National Government 1931–1935

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The National Government was composed of members of the following parties:

The First National Ministry existed from 24 August 1931 until the reconstruction of the government, following the UK general election, 1931. From 5 November 1931 until the resignation of the Prime Minister on 7 June 1935 the Second National Ministry was in office. Stanley Baldwin then formed the Third National Ministry.

During the course of the Ministry the ministers from the Liberal Party, led by Sir Herbert Samuel, resigned over the adoption of a protectionist policy caused by the government negotiating the Ottawa Accords in 1932. The other Liberal faction in the Ministry, the Liberal National Party, had accepted the Conservative policy of protectionism before the National government had been formed so its ministers continued in office.

[edit] List of Ministers

Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.

Office Name Party Dates Notes
Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald National Labour 24 August 19317 June 1935  
Lord Chancellor The Lord Sankey National Labour 25 August 1931 created Viscount Sankey 30 January 1932
Lord President of the Council Stanley Baldwin Conservative 25 August 1931  
Lord Privy Seal The Earl Peel Conservative 3 September 1931  
Philip Snowden National Labour 5 November 1931 created Viscount Snowden 24 November 1931
Stanley Baldwin Conservative 29 September 1932  
Anthony Eden Conservative 31 December 1933
Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Snowden National Labour 25 August 1931  
Neville Chamberlain Conservative 5 November 1931
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury Sir Bolton Eyres-Monsell Conservative 3 September 1931  
David Margesson Conservative 10 November 1931
Financial Secretary to the Treasury Walter Elliot Conservative 3 September 1931  
Leslie Hore-Belisha Liberal National 29 September 1932
Duff Cooper Conservative 29 June 1934
Lords of the Treasury David Margesson Conservative 26 August 193110 November 1931  
Sir Frederick Penny Conservative 3 September 193112 November 1931
Alec Ewart Glassey Liberal 14 September 193112 November 1931
Marquess of Titchfield Conservative 3 September 193112 November 1931
Euan Wallace Conservative 3 September 193112 November 1931
Walter Womersley Conservative 12 November 19317 June 1935 knighted 1934
Sir Victor Warrender Conservative 12 November 193130 September 1932  
Geoffrey Shakespeare Liberal National 12 November 193130 September 1932
Austin Hudson Conservative 12 November 193112 April 1935
Sir Lambert Ward Conservative 12 November 19311 May 1935
George Davies Conservative 11 October 19327 June 1935
James Blindell Liberal National 30 September 19327 June 1935
James Stuart Conservative 1 May 19357 June 1935
Archibald Southby Conservative 23 April 19357 June 1935
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs The Marquess of Reading Liberal 25 August 1931  
Sir John Simon Liberal National 5 November 1931
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Anthony Eden Conservative 3 September 1931  
The Earl Stanhope Conservative 18 January 1934
Secretary of State for the Home Department Sir Herbert Samuel Liberal 25 August 1931  
Sir John Gilmour Conservative 28 September 1932
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department Oliver Stanley Conservative 3 September 1931  
Douglas Hacking Conservative 22 February 1933
Harry Crookshank Conservative 29 June 1934
First Lord of the Admiralty Sir Austen Chamberlain Conservative 25 August 1931  
Sir Bolton Eyres-Monsell Conservative 5 November 1931
Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty The Earl Stanhope Conservative 3 September 1931  
Lord Stanley Conservative 10 November 1931
Civil Lord of the Admiralty Euan Wallace Conservative 10 November 1931  
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Sir John Gilmour Conservative 25 August 1931 entered the Cabinet 5 November 1931
Walter Elliott Conservative 28 September 1932  
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries vacant      
The Earl De La Warr National Labour 10 November 1931
Secretary of State for Air The Lord Amulree National Labour 25 August 1931  
The Marquess of Londonderry Conservative 5 November 1931
Under-Secretary of State for Air Sir Philip Sassoon Conservative 3 September 1931  
Secretary of State for the Colonies James Henry Thomas National Labour 25 August 1931  
Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister Conservative 5 November 1931
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies Sir Robert William Hamilton Liberal 3 September 1931  
The Earl of Plymouth Conservative 29 September 1932
Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs James Henry Thomas National Labour 25 August 1931  
Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs Malcolm MacDonald National Labour 3 September 1931  
President of the Board of Education Sir Donald Maclean Liberal 25 August 1931 entered the Cabinet 5 November 1931
The Lord Irwin Conservative 15 June 1932 succeeded as 3rd Viscount Halifax 19 January 1934
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education Sir Kingsley Wood Conservative 3 September 1931  
Herwald Ramsbotham Conservative 10 November 1931
Minister of Health Neville Chamberlain Conservative 25 August 1931  
Sir Hilton Young Conservative 5 November 1931
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health Ernest Simon Liberal 22 September 1931  
Ernest Brown Liberal National 10 November 1931
Geoffrey Shakespeare Liberal National 30 September 1932
Secretary of State for India Sir Samuel Hoare Conservative 25 August 1931  
Under-Secretary of State for India vacant      
The Marquess of Lothian Liberal 10 November 1931
Rab Butler Conservative 29 September 1932
Minister of Labour Sir Henry Betterton Conservative 25 August 1931 entered the Cabinet 5 November 1931
Oliver Stanley Conservative 29 June 1934  
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour Milner Gray Liberal 3 September 1931  
Robert Hudson Conservative 10 November 1931  
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster The Marquess of Lothian Liberal 25 August 1931  
Sir John Davidson Conservative 10 November 1931  
Paymaster General Sir John Tudor Walters Liberal 4 September 1931  
The Lord Rochester National Labour 23 November 1931  
Minister for Pensions George Tryon Conservative 3 September 1931  
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Pensions vacant      
Cuthbert Headlam Conservative 10 November 1931 Office vacant from 29 September 1932
Postmaster-General William Ormsby-Gore Conservative 3 September 1931  
Sir Kingsley Wood Conservative 10 November 1931 Office in Cabinet from 20 December 1933
Assistant Postmaster-General Graham White Liberal 3 September 1931  
Sir Ernest Bennett National Labour 21 October 1932  
Secretary of State for Scotland Sir Archibald Sinclair Liberal 25 August 1931 Office in Cabinet from 5 November 1931
Sir Godfrey Collins Liberal National 28 September 1932  
Under-Secretary of State for Scotland Noel Skelton Conservative 3 September 1931  
President of the Board of Trade Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister Conservative 25 August 1931  
Walter Runciman Liberal National 5 November 1931  
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade Gwilym Lloyd George Liberal 3 September 1931  
Leslie Hore-Belisha Liberal National 10 November 1931  
Leslie Burgin Liberal National 29 September 1932  
Secretary for Overseas Trade Sir Hilton Young Conservative 3 September 1931  
John Colville Conservative 10 November 1931  
Secretary for Mines Isaac Foot Liberal 3 September 1931  
Ernest Brown Liberal National 30 September 1932  
Minister of Transport James Pybus Liberal National 3 September 1931  
Oliver Stanley Conservative 22 February 1933  
Leslie Hore-Belisha Liberal National 29 June 1934  
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport George Gillett National Labour 4 September 1931 Knighted
The Earl of Plymouth Conservative 25 November 1931  
Cuthbert Headlam Conservative 29 September 1932 Office vacant 5 July 1934
Secretary of State for War The Marquess of Crewe Liberal 26 August 1931  
The Viscount Hailsham Conservative 5 November 1931 Office in Cabinet
Under-Secretary of State for War office vacant      
The Earl Stanhope Conservative 10 November 1931  
The Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal Conservative 24 January 1934  
Financial Secretary to the War Office Duff Cooper Conservative 3 September 1931  
Douglas Hacking Conservative 29 June 1934  
First Commissioner of Works The Marquess of Londonderry Conservative 25 August 1931  
William Ormsby-Gore Conservative 5 November 1931 Office in Cabinet
Attorney General Sir William Jowitt National Labour 3 September 1931  
Sir Thomas Inskip Conservative 26 January 1932  
Solicitor General Sir Thomas Inskip Conservative 3 September 1931  
Sir Frank Merriman Conservative 26 January 1932  
Sir Donald Somervell Conservative 29 September 1933  
Lord Advocate Craigie Aitchison National Labour 3 September 1931  
Wilfrid Normand Conservative 2 October 1933  
Douglas Jamieson Conservative 28 March 1935  
Solicitor General for Scotland John Charles Watson National Labour 4 September 1931  
Wilfrid Guild Normand Conservative 10 November 1931  
Douglas Jamieson Conservative 2 October 1933  
Thomas Cooper Conservative 15 May 1935  
Treasurer of the Household Sir George Hennessy Conservative 3 September 1931  
Sir Frederick Thomson Conservative 12 November 1931  
Sir Frederick Penny Conservative 1 May 1935  
Comptroller of the Household Goronwy Owen Liberal 14 September 1931  
Walter Rea Liberal 12 November 1931  
Sir Frederick Penny Conservative 30 September 1932  
Sir Victor Warrender Conservative 1 May 1935  
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household Sir Frederick Thomson Conservative 3 September 1931  
Sir Frederick Penny Conservative 12 November 1931  
Sir Victor Warrender Conservative 30 September 1932  
Sir Lambert Ward Conservative 1 May 1935  
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms The Earl of Lucan Conservative 12 November 1931  
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard The Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal Conservative 12 November 1931  
Lords in Waiting The Lord Templemore Conservative 12 November 193124 January 1934  
The Viscount Gage Conservative 12 November 19317 June 1935  
The Viscount Allendale Liberal 12 November 193128 September 1932  
The Earl of Munster Conservative 24 January 19347 June 1935  
The Earl of Feversham Conservative 24 January 19347 June 1935  

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • D. Butler and G. Butler, Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900–2000
Preceded by
Labour Government 1929–1931
Government of the United Kingdom
1931–1935
Succeeded by
National Government 1935–1940
Languages