Churchill caretaker ministry

Churchill caretaker ministry
Caretaker government of the United Kingdom
May–July 1945
Churchill (1944)
Date formed	23 May 1945 (1945-05-23)
Date dissolved	26 July 1945 (1945-07-26)
People and organisations
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Winston Churchill
Prime Minister's history	1940–1945
Deputy Prime Minister
Total no. of members	92 appointments
Member parties	Conservative Party National Liberal Party Independents
Status in legislature	Majority (coalition)
Opposition party	Labour Party
Opposition leader	Clement Attlee
History
Outgoing election	1945 general election
Legislature terms	37th UK Parliament
Predecessor	Churchill war ministry
Successor	Attlee ministry

The Churchill caretaker ministry was a short-term United Kingdom government during the latter stages of the Second World War, from 23 May to 26 July 1945. The prime minister was Winston Churchill, leader of the Conservative Party. His caretaker administration succeeded the national coalition which he had formed after he was first appointed prime minister on 10 May 1940. The coalition was terminated because its Labour and Liberal members could not agree to its continuation for an indefinite term following the defeat of Nazi Germany. During the term of the caretaker administration, the parties canvassed for support in the forthcoming general election, the first held in the UK since 1935. The result of the general election was announced on 26 July 1945 as a landslide Labour victory. Churchill thereupon resigned as prime minister and was succeeded by Clement Attlee, who formed a Labour government.

Formation of the caretaker government

After the defeat of Nazi Germany in early May, Churchill proposed to the Labour and Liberal leaders Clement Attlee and Archibald Sinclair that the war-time coalition should continue until victory over Japan had been completed. At first, it seemed agreement would be reached but, at the Labour Party Conference soon afterwards, opinion was hostile to a continuation of the coalition. Attlee wrote to Churchill to confirm that his party wanted an election in October, and would leave the coalition then.

Churchill came under pressure from his own party to hold a quick election and try to exploit his standing as the man who had won the war. On 23 May 1945, while the Labour conference was still in session, he decided to resign as prime minister and this ended the war-time coalition. Later that day, King George VI invited Churchill to form an interim government pending completion of the election. Churchill agreed and his new government was known officially as the National Government, implying that it was a continuation of the Conservative-dominated coalition of the 1930s – it consisted of members of the Conservative Party and other groups and politicians who had been associated with that government. The Labour and Liberal parties formed the opposition, except that one Liberal Member of Parliament, Gwilym Lloyd George, accepted an invitation to join the new ministry.

The new government was unofficially known as "the caretaker ministry". Speaking at his Woodford constituency on 25 May, Churchill commented on this name: "They call us 'the Caretakers'; we condone the title, because it means that we shall take every good care of everything that affects the welfare of Britain and all classes in Britain".

General election and resignation of Churchill

Parliament was dissolved on 15 June. Polling day was on 5 July and, after a delay caused by the need to collect the votes of those serving overseas, the results were declared on 26 July. Churchill, having been defeated, resigned that day and was succeeded as prime minister by Attlee.

Cabinet

Ministers who held Cabinet membership, 23 May – 26 July 1945

Portfolio	Minister	Party		Notes and citations
Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury	Winston Churchill	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Churchill was also the Minister of Defence.
Lord President of the Council	Lord Woolton	style="background: Template:National Government (United Kingdom)/meta/color" |	National	Succeeded Clement Attlee. Woolton was previously Minister of Reconstruction.
Lord Privy Seal	Lord Beaverbrook	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Appointed 24 September 1943.
Leader of the House of Lords	Viscount Cranborne	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Appointed 21 February 1942. Cranborne was also Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs.
Chancellor of the Exchequer	Sir John Anderson	style="background-color: Template:National Government (United Kingdom)/meta/color" |	National	Appointed 24 September 1943.
Foreign Secretary	Anthony Eden	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Appointed 22 December 1940.
Home Secretary	Donald Somervell	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Succeeded Herbert Morrison. Somervell was previously Attorney General.
First Lord of the Admiralty	Brendan Bracken	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Succeeded A. V. Alexander. Bracken was previously Ministry of Information.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	Robert Hudson	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Appointed 14 May 1940.
Secretary of State for Air	Harold Macmillan	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Succeeded Sir Archibald Sinclair. Macmillan was previously Minister-Resident in North-west Africa.
Secretary of State for the Colonies	Oliver Stanley	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Appointed 22 November 1942.
Minister of Defence	Winston Churchill	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Appointed 10 May 1940 in addition to becoming Prime Minister.
Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs	Viscount Cranborne	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Appointed 24 September 1943. Cranborne was also Leader of the House of Lords.
Minister of Education	Richard Law	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Succeeded Rab Butler. Law was previously a Minister of State at the Foreign Office.
Secretary of State for India and Burma	Leo Amery	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Appointed 13 May 1940.
Minister of Labour and National Service	Rab Butler	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Succeeded Ernest Bevin. Butler was previously Minister of Education.
Minister of Production	Oliver Lyttelton	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Appointed 12 March 1942. Lyttelton was also President of the Board of Trade.
Secretary of State for Scotland	Earl of Rosebery	style="background-color: Template:National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)/meta/color" |	National	Succeeded Tom Johnston. Rosebery was previously a Regional Commissioner for Civil Defence in Scotland.
President of the Board of Trade	Oliver Lyttelton	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Succeeded Hugh Dalton. Lyttelton was also Minister of Production.
Secretary of State for War	Sir P. J. Grigg	style="background:Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative	Appointed 22 February 1942.

Ministers outside the Cabinet

Government ministers who held offices without Cabinet membership, 23 May – 26 July 1945

Portfolio	Minister	Party		Notes and citations
Lord Chancellor	Viscount Simon	style="background: Template:National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)/meta/color" |	Liberal National
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	Sir Arthur Salter	style="background: Template:Independent politician/meta/color" |	Independent
Minister of Aircraft Production	Ernest Brown	style="background: Template:National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)/meta/color" |	Liberal National
Minister of Civil Aviation	Viscount Swinton	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Minister of Food	John Llewellin	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Minister of Fuel and Power	Gwilym Lloyd George	style="background: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Liberal
Minister of Health	Henry Willink	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Minister of Information	Geoffrey Lloyd	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Minister of National Insurance	Leslie Hore-Belisha	style="background: Template:National Government (United Kingdom)/meta/color" |	National
Minister for Pensions	Sir Walter Womersley	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Minister of Supply	Sir Andrew Rae Duncan	style="background: Template:National Government (United Kingdom)/meta/color" |	National
Minister of Town and Country Planning	William Morrison	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Minister of War Transport	Lord Leathers	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Minister of Works	Duncan Sandys	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Attorney General	Sir David Maxwell Fyfe	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Solicitor General	Sir Walter Monckton	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Solicitor General for Scotland	Sir David King Murray	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Lord Advocate	James Reid	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Paymaster General	Lord Cherwell	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Postmaster-General	Harry Crookshank	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Assistant Postmaster-General	William Anstruther-Gray	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Minister-Resident for the Middle East	Sir Edward Grigg	style="background: Template:National Government (United Kingdom)/meta/color" |	National	Appointed 21 November 1944.
Minister-Resident for West Africa	Harold Balfour	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Financial Secretary to the Admiralty	James Thomas	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty	Sir Victor Warrender, Bt	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries	Donald Scott	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries	Duke of Norfolk	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Aircraft Production	Alan Lennox-Boyd	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade	Charles Waterhouse	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation	Robert Perkins	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education	Thelma Cazalet-Keir	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food	Florence Horsbrugh	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Fuel and Power	Sir Austin Hudson, Bt	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health	Hamilton Kerr	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary for India and Burma	Earl of Scarbrough	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour	Malcolm McCorquodale	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of National Insurance	Charles Peat	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Secretary for Overseas Trade	Spencer Summers	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions	William Sidney	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Production	John Maclay	style="background: Template:National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)/meta/color" |	Liberal National
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply	Robert Grimston	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Town and Country Planning	Ronald Tree	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport	Peter Thorneycroft	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works	Reginald Manningham-Buller	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Financial Secretary to the Treasury	Osbert Peake	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury	James Stuart	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Lord of the Treasury	Alexander Beechman	style="background: Template:National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)/meta/color" |	Liberal National
Lord of the Treasury	Patrick Buchan-Hepburn	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Lord of the Treasury	Robert Cary	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Lord of the Treasury	Cedric Drewe	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Lord of the Treasury	Charles Mott-Radclyffe	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Financial Secretary to the War Office	Maurice Petherick	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs	William Mabane	style="background: Template:National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)/meta/color" |	Liberal National
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	Lord Dunglass	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	Lord Lovat	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Under-Secretary of State for Air	Quintin Hogg	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Under-Secretary of State for Air	Earl Beatty	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs	Paul Emrys-Evans	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Under-Secretary of State for Scotland	Allan Chapman	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Under-Secretary of State for Scotland	Thomas Galbraith	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies	Duke of Devonshire	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department	Earl of Munster	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Under-Secretary of State for War	Sir Henry Page Croft	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Civil Lord of the Admiralty	Richard Pilkington	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Assistant Whip	Peter Agnew	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Comptroller of the Household	Leslie Pym	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Treasurer of the Household	Sir James Edmondson	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household	Arthur Young	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms	Earl Fortescue	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard	Lord Templemore	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Lord in Waiting	Lord Alness	style="background: Template:National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)/meta/color" |	Liberal National
Lord in Waiting	Marquess of Normanby	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative
Lord in Waiting	Duke of Northumberland	style="background: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Conservative

Bibliography

• Butler, David; Butler, Gareth (1994). British Political Facts 1900–1994 (7 ed.). Basingstoke and London: The Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-03-12121-47-1. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Hermiston, Roger (2016). All Behind You, Winston – Churchill's Great Coalition, 1940–45. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 978-17-81316-64-1. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)