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Churchill war ministry

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The Churchill war ministry was the United Kingdom's coalition government for most of the Second World War from 10 May 1940 to 23 May 1945. It was led by Winston Churchill, who was appointed prime minister of the United Kingdom by King George VI following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain in the aftermath of the Norway Debate.

Churchill war ministry
1940–1945
Churchill, The Roaring Lion, 1941
Date formed10 May 1940 (1940-05-10)
Date dissolved23 May 1945 (1945-05-23)
People and organisations
MonarchGeorge VI
Prime MinisterWinston Churchill
Deputy Prime MinisterClement Attlee (1942–1945)
Total no. of members223 appointments
Member parties
Status in legislatureSupermajority (unity government)
604 / 615 (98%)


History
Legislature term1935–1945
Incoming formationNorway Debate
PredecessorChamberlain war ministry
SuccessorChurchill caretaker ministry

At the outset, Churchill formed a five-man war cabinet which included Chamberlain as Lord President of the Council, Clement Attlee as Lord Privy Seal and later as Deputy Prime Minister, Viscount Halifax as Foreign Secretary, and Arthur Greenwood as a minister without portfolio. Although the original war cabinet was limited to five members, in practice they were augmented by the service chiefs and ministers who attended the majority of meetings. The cabinet changed in size and membership as the war progressed but there were significant additions later in 1940 when it was increased to eight after Churchill, Attlee, and Greenwood were joined by Ernest Bevin as Minister of Labour and National Service; Anthony Eden as Foreign Secretary, replacing Halifax who was sent to Washington as Ambassador to the United States; Lord Beaverbrook as Minister of Aircraft Production; Sir Kingsley Wood as Chancellor of the Exchequer; and Sir John Anderson as Lord President of the Council, replacing Chamberlain who died in November (Anderson later became chancellor after Wood's death in September 1943).

The coalition was dissolved in May 1945, following the final defeat of Germany, when the Labour Party decided to withdraw in order to prepare for a general election. Churchill, who was the leader of the Conservative Party, was asked by the King to form a new, essentially Conservative, government. It was known as the Churchill caretaker ministry and managed the country's affairs until the completion of the general election on 26 July that year.

Background

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Main article: Norway Debate
 
Neville Chamberlain

The 1935 general election had resulted in a Conservative victory with a substantial majority and Stanley Baldwin became prime minister. In May 1937, Baldwin retired and was succeeded by Neville Chamberlain who continued Baldwin's foreign policy of appeasement in the face of German, Italian and Japanese aggression. Having signed the Munich Agreement with Adolf Hitler in 1938, Chamberlain became alarmed by the dictator's continuing aggression and, in March 1939, signed the Anglo-Polish military alliance which supposedly guaranteed British support for Poland if attacked. Chamberlain issued the declaration of war against Germany on 3 September 1939 and formed a war cabinet which included Winston Churchill (out of office since June 1929) as First Lord of the Admiralty.[1]

Dissatisfaction with Chamberlain's leadership became widespread in the spring of 1940 after Germany successfully invaded Norway. In response, the House of Commons held the Norway Debate from 7 to 9 May. At the end of the second day, the Labour opposition forced a division which was in effect a motion of no confidence in Chamberlain. The government's majority of 213 was reduced to 81, still a victory but nevertheless a shattering blow for Chamberlain.[2]

9–31 May 1940: Creation of a new government

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9 May – Chamberlain considers his options

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On Thursday, 9 May, Chamberlain attempted to form a National Coalition Government. In talks at Downing Street with Viscount Halifax and Churchill, he indicated that he was quite ready to resign if that was necessary for Labour to enter such a government. Labour's leader Clement Attlee and his deputy Arthur Greenwood then joined the meeting, and when asked, they indicated that they must first consult their party's National Executive Committee (then in Bournemouth to prepare for the annual conference), but it was unlikely they could serve in a government led by Chamberlain; they probably would be able to serve under some other Conservative.[3]

 
Viscount Halifax

After Attlee and Greenwood left, Chamberlain asked whom he should recommend to the King as his successor. The version of events given by Churchill is that Chamberlain's preference for Halifax was obvious (Churchill implies that the spat between Churchill and the Labour benches the previous night had something to do with that); there was a long silence which Halifax eventually broke by saying he did not believe he could lead the government effectively as a member of the House of Lords instead of the House of Commons.[4] Churchill's version gets the date wrong, and he fails to mention the presence of David Margesson, the government Chief Whip.[4][5][6]

Halifax's account omits the dramatic pause and gives an additional reason: "PM said I was the man mentioned as most acceptable. I said it would be hopeless position. If I was not in charge of the war (operations) and if I didn't lead in the House, I should be a cypher. I thought Winston was a better choice. Winston did not demur."[3] According to Halifax, Margesson then confirmed that the House of Commons had been veering to Churchill.[citation needed]

In a letter to Churchill written that night,[7] Bob Boothby asserted that parliamentary opinion was hardening against Halifax, claiming in a postscript that according to Liberal MP Clement Davies, "Attlee & Greenwood are unable to distinguish between the PM & Halifax and are not prepared to serve under the latter". Davies (who thought Chamberlain should go, and be replaced by Churchill) had lunched with Attlee and Greenwood (and argued his case) shortly before they saw Chamberlain.[8] Labour's Hugh Dalton, however, noted in his diary entry for 9 May that he had spoken with Attlee, who "agrees with my preference for Halifax over Churchill, but we both think either would be tolerable".[9]

10 May – Churchill succeeds Chamberlain

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On the morning of Friday, 10 May, Germany invaded the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Chamberlain initially felt that a change of government at such a time would be inappropriate, but upon being given confirmation that Labour would not serve under him, he announced to the war cabinet his intention to resign.[10] Scarcely more than three days after he had opened the debate, Chamberlain went to Buckingham Palace to resign as prime minister. Despite resigning as PM, however, he continued to be the leader of the Conservative Party. He explained to the King why Halifax, whom the King thought the obvious candidate,[11] did not want to become prime minister. The King then sent for Churchill and asked him to form a new government; according to Churchill, there was no stipulation that it must be a coalition government.[12]

 
Neville Chamberlain resigns
Neville Chamberlain speaks to the nation following his resignation as Prime Minister, 10 May 1940.
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At 21:00 on 10 May, Chamberlain announced the change of prime minister over the BBC. Churchill's first act as prime minister was to ask Attlee and Greenwood to come and see him at Admiralty House. Next, he wrote to Chamberlain to thank him for his promised support. He then began to construct his coalition cabinet with the assistance of Attlee and Greenwood. Their conference went on into the early hours of Saturday and they reached a broad agreement on the composition of the new war cabinet, subject to Labour Party confirmation. Attlee and Greenwood were confident of securing this on Saturday after Churchill promised that more than a third of government positions would be offered to Labour members, including some of the key posts.[13][14]

11/12 May – formation of the national government

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Clement Attlee
 
Anthony Eden
 
Sir Archibald Sinclair
 
Ernest Bevin
 
Lord Woolton
 
General Sir Hastings Ismay
 
Ellen Wilkinson

On Saturday, 11 May, the Labour Party agreed to join a national government under Churchill's leadership and he was able to confirm his war cabinet. In his biography of Churchill, Roy Jenkins described the Churchill cabinet as one "for winning", while the former Chamberlain cabinet was one "for losing".[15] Labour leader Clement Attlee relinquished his official role as Leader of the Opposition to become Lord Privy Seal (until 19 February 1942 when he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister). Arthur Greenwood, Labour's deputy leader, was appointed a minister without portfolio.[16]

There was no de facto Leader of the Opposition from 11 May 1940 until Attlee resumed the role on 23 May 1945. The Labour Party appointed an acting Leader of the Opposition whose job, although he was in effect a member of the national government, was to ensure the continued functionality of the House of Commons. Due process in the Commons requires someone, even a member of the government, to fill the role even if there is no actual opposition.[17] The first acting leader was Hastings Lees-Smith, the MP for Keighley, who died in office on 18 December 1941. He was briefly succeeded by Frederick Pethick-Lawrence and then by Arthur Greenwood, who had left the war cabinet, from 22 February 1942 until 23 May 1945.[18]

The main problem for Churchill as he became prime minister was that he was not the leader of the majority Conservative Party and, needing its support, was obliged to include Chamberlain in the war cabinet, but this was not to Labour's liking. Initially, Churchill proposed to appoint Chamberlain as both Leader of the House of Commons and Chancellor of the Exchequer. Attlee objected and Churchill decided to appoint Chamberlain as Lord President of the Council. The fifth member of the war cabinet was Halifax, who retained his position as Foreign Secretary.[19] Instead of Chamberlain, Sir Kingsley Wood became Chancellor but, until 3 October 1940, he was not a member of the war cabinet.[20]

Churchill appointed himself as Leader of the House of Commons (it was normal procedure until 1942 for a prime minister in the Commons to lead the House) and created for himself the new role of Minister of Defence, so that he would be permanent chair of the Cabinet Defence Committee (CDC), Operations, which included the three service ministers, the three Chiefs of Staff (CoS) and other ministers, especially Attlee, and experts as and when required.[21][22] The CDC was established by Churchill as soon as he took office. It was the key organisation through which the government prosecuted the war, especially in 1940 and 1941. From 1942, as the tide of war began to turn in favour of the Allies, the importance of the CDC was reduced and its meetings became fewer as its work was increasingly delegated or raised at conferences.[citation needed]

Anthony Eden became Secretary of State for War (until December 1940); Labour's A. V. Alexander succeeded Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty; and the Liberal Party leader, Sir Archibald Sinclair, became Secretary of State for Air.[23] The CoS at this time were Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, the First Sea Lord; Air Marshal Sir Cyril Newall, the Chief of the Air Staff; and Field Marshal Sir Edmund Ironside, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS). (On 27 May, Ironside was replaced at Churchill's request by his deputy Field Marshal Sir John Dill, and Ironside became Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces.)[24] The CoS continued to hold their own Chiefs of Staff Committee (CSC) meetings. The CDC enabled Churchill to have direct contact with them so that strategic concerns could be addressed with due regard to civil matters and foreign affairs.[citation needed]

In addition, for the ministry's whole term, both the war cabinet and the CDC were regularly attended by Sir Edward Bridges, the Cabinet Secretary; General Sir Hastings Ismay, Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence; and Major General Sir Leslie Hollis, Secretary to the Chiefs of Staff Committee.[24] Bridges was rarely absent from war cabinet sessions. He was appointed by Chamberlain – as a senior civil servant, he was not a political appointee – in August 1938 and remained in situ until 1946. Churchill later described Bridges as "an extremely competent and tireless worker".[25] Ismay's role, technically, was Secretary of the CSC but he was in fact Churchill's chief staff officer and military adviser throughout the war.[citation needed] Hollis was Secretary to the CoS Committee, also for the duration, and he additionally served as senior assistant secretary to Bridges in the war cabinet office.[citation needed]

13 May – Churchill's first speech as Prime Minister

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By Monday, 13 May, most of the senior government posts were filled. That day was Whit Monday, normally a bank holiday but cancelled by the incoming government. A specially convened sitting of the House of Commons was held and Churchill spoke for the first time as Prime Minister:[26]

I beg to move, that this House welcomes the formation of a Government representing the united and inflexible resolve of the nation to prosecute the war with Germany to a victorious conclusion.

He explained that a war cabinet of five members had been formed to represent the unity of the nation with all three main party leaders agreeing to serve either in the war cabinet or in high executive office. Churchill was hoping to complete all ministerial appointments by the end of the 14th. He announced an adjournment of Commons business until the 21st and apologised for making only a short address for the present. Even so, his speech has become one of his most famous because he concluded with his statement of intent:[27]

I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this Government: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat". We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Let that be realised; no survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages, that mankind will move forward towards its goal. But I take up my task with buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. At this time I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and I say, "Come then, let us go forward together with our united strength".

In reply, Hastings Lees-Smith as acting Leader of the Opposition announced that Labour would vote for the motion to assure the country of a unified political front.[28] After several other members had spoken, including David Lloyd George and Stafford Cripps, the House divided on the question: "That this House welcomes the formation of a Government representing the united and inflexible resolve of the nation to prosecute the war with Germany to a victorious conclusion". 381 members voted "aye" in favour of the motion and, apart from the two tellers for the "noes", the wartime coalition was endorsed unanimously.[29]

Meanwhile, the Labour Party's conference had gone ahead as planned. On the 13th, Attlee spoke to confirm that the party was now in coalition with the Conservatives and Liberals as a national government. He told the conference that: "We are trying to form a government that should rally all the nation and set forth the energies of the people". He added that he had "not the slightest doubt about our victory".[30]

14–17 May – completion of government membership

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Apart from a handful of junior appointments such as royal household positions, Churchill completed the construction of his government by the end of his first week in office. Only two women were appointed to government positions – Florence Horsbrugh, who had previously been a Conservative backbench MP, became Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health on 15 May; and Labour's Ellen Wilkinson, the most left-wing member of Churchill's ministry, became Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions on the 17th.[31]

18 May to 4 June – war cabinet crisis

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Main article: War cabinet crisis, May 1940

The war situation in Europe became increasingly critical for the Allies as the Wehrmacht overran northern France and the Low Countries through May, culminating in the siege of Dunkirk and the desperate need to evacuate the British Expeditionary Force by Operation Dynamo. In the war cabinet, Churchill faced a serious challenge by Halifax to his direction of the war. Halifax wanted to sue for peace by asking Benito Mussolini to broker a treaty between the British government and Hitler. Churchill wanted to continue the war. Attlee and Greenwood supported Churchill while Chamberlain, still the leader of the majority Conservative Parliamentary Party, remained neutral for several days until finally aligning himself with Churchill's resolve to fight on.[32][33]

5 June 1940 to 30 April 1941

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  • 2 August 1940: Lord Beaverbrook, Minister of Aircraft Production, joins the war cabinet.
  • 22 September 1940: Resignation of Neville Chamberlain for health reasons (terminal colon cancer)
  • 3 October 1940: Sir John Anderson succeeds Chamberlain as Lord President and joins the war cabinet. Sir Kingsley Wood, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Ernest Bevin, the Minister of Labour, also enter the war cabinet. Lord Halifax assumes the additional job of Leader of the House of Lords.
  • 25 October 1940: Air Marshal Sir Cyril Newall is persuaded to take retirement and is replaced by Sir Charles Portal, who has been C-in-C of Bomber Command.
  • 9 November 1940: Death of Neville Chamberlain
  • 22 December 1940: Anthony Eden succeeds Lord Halifax as Foreign Secretary (Eden holds the post until 26 July 1945) and joins the war cabinet as its eighth member. Halifax becomes Ambassador to the United States. His successor as Leader of the House of Lords is not in the war cabinet.
  • 30 April 1941: Beaverbrook ceases to be Minister of Aircraft Production, but remains in the war cabinet as Minister of State (appointed 1 May 1941). His successor is not in the war cabinet.

1 May 1941 to 30 April 1942

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Churchill's ministers on 24 October 1941.[34] Back row (l to r): Sinclair, Alexander, Cranborne, Morrison, Moyne, Margesson, Bracken. Front row (l to r): Bevin, Beaverbrook, Eden, Attlee, Churchill, Anderson, Greenwood, Wood.
  • 29 June 1941: Beaverbrook becomes Minister of Supply, remaining in the war cabinet. Oliver Lyttelton enters the war cabinet as Minister-Resident for the Middle East.
  • 25 December 1941: Sir John Dill is replaced as CIGS by Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke. Dill becomes Chief of the British Joint Staff Mission in Washington, DC. Brooke has been General Ironside's successor as C-in-C, Home Forces, since July 1940.
  • 4 February 1942: Beaverbrook resigns from Supply and is appointed Minister of War Production; his successor as Minister of Supply is not in the war cabinet.
  • 15 February 1942: Attlee relinquishes the Lord Privy Seal to become Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, the first time this office is represented in the war cabinet.
  • 19 February 1942: Attlee is appointed Deputy Prime Minister with general responsibility for domestic affairs.[35] Beaverbrook again resigns but no replacement as Minister of War Production is appointed for the moment. Sir Stafford Cripps succeeds Attlee as Lord Privy Seal and takes over the position of Leader of the House of Commons to reduce Churchill's workload. Sir Kingsley Wood leaves the war cabinet, though remaining Chancellor of the Exchequer.
  • 22 February 1942: Arthur Greenwood leaves the war cabinet to assume the role of Leader of the Opposition, necessary for House of Commons functionality, till 23 May 1945.[18]
  • 12 March 1942: Oliver Lyttelton fills the vacant position of Minister of Production ("War" is dropped from the title). Richard Casey succeeds Lyttelton as Minister-Resident for the Middle East.

1 May 1942 to 30 April 1943

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  • 22 November 1942: Cripps retires as Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons and leaves the war cabinet. His successor as Lord Privy Seal (Viscount Cranborne) is not in the Cabinet, and Eden takes the additional position of Leader of the House of Commons. The Home Secretary, Herbert Morrison, enters the Cabinet.

1 May 1943 to 30 April 1944

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  • 21 September 1943: Death of Sir Kingsley Wood
  • 24 September 1943: Anderson succeeds Wood as Chancellor of the Exchequer, remaining in the war cabinet.
  • 24 September 1943: Attlee leaves Dominions to succeed Anderson as Lord President. Except during Attlee's tenure, Dominions is not a war cabinet portfolio. Attlee remains Deputy PM and Lord President until termination of the ministry on 23 May 1945.
  • 15 October 1943: Due to failing health, Sir Dudley Pound resigns as First Sea Lord. He dies six days later. He is succeeded by Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunningham, who has been Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet.
  • 11 November 1943: Lord Woolton joins the war cabinet as Minister of Reconstruction.
  • 14 January 1944: Lord Moyne replaces Richard Casey as Minister-Resident for the Middle East.

1 May 1944 to 22 May 1945

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  • 6 June 1944: D-Day
  • 6 November 1944: Lord Moyne is assassinated in Cairo by Jewish militants. His successor is not in the war cabinet.
  • 25 April 1945: Attlee, Eden, Florence Horsbrugh, and Ellen Wilkinson are Britain's delegates at the San Francisco Conference[36]
  • 30 April 1945: Death of Adolf Hitler
  • 8 May 1945: V-E Day. The war cabinet members at the time are Churchill, Attlee, Anderson, Bevin, Eden, Lyttelton, Morrison, and Woolton.

23 May 1945 – End of the ministry

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In October 1944, Churchill had proposed to the Commons that the current Parliament, which had begun in 1935, should be extended by a further year. He correctly anticipated the defeat of Germany in the spring of 1945 but he did not expect the end of the Far East war until 1946. He therefore recommended that the end of the European war should be "a pointer (to) fix the date of the (next) General Election".[37]

Attlee, along with Eden, Horsbrugh, and Wilkinson, attended the San Francisco Conference and had returned to London by 18 May 1945 (ten days after V-E Day) when he met Churchill to discuss the future of the coalition. Attlee, in agreement with Churchill, wanted it to continue until after the Japanese surrender but he discovered that others in the Labour Party, especially Morrison and Bevin, wanted an election in October after Parliament ended. On 20 May, Attlee attended his party conference and found that opinion was against him so he informed Churchill that Labour must leave the coalition.[38]

On 23 May, Labour left the coalition to begin their general election campaign. Churchill resigned as prime minister but the King asked him to form a new government, known as the Churchill caretaker ministry, until the election was held in July. Churchill agreed and his new ministry, essentially a Conservative one, held office for the next two months until it was replaced by Attlee's Labour government after their election victory.[39][40][41][42]

Government members

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Ministers who held war cabinet membership, 10 May 1940 – 23 May 1945

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A total of sixteen ministers held war cabinet membership at various times in Churchill's ministry.[43] There were five at the outset of whom two, Churchill and Attlee, served throughout the ministry's entire term. Bevin, Morrison and Wood were appointed to the war cabinet while retaining offices that had originally been outer cabinet portfolios. Anderson and Eden were promoted to the war cabinet from other offices after their predecessors, Chamberlain and Halifax, had left the government; similarly, Casey was brought in after Lyttelton switched portfolio and Moyne was appointed to replace Casey. Beaverbrook, Lyttelton and Woolton were brought in to fill new offices that were created to address current priorities. Greenwood was an original member with no portfolio and was not replaced when he assumed the acting leadership of the Opposition. Cripps was brought in as an extra member to reduce the workloads of Churchill and Attlee.

Senior government ministries and offices, 10 May 1940 – 23 May 1945

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This table lists cabinet level ministries and offices during the Churchill administration.[43] Most of these were portfolios in the "outer cabinet" and outside the war cabinet, although some were temporarily included in the war cabinet, as indicated by bold highlighting of the ministers concerned.[43] Focus here is upon the ministerial offices. Some ministries, such as Foreign Secretary, were in the war cabinet throughout the entire administration whereas others like Lord Privy Seal, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Home Secretary were sometimes in the war cabinet and sometimes not, depending on priorities at the time. A number of ministries were created by Churchill in response to wartime needs. Some of the ministers retained offices that they held in former administrations and their notes include the date of their original appointment. For new appointments to existing offices, their predecessor's name is given.

Portfolio Minister Party Took office Left office
Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury Winston Churchill Conservative 10 May 1940 23 May 1945
Deputy Prime Minister Clement Attlee Labour 19 February 1942 23 May 1945
Minister of Defence Winston Churchill Conservative 10 May 1940 23 May 1945
Lord Chancellor Viscount Simon Liberal National 12 May 1940 23 May 1945
Lord President of the Council Neville Chamberlain Conservative 10 May 1940 29 September 1940
Sir John Anderson National 3 October 1940 24 September 1943
Clement Attlee Labour 24 September 1943 23 May 1945
Lord Privy Seal Clement Attlee Labour 11 May 1940 15 February 1942
Sir Stafford Cripps Ind. Labour 19 February 1942 22 November 1942
Viscount Cranborne Conservative 22 November 1942 24 September 1943
Lord Beaverbrook Conservative 24 September 1943 23 May 1945
Minister without portfolio Arthur Greenwood Labour 11 May 1940 22 February 1942
Foreign Secretary Viscount Halifax Conservative 10 May 1940 22 December 1940
Anthony Eden Conservative 22 December 1940 23 May 1945
Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Kingsley Wood Conservative 12 May 1940 21 September 1943
Sir John Anderson National 24 September 1943 23 May 1945
Home Secretary and Minister for Home Security Sir John Anderson National 12 May 1940 3 October 1940
Herbert Morrison Labour 2 October 1940 23 May 1945
Minister of Labour and National Service Ernest Bevin Labour 13 May 1940 23 May 1945
Secretary of State for War Anthony Eden Conservative 11 May 1940 22 December 1940
David Margesson Conservative 22 December 1940 22 February 1942
Sir James Grigg National 22 February 1942 23 May 1945
Secretary of State for Air Sir Archibald Sinclair Liberal 11 May 1940 23 May 1945
First Lord of the Admiralty A. V. Alexander Labour 11 May 1940 23 May 1945
Leader of the House of Commons Winston Churchill Conservative 10 May 1940 19 February 1942
Sir Stafford Cripps Ind. Labour 19 February 1942 22 November 1942
Anthony Eden Conservative 22 November 1942 23 May 1945
Leader of the House of Lords Viscount Caldecote Conservative 10 May 1940 3 October 1940
Viscount Halifax Conservative 3 October 1940 22 December 1940
Lord Lloyd Conservative 22 December 1940 4 February 1941
Lord Moyne Conservative 8 February 1941 21 February 1942
Viscount Cranborne Conservative 21 February 1942 23 May 1945
Minister of Aircraft Production Lord Beaverbrook Conservative 2 August 1940 30 April 1941
John Moore-Brabazon Conservative 1 May 1941 22 February 1942
John Llewellin Conservative 22 February 1942 22 November 1942
Sir Stafford Cripps Ind. Labour (to Feb. 1945) 22 November 1942 23 May 1945
Labour (Feb.–May 1945)
Minister of State Lord Beaverbrook Conservative 1 May 1941 29 June 1941
Minister of Supply Herbert Morrison Labour 12 May 1940 2 October 1940
Sir Andrew Rae Duncan National 3 October 1940 29 June 1941
Lord Beaverbrook Conservative 29 June 1941 4 February 1942
Sir Andrew Rae Duncan National 4 February 1942 23 May 1945
Minister of (War) Production Lord Beaverbrook Conservative 4 February 1942 19 February 1942
Oliver Lyttelton Conservative 12 March 1942 23 May 1945
Minister of Reconstruction Lord Woolton National 11 November 1943 23 May 1945
Minister-Resident for the Middle East Oliver Lyttelton Conservative 29 June 1941 12 March 1942
Richard Casey National 12 March 1942 14 January 1944
Lord Moyne Conservative 14 January 1944 6 November 1944
Sir Edward Grigg Conservative 21 November 1944 23 May 1945
Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs Viscount Caldecote Conservative 14 May 1940 3 October 1940
Viscount Cranborne Conservative 3 October 1940 15 February 1942
Clement Attlee Labour 15 February 1942 24 September 1943
Viscount Cranborne Conservative 24 September 1943 23 May 1945
Minister of Information Duff Cooper Conservative 12 May 1940 20 July 1941
Brendan Bracken Conservative 20 July 1941 23 May 1945
Minister of Health Malcolm MacDonald National Labour 13 May 1940 8 February 1941
Ernest Brown Liberal National 8 February 1941 11 November 1943
Henry Willink Conservative 11 November 1943 23 May 1945
Minister of Food Lord Woolton Conservative 13 May 1940 11 November 1943
John Llewellin Conservative 11 November 1943 23 May 1945
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Robert Hudson Conservative 14 May 1940 23 May 1945
Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton Labour 15 May 1940 22 February 1942
Earl Selborne Conservative 22 February 1942 23 May 1945
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Lord Hankey Independent 14 May 1940 20 July 1941
Duff Cooper Conservative 20 July 1941 11 November 1943
Ernest Brown Liberal National 11 November 1943 23 May 1945
Attorney General Sir Donald Somervell Conservative 15 May 1940 23 May 1945
Lord Advocate Thomas Cooper Conservative 15 May 1940 5 June 1941
James Reid Conservative 5 June 1941 23 May 1945
Solicitor General Sir William Jowitt Labour 15 May 1940 4 March 1942
Sir David Maxwell Fyfe Conservative 4 March 1942 23 May 1945
Solicitor General for Scotland James Reid Conservative 15 May 1940 23 May 1945
David King Murray Conservative 5 June 1941 23 May 1945
Paymaster General Viscount Cranborne Conservative 15 May 1940 3 October 1940
Lord Hankey Independent 20 July 1941 4 March 1942
Sir William Jowitt Labour 4 March 1942 30 December 1942
Lord Cherwell Conservative 30 December 1942 23 May 1945
Postmaster-General William Morrison Conservative 15 May 1940 7 February 1943
Harry Crookshank Conservative 7 February 1943 23 May 1945
President of the Board of Education Herwald Ramsbotham Conservative 14 May 1940 20 July 1941
Rab Butler Conservative 20 July 1941 23 May 1945
President of the Board of Trade Sir Andrew Rae Duncan National 12 May 1940 3 October 1940
Oliver Lyttelton Conservative 3 October 1940 29 June 1941
Sir Andrew Rae Duncan National 29 June 1941 4 February 1942
John Llewellin Conservative 4 February 1942 22 February 1942
Hugh Dalton Labour 22 February 1942 23 May 1945
Secretary of State for India and Burma Leo Amery Conservative 13 May 1940 23 May 1945
Secretary of State for Scotland Ernest Brown Liberal National 14 May 1940 8 February 1941
Tom Johnston Labour 8 February 1941 23 May 1945
Secretary of State for the Colonies Lord Lloyd Conservative 12 May 1940 4 February 1941
Lord Moyne Conservative 8 February 1941 22 February 1942
Viscount Cranborne Conservative 22 February 1942 22 November 1942
Oliver Stanley Conservative 22 November 1942 23 May 1945
Minister of Civil Aviation Viscount Swinton Conservative 8 October 1944 23 May 1945
Minister of (War) Transport Sir John Reith National 14 May 1940 3 October 1940
John Moore-Brabazon Conservative 3 October 1940 1 May 1941
Lord Leathers Conservative 1 May 1941 23 May 1945
Minister of Shipping Ronald Cross Conservative 14 May 1940 1 May 1941
Minister of Pensions Sir Walter Womersley Conservative 15 May 1940 23 May 1945
Minister of Social/National Insurance Sir William Jowitt Labour 8 October 1944 23 May 1945
Minister of Fuel and Power Gwilym Lloyd George Liberal 3 June 1942 23 May 1945
Minister of Town and Country Planning William Morrison Conservative 7 February 1943 23 May 1945
Minister-Resident for North-West Africa Harold Macmillan Conservative 30 December 1942 23 May 1945
Minister-Resident for West Africa Viscount Swinton Conservative 8 June 1942 8 October 1944
Harold Balfour Conservative 21 November 1944 23 May 1945
Minister without portfolio Sir William Jowitt Labour 30 December 1942 8 October 1944
Minister of Works Lord Tryon Conservative 18 May 1940 3 October 1940
Sir John Reith National 3 October 1940 22 February 1942
Lord Portal Conservative 22 February 1942 21 November 1944
Duncan Sandys Conservative 21 November 1944 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Government Chief Whip) David Margesson Conservative 17 May 1940 22 December 1940
Sir Charles Edwards Labour 17 May 1940 12 March 1942
James Stuart Conservative 14 January 1941 23 May 1945
William Whiteley Labour 12 March 1942 23 May 1945

Financial and parliamentary secretaries, 10 May 1940 – 23 May 1945

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This table lists the junior offices (often ministerial level 3) that held the title of Financial Secretary and/or Parliamentary Secretary.[43] None of these officials were ever in the war cabinet. Their offices have rarely, if ever, been recognised as cabinet-level, although some of the office holders here did, at need, occasionally attend cabinet meetings. Some of the appointees retained offices that they held in former administrations and these are marked in situ with the date of their original appointment.

Portfolio Minister Party Took office Left office
Financial Secretary to the Admiralty George Hall Labour 4 February 1942 25 September 1943
James Thomas Conservative 25 September 1943 23 May 1945
Financial Secretary to the Treasury Harry Crookshank Conservative 15 May 1940 7 February 1943
Ralph Assheton Conservative 7 February 1943 29 October 1944
Osbert Peake Conservative 29 October 1944 23 May 1945
Financial Secretary to the War Office Richard Law Conservative 17 May 1940 20 July 1941
Duncan Sandys Conservative 20 July 1941 7 February 1943
Arthur Henderson Labour 7 February 1943 23 May 1945
Lords Commissioners of the Treasury William Whytehead Boulton Conservative 12 May 1940 13 March 1942
Patrick Buchan-Hepburn Conservative 12 May 1940 26 June 1940
Stephen Furness Liberal National 12 May 1940 18 May 1940
Patrick Munro Conservative 12 May 1940 13 March 1942
James Stuart Conservative 12 May 1940 14 January 1941
Wilfred Paling Labour 18 May 1940 8 February 1941
James Thomas Conservative 26 June 1940 25 September 1943
Thomas Dugdale Conservative 8 February 1941 23 February 1942
William Murdoch Adamson Labour 1 March 1941 2 October 1944
Arthur Young Conservative 23 February 1942 3 July 1944
Sir John McEwen Conservative 13 March 1942 6 December 1944
Leslie Pym Conservative 13 March 1942 23 May 1945
Alec Beechman Liberal National 25 September 1943 23 May 1945
Cedric Drewe Conservative 3 July 1944 23 May 1945
William John Labour 2 October 1944 23 May 1945
Patrick Buchan-Hepburn Conservative 6 December 1944 23 May 1945
Minister of State at the Foreign Office Richard Law Conservative 25 September 1943 23 May 1945
Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty Sir Victor Warrender, Bt Conservative 17 May 1940 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary for India and Burma Duke of Devonshire Conservative 17 May 1940 1 January 1943
Earl of Munster Conservative 1 January 1943 31 October 1944
Earl of Listowel Labour 31 October 1944 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary for the Home Department William Mabane Liberal National 15 May 1940 3 June 1942
Ellen Wilkinson Labour 8 October 1940 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education James Chuter Ede Labour 15 May 1940 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade Gwilym Lloyd George Liberal 15 May 1940 8 February 1941
Charles Waterhouse Conservative 8 February 1941 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Lord Moyne Conservative 15 May 1940 8 February 1941
Tom Williams Labour 15 May 1940 23 May 1945
Duke of Norfolk Conservative 8 February 1941 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Aircraft Production John Llewellin Conservative 15 May 1940 1 May 1941
Frederick Montague Labour 1 May 1941 4 March 1942
Ben Smith Labour 4 March 1942 11 November 1943
Alan Lennox-Boyd Conservative 11 November 1943 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation Robert Perkins Conservative 22 March 1945 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare Dingle Foot Liberal 17 May 1940 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food Robert Boothby Conservative 15 May 1940 22 October 1940
Gwilym Lloyd George Liberal 22 October 1940 3 June 1942
William Mabane Liberal National 3 June 1942 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Fuel and Power Geoffrey Lloyd Conservative 3 June 1942 23 May 1945
Tom Smith Labour 3 June 1942 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health Florence Horsbrugh Conservative 15 May 1940 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Information Harold Nicolson National Labour 17 May 1940 20 July 1941
Ernest Thurtle Labour 20 July 1941 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour Ralph Assheton Conservative 15 May 1940 4 February 1942
George Tomlinson Labour 8 February 1941 23 May 1945
Malcolm McCorquodale Conservative 4 February 1942 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of National Insurance Charles Peat Conservative 22 March 1945 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions Ellen Wilkinson Labour 17 May 1940 8 October 1940
Lord Tryon Conservative 8 October 1940 24 November 1940
Wilfred Paling Labour 8 February 1941 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Production George Garro-Jones Labour 10 September 1942 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Shipping Sir Arthur Salter Independent 15 May 1940 29 June 1941
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply Harold Macmillan Conservative 15 May 1940 4 February 1942
Lord Portal Conservative 4 September 1940 22 February 1942
Ralph Assheton Conservative 4 February 1942 7 February 1943
Charles Peat Conservative 4 March 1942 22 March 1945
Duncan Sandys Conservative 7 February 1943 21 November 1944
John Wilmot Labour 21 November 1944 23 May 1945
James de Rothschild Liberal 22 March 1945 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Town and Country Planning Henry Strauss Conservative 30 December 1942 22 March 1945
Arthur Jenkins Labour 22 March 1945 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport Frederick Montague Labour 18 May 1940 1 May 1941
John Llewellin Conservative 1 May 1941 4 February 1942
Sir Arthur Salter Independent 29 June 1941 23 May 1945
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works George Hicks Labour 19 November 1940 23 May 1945
Henry Strauss Conservative 4 March 1942 30 December 1942

Other junior ministries, 10 May 1940 – 23 May 1945

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This table lists the junior offices (often ministerial level 3) whose titles signify an assistant, deputy or under-secretary function.[43] It excludes financial and parliamentary secretaries who are in the table above. None of these officials were ever in the war cabinet. Their offices have rarely, if ever, been recognised as cabinet-level, although some of the office holders here did, at need, occasionally attend cabinet meetings. Some of the appointees retained offices that they held in former administrations and these are marked in situ with the date of their original appointment.

Portfolio Minister Party Took office Left office
Assistant Postmaster-General Charles Waterhouse Conservative 17 May 1940 1 March 1941
Allan Chapman Conservative 1 March 1941 4 March 1942
Robert Grimston Conservative 4 March 1942 23 May 1945
Civil Lord of the Admiralty Sir Austin Hudson, Bt Conservative 15 May 1940 4 March 1942
Richard Pilkington Conservative 4 March 1942 23 May 1945
Deputy Minister-Resident for the Middle East Lord Moyne Conservative 27 August 1942 28 January 1944
Secretary for Mines David Grenfell Labour 15 May 1940 23 May 1945
Secretary for Petroleum Geoffrey Lloyd Conservative 15 May 1940 3 June 1942
Secretary for Overseas Trade Harcourt Johnstone Liberal 15 May 1940 1 March 1945
Under-Secretary of State for Air Harold Balfour Conservative 15 May 1940 21 November 1944
Hugh Seely, 1st Baron Sherwood Liberal 20 July 1941 23 May 1945
Rupert Brabner Conservative 21 November 1944 27 March 1945
Quintin Hogg Conservative 12 April 1945 23 May 1945
Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs Geoffrey Shakespeare Liberal National 15 May 1940 4 March 1942
Paul Emrys-Evans Conservative 4 March 1942 23 May 1945
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Rab Butler Conservative 15 May 1940 20 July 1941
Richard Law Conservative 20 July 1941 25 September 1943
George Hall Labour 25 September 1943 23 May 1945
Under-Secretary of State for Scotland Joseph Westwood Labour 17 May 1940 23 May 1945
Henry Wedderburn Conservative 8 February 1941 4 March 1942
Allan Chapman Conservative 4 March 1942 23 May 1945
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies George Hall Labour 15 May 1940 4 February 1942
Harold Macmillan Conservative 4 February 1942 1 January 1943
Duke of Devonshire Conservative 1 January 1943 23 May 1945
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department Osbert Peake Conservative 15 May 1940 31 October 1944
Earl of Munster Conservative 31 October 1944 23 May 1945
Under-Secretary of State for War Sir Henry Page Croft Conservative 17 May 1940 23 May 1945
Sir Edward Grigg Conservative 17 May 1940 4 March 1942
Arthur Henderson Labour 4 March 1942 7 February 1943

Royal household appointments, 10 May 1940 – 23 May 1945

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This table lists the officers appointed to the royal household during the Churchill administration.[43]

Portfolio Minister Party Took office Left office
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms Lord Snell Labour 31 May 1940 21 April 1944
Earl Fortescue Conservative 22 March 1945 23 May 1945
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard Lord Templemore Conservative 31 May 1940 23 May 1945
Comptroller of the Household William Whiteley Labour 17 May 1940 12 March 1942
William John Labour 12 March 1942 2 October 1944
George Mathers Labour 2 October 1944 23 May 1945
Lords-in-Waiting Earl Fortescue Conservative 10 May 1940 22 March 1945
Lord Alness Liberal National 31 May 1940 23 May 1945
Viscount Clifden Liberal 31 May 1940 23 May 1945
Marquess of Normanby Conservative 22 March 1945 23 May 1945
Treasurer of the Household Robert Grimston Conservative 17 May 1940 4 March 1942
Sir James Edmondson Conservative 12 March 1942 23 May 1945
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household Sir James Edmondson Conservative 17 May 1940 12 March 1942
William Whytehead Boulton Conservative 12 March 1942 13 July 1944
Arthur Young Conservative 13 July 1944 23 May 1945

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Jenkins 2001, pp. 551–552.
  2. ^ Jenkins 2001, pp. 576–582.
  3. ^ a b quoted in Gilbert, as from David Dilks, ed. (1971). The Diaries of Sir Alexander Cadogan O.M 1938–45. London: Cassel. p. 280 (diary entry for 9 May 1940). ISBN 978-03-04937-37-0.
  4. ^ a b Churchill 1968, pp. 523–524.
  5. ^ Jenkins 2001, p. 583.
  6. ^ Shakespeare 2017, p. 362.
  7. ^ cited in Gilbert: "Letter of 9 May 1940, marked by Churchill 'secret, for dinner, in a box'; Churchill papers 2/392".
  8. ^ Schneer, Jonathan (16 March 2015). Ministers at War. Oneworld Publications. p. 28. ISBN 978-17-80746-14-2.
  9. ^ quoted in Thomas-Symonds, Nicklaus (1 March 2012). Attlee: A Life in Politics. I.B.Tauris. pp. 94–95. ISBN 978-08-57730-74-9.
  10. ^ war cabinet No. 119 of 1940, 4.30 p.m. (there were three war cabinet meetings that day): Cabinet papers 65/7 cited in Gilbert.
  11. ^ Wheeler-Bennett 1958, pp. 433–434.
  12. ^ Churchill 1968, p. 525.
  13. ^ Gilbert 1983, pp. 299–314.
  14. ^ Hermiston 2016, pp. 23–24.
  15. ^ Jenkins 2001, pp. 714–715.
  16. ^ Jenkins 2001, p. 587.
  17. ^ "Ministers of the Crown Act 1937". Modern Law Review. 1 (2). Blackwell Publishing: 145–148. 1937. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2230.1937.tb00014.x. ISSN 0026-7961.
  18. ^ a b Jenkins 2001, p. 685.
  19. ^ Jenkins 2001, pp. 587–588.
  20. ^ Jenkins 2001, p. 588.
  21. ^ Hermiston 2016, p. 27.
  22. ^ "war cabinet and Cabinet: Defence Committee (Operations): Minutes and Papers (DO Series)". Kew, Richmond: The National Archives. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  23. ^ Hermiston 2016, p. 26.
  24. ^ a b Hastings 2009, p. 25.
  25. ^ Churchill 1970a, pp. 17–18.
  26. ^ "His Majesty's Government – Churchill". Hansard, House of Commons, 5th Series, vol. 360, col. 1501. 13 May 1940. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  27. ^ "His Majesty's Government – Churchill". Hansard, House of Commons, 5th Series, vol. 360, col. 1502. 13 May 1940. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  28. ^ "His Majesty's Government – Lees-Smith". Hansard, House of Commons, 5th Series, vol. 360, cols 1504–1505. 13 May 1940. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  29. ^ "His Majesty's Government – Division". Hansard, House of Commons, 5th Series, vol. 360, col. 1525. 13 May 1940. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  30. ^ Hermiston 2016, p. vii.
  31. ^ Hermiston 2016, p. 40.
  32. ^ Jenkins 2001, pp. 595–610.
  33. ^ Owen 2016, pp. 128–244.
  34. ^ Hermiston 2016, p. 182.
  35. ^ Gilbert 1991, p. 718.
  36. ^ Hermiston 2016, p. 358.
  37. ^ Hermiston 2016, p. 356.
  38. ^ Jenkins 2001, p. 790.
  39. ^ Gilbert 1991, p. 855.
  40. ^ Hermiston 2016, pp. 366–367.
  41. ^ Jenkins 2001, pp. 798–799.
  42. ^ Pelling 1980, p. 408.
  43. ^ a b c d e f Butler & Butler 1994, pp. 17–20.

Bibliography

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Preceded by Government of the United Kingdom
1940–1945 		Succeeded by
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