Who can be UK prime minister?

Answer 1

Anyone is entitled to become Prime Minister if they are a British national- it requires no formal qualifications or University degrees, nor any substantial background in finance or buisness. But it IS necessary to have developed political experience- you need to have belonged to a political party of your choice for a significant number of years, and to have served for some time in local or regional Government as an elected Councillor.

This will stand you in good stead to stand as a Parliamentary candidate at a general election, provided that the party in your constituency is prepared to back your candidacy- if you are elected, you become an official Member of Parliament and begin as a 'back bencher', an ordinary MP representing your electorate with no ministerial position. You will need to have served as such for several years in order to impress the leader of your Party in the House of Commons that you have good credentials to be considered to rise above this rank- that you have the intelligence, leadership qualities, and all-round political ability to hold down a Ministerial role. If your Party is in Opposition, you can become Shadow Minister for a given aspect of government- if it is the Governing party, you assume the job and become part of what is called the Cabinet- the group of MPs who actually govern the nation. If you do well at your post, then you can in time be considered for election as Party Leader if enough of your Parliamentary colleagues support you.

The only basic credentials for standing for Parliament are that you have to be over 21 years old and of sound mind. Although an impressive academic CV is not necessary, most Prime Ministers DO have a background in either higher education or as big buisness executives, or as prominent figures in the world of fianance. John Major had no University degree, but he had worked as a high-flying financial executive before he entered politics. Some politicians get to become Prime Minister remarkably young- for instance, David cameron and Tony Blair were both only in their mid 40s when they took over the job. But you need to be really single-minded and quite ruthlessly ambitious to achieve this- many politicians serve out their entire working lives as back benchers without ever receiving a Ministerial portfolio.

Answer 2

Technically it is David Cameron but the Torie party he is the leader of formed a coalition with the Conservative party and it's all complicated. So in short it is David Cameron.