First Disraeli ministry

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After the parliamentary session which produced the Second Reform Bill, Disraeli's eventual assumption of the leadership of the Conservative Party was all but assured. While he was still opposed by elements of the party's right wing (most notably the Marquess of Salisbury, himself a future Prime Minister), his role in securing the passage of the bill, in particular his showing against William Ewart Gladstone, had won him the adulation of a wide base of the parliamentary party. The only unknown was the health of the Earl of Derby, still very much Prime Minister, Conservative leader, and Disraeli's colleague.

Derby's health, however, had been in decline for some time, and he finally resigned in February and advised Queen Victoria to send for Disraeli. Thus on the 27th of February, 1868 did Benjamin Disraeli become for the first time Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He reportedly said of the event later, "I have climbed to the top of the greasy pole." However, the Conservatives were still a minority in the House of Commons, and the enaction of the Reform Bill required the calling of new election. Disraeli's term as Prime Minister would therefore be fairly short, unless the Conservatives managed to win the general election.

Although all the cabinet posts were at his disposal, Disreli made only a few changes: he replaced Lord Chelmsford as Lord Chancellor with Lord Cairns, and brought in George Ward Hunt as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Disraeli and Chelmsford had never gotten along, and in Disraeli's view, Cairns was a far stronger minister. He also chose the Earl of Malmesbury to succeed Derby as Leader in the House of Lords.

[edit] The Irish Church

The principal issue of the 1868 parliamentary session was the Irish Question, manifested this time in the debate over the Anglican Church of Ireland.

[edit] The General Election

[edit] The Cabinet

OFFICE	NAME	TERM
First Lord of the Treasury Leader of the House of Commons	Benjamin Disraeli	February–December 1868
Lord Chancellor	The Lord Cairns	February–December 1868
Lord President of the Council	The Duke of Marlborough	February–December 1868
Lord Privy Seal Leader of the House of Lords	The Earl of Malmesbury	February–December 1868
Home Secretary	Gathorne Hardy	February–December 1868
Foreign Secretary	Lord Stanley	February–December 1868
Secretary of State for the Colonies	The Duke of Buckingham	February–December 1868
Secretary of State for War	Sir John Pakington, Bt	February–December 1868
Secretary of State for India	Sir Stafford Northcote, Bt	February–December 1868
Chancellor of the Exchequer	George Ward Hunt	February–December 1868
First Lord of the Admiralty	Henry Lowry-Corry	February–December 1868
President of the Board of Trade	The Duke of Richmond	February–December 1868
First Commissioner of Works	The Lord John Manners	February–December 1868
Chief Secretary for Ireland	The Earl of Mayo	February–September 1868
	incumbent not in the cabinet

Changes

• September 1868: The Earl of Mayo becomes Viceroy of India. His successor is not in the cabinet.

Preceded by Third Derby Ministry

British ministries 1868

Succeeded by First Gladstone Ministry

British ministries

Clarendon, Cabal, First Danby, Privy Council, First Rochester, Godolphin, Second Rochester, Belasyse, Carmarthen/Halifax, Carmarthen, First Whig Junto, Pembroke, Coalition, Second Whig Junto, Harley, Townshend, First Stanhope/Sunderland, Second Stanhope/Sunderland, Walpole/Townshend, Walpole, Carteret, First Pelham, Bath/Granville, Second Pelham, First Newcastle, Pitt the Elder, 1757 Caretaker, Newcastle/Pitt, Newcastle/Pitt, Bute, Grenville, First Rockingham, Chatham, Grafton, North, Second Rockingham, Shelburne, Fox-North Coalition, First Pitt the Younger, Addington, Second Pitt the Younger, Ministry of All the Talents, Second Portland, Perceval, Liverpool, Canning, Goderich, First Wellington, Second Wellington, Grey, First Melbourne, Wellington Caretaker, First Peel, Second Melbourne, Third Melbourne, Second Peel, First Russell, First Derby, Aberdeen, First Palmerston, Second Derby, Second Palmerston/Second Russell, Third Derby, First Disraeli, First Gladstone, Second Disraeli, Second Gladstone, First Salisbury, Third Gladstone, Second Salisbury, Fourth Gladstone, Rosebery, Third Salisbury/Balfour, Campbell-Bannerman/First Asquith, Second Asquith, Lloyd George, Bonar Law/First Baldwin, First MacDonald, Second Baldwin, Second MacDonald, First National, Second National, Third National, Fourth National, Chamberlain War, War Coalition, Churchill Caretaker, Attlee, Third Churchill/Eden, Macmillan/Douglas-Home, First Wilson, Heath, Second Wilson, Callaghan, Thatcher, Major, Blair

See here for a more detailed list, including those not in the Cabinet.