The Premier of New England is the head of government of the American state of New England. The Premier is appointed by the Governor and is always a serving member of the state's parliament, being the leader of the party who commands a parliamentary majority. The office of Premier dates from the 1850s, when a demand for greater self-government allowed the colony to have greater autonomy in its own affairs and a colonial assembly. Not until the late 1890s did a formal two-party structure develop.