Duke of Portland becomes Prime Minister after the 1807 general election

Background. The Ministry of all the Talents, a coalition of Foxite and Grenvillite Whig and Addingtonite Tory factions under Lord Grenville, had continued in office after the 1806 election. In March 1807, following its collapse, Pitt's former supporters returned to power, and Portland was once again an acceptable figurehead for a fractious group of ministers. Portland, a former Whig Prime Minister of the 1780s, described himself as the Whig Prime Minister of a Tory ministry. These developments preceded the general election held from 4 May to 9 June 1807.

Ministry Formation. In March 1807, the elderly Duke of Portland was asked to form a new ministry. He served as an acceptable figurehead for a fractious group of ministers that included George Canning, Lord Castlereagh, Lord Hawkesbury, and Spencer Perceval. After the election concluded on 9 June 1807, the government programme was approved by a vote of 350 to 155 in the House of Commons, demonstrating the substantial gains ministers had made in the election. The vote itself is not dated in the sources.

Political Context. Portland had previously served as Prime Minister in 1783. The 23-year gap between his two terms is the longest of any British prime minister. The new Parliament was summoned to meet on 22 June 1807, following the dissolution of the previous Parliament on 29 April 1807.