Selwyn Lloyd

For other people named John Lloyd, see John Lloyd (disambiguation).

The Right Honourable The Lord Selwyn-Lloyd CH PC CBE TD
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
In office 20 December 1955 – 27 July 1960
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Anthony Eden Harold Macmillan
Preceded by	Harold Macmillan
Succeeded by	The Earl of Home
Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 27 July 1960 – 13 July 1962
Prime Minister	Harold Macmillan
Preceded by	Derick Heathcoat Amory
Succeeded by	Reginald Maudling
Speaker of the House of Commons
In office 1971–1976
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Edward Heath Harold Wilson
Preceded by	Horace King
Succeeded by	George Thomas
Personal details
Born	(1904-07-28)28 July 1904
Died	18 May 1978(1978-05-18) (aged 73) Oxfordshire
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	Fettes College Magdalene College, Cambridge

John Selwyn Brooke Lloyd, Baron Selwyn-Lloyd CH PC CBE TD (28 July 1904 - 18 May 1978), known for most of his career as Selwyn Lloyd, was a British Conservative Party politician who served as Foreign Secretary from 1955 to 1960, then as Chancellor of the Exchequer until 1962. He was Speaker of the House of Commons from 1971 to 1976.

Background and early careers

Lloyd was educated at Fettes College and Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he was President of the Cambridge Union and the Cambridge University Liberal Club. He was a Liberal Parliamentary candidate at Macclesfield in the 1929 General Election, coming third.

Local government service

He served as a councillor on Hoylake Urban District Council 1932-40.

World War Two service

During the Second World War he reached the rank of brigadier and was Deputy Chief of Staff of the British Second Army.

Election to Parliament

He was elected to the House of Commons to represent Wirral in the 1945 UK general election. Originally a Liberal, he became a member of the "Young Turks" faction of the Conservative Party.

Ministerial offices

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs

When the Conservatives returned to power under Churchill in 1951, Lloyd served under Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from 1951 to 1954.

Minister of Supply and Minister of Defence

He then served as Minister of Supply (1954–1955). He was subsequently Minister of Defence (1955).

Foreign Secretary

He himself became Foreign Secretary in 1955. His tenure saw the Suez Crisis, which led to the fall of the Eden government. While Foreign Secretary he was noted for not being on particularly good terms with his American counterpart, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. He continued to serve as Foreign Secretary under Harold Macmillan until 1960.

Chancellor of the Exchequer

In 1960 he became Chancellor of the Exchequer (1960–1962).

Unable to cope with Britain's economic problems in the early 1960s, he was sacked from the government during the "Night of the Long Knives" reshuffle, and returned to the backbenches.

Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons

He was called back to the government in 1963 by Alec Douglas-Home, who made him Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons until the Conservative defeat in the General Election of 1964.

Speaker of the House of Commons

File:Ben Gurion - Selwyn Lloyd - Moshe Sharet1955.jpg

Selwyn Lloyd (centre) with Moshe Sharett (left) and David Ben Gurion (right), 1955

In 1971, after the Conservatives had returned to power, Lloyd became Speaker. In a break with convention, both the Labour and Liberal Parties contested his seat in the 1974 general elections, but he retained it and continued to hold the position of speaker until 1976.

Peerage

In 1976 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Selwyn-Lloyd, of Wirral in the County of Merseyside.

Death and legacy

He died two years later.

A biography of Selwyn-Lloyd by D. R. Thorpe was published in 1989.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Selwyn Lloyd