar –  1604 to 1614
Earl of Dunbar  – 1603 to 1606
Sir John Fortescue –  1589 to 1603
Sir Walter Mildmay  – 1566 to 1589
Sir Richard Sackville  – 1559 to 1566