There has only ever been one British Prime minister assassinated.
In 1811, King George III was incapacitated yet again and his eldest son George Prince of Wales was Regent. He wanted to use his position as king’s representative to give awards and honours to people, but his right to do so was restricted by his government for twelve months, in case the King recovered, so he took his case to a small group of opposition MPs who supported him. However, even though he disagreed with his father’s elected government he was willing to work with them, to save his father more trouble. The Prime Minister, Spencer Perceval, had a tiny majority in the Commons but he held on and the Prince Regent didn’t insist on forcing any changes on him.
However, riots in the north and Midlands and the looming war with the newly formed United States was on Perceval’s mind and he had to convince the Commons review the Orders in Council which badly effected trade.
On the 5th of May 1812, he was crossing the lobby of the Commons to debate the Orders when a one John Bellingham, a failed merchant who blamed Perceval for his business troubles stepped in front of him with a pistol and fired. Perceval was dead before a doctor could be sent for. Bellingham made no attempt to escaped and after a hasty trial, in which an insanity verdict was considered, he was found guilty and hanged.
Two hundred years later, there are distant relatives of both Bellingham and Perceval in the Commons.
You know, if I was a Perceval every time I crossed Bellingham’s path, I would shout ‘whoa!’ and jump back like Bellingham had attacked me. I would even do it if he hadn’t seen me first. I would keep this up until he complained to the House that my behaviour was inappropriate.
By the way, the long gap between postings is to be blamed on my life-threatening condition, doing what it was formed for, ie threatening my life. I’ve been hospitalised due to this problem four times in the past four years, more than in the previous thirteen.

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