June 23, 2015

Finest Hour 114, Spring 2002

Page 46

A compendium of facts eventually to appear as a reader’s guide.

CHURCHILL’S POLITICAL OFFICES, 1906-1955
Compiled by the Editor

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Undersecretary of State for the Colonies

9DecO5-24AprO8. Chief assistant to the Colonial Secretary with responsibility for directing all colonial affairs worldwide. Since the Colonial Secretary at this time was Lord Elgin, Churchill was the nominal spokesman (much to Elgin’s angst) on colonial matters in the Commons.

President of the Board of Trade

24Apr08-25Octl 1. Equivalent to U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Appointment date is the official one, but per the rule of the day, Churchill had to refight his Manchester seat to confirm this Cabinet office. He lost on 23 April, but was elected MP for Dundee on 9 May.

Secretary of State for the Home Department

Feb10-25Octl 1. Responsible for police, prisons and the state of criminal law (and some odd archaic roles such as looking after wild birds in Scotland and determining if English and Welsh towns are cities), but once much larger. Roy Jenkins calls it “a plank of wood out of which all other domestic departments have been carved,” including today’s Agriculture, Environment, and Employment ministries.

First Lord of the Admiralty

25Octll-28Mayl5, 3Sep39-26May40. Civilian head of the Navy; Secretary of the Navy in U.S.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

28Mayl5-l 1NOV15. An office unique to Great Britain: a sinecure appointment whose only serious duty is appointing County magistrates.

Minister of Munitions

16Jull7-15Janl9. Supplying adequate ammunition to forces at the front was so important during the Great War that the task was given Ministerial status.

Secretary of State for War

15Janl9-l4Feb21. Civilian head of the Army; Secretary of the Army in the U.S.

Minister of Air

15Janl9-lApr21. Civilian head of the Air Force.

Secretary of State for the Colonies

l4Feb21-Oct22. Head of the Colonial Office. Churchill’s work was largely devoted to the Middle East and Ireland (which was not a colony), rather than traditional areas like Africa and the West Indies.

Chancellor of the Exchequer

7Nov24-30May29. Equivalent to U.S. Secretary of the Treasury; considered to be the next office down from the Prime Minister, housed at No. 11 Downing Street.

Minister of Defence

10May40-26Jul45, 26Oct51-5Apr55. Roughly like U.S. Secretary of Defense but Churchill purposely left it illdefined, with war, navy and air ministers under him.

Prime Minister

Coalition PM 10May40-23May45; Conservative PM 23May45-26Jul45; Conservative PM 26Oct51-5Apr55. Head of government (but not also head of state as with U.S. Presidents) and leader of the majority party in Parliament. (Trick question: how many times was WSC Prime Minister? Technically three, not two.)