Coalition government 1915–1916

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Asquith's British government of 1915' was formed in the aftermath of the Gallipoli disaster, by bringing in the Conservatives to shore up the government. The Conservatives were not terribly pleased with the offices they received in this new government and Tory leader Andrew Bonar Law became dissatisfied with Asquith and the Liberals' conduct of affairs. The government collapsed as a result of the resignation of the Conservatives, who refused to serve any longer under Asquith. Asquith and most of the Liberals then moved into opposition, while the Conservatives formed a new coalition with a minority of the Liberals, under the leadership of Liberal David Lloyd George.

Office Name Date Party Notes
Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury H. H. Asquith 25 May 1915 – 5 December 1916 Liberal  
Chancellor of the Exchequer Reginald McKenna 25 May 1915 Liberal  
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury John Gulland 30 May 1915 – 5 December 1916 Liberal  
Lord Edmund Talbot 30 May 1915 – 5 December 1916 Conservative  
Financial Secretary to the Treasury Edwin Samuel Montagu 26 May 1915 Liberal entered cabinet 16 January 1916
Thomas McKinnon Wood 9 July 1916 Liberal  
Junior Lords of the Treasury Geoffrey Howard 30 May 1915 – 5 December 1916 Liberal  
George Henry Roberts 30 May 1915 – 5 December 1916 Labour  
William Bridgeman 30 May 1915 – 5 December 1916 Conservative  
Walter Rea 30 May 1915 – 5 December 1916 Liberal  
Lord Chancellor The Lord Buckmaster 25 May 1915 Liberal  
Lord President of the Council The Marquess of Crewe 25 May 1915 Liberal  
Lord Privy Seal The Earl Curzon of Kedleston 25 May 1915 Conservative  
Secretary of State for the Home Department Sir John Simon 25 May 1915 Liberal  
Sir Herbert Samuel 10 January 1916 Liberal  
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department William Brace 30 May 1915 Labour  
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Sir Edward Grey 25 May 1915 Liberal created Viscount Grey of Fallodon 27 July 1916
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Lord Robert Cecil 30 May 1915 Conservative in cabinet 23 February 1916
Secretary of State for the Colonies Andrew Bonar Law 25 May 1915 Conservative  
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies Arthur Steel-Maitland 30 May 1915 Conservative  
Secretary of State for War The Earl Kitchener 25 May 1915    
David Lloyd George 6 July 1916 Liberal  
Under-Secretary of State for War Harold Tennant 30 May 1915 Liberal  
The Earl of Derby 6 July 1916 Conservative  
Financial Secretary to the War Office Henry Forster 30 May 1915 Conservative  
Secretary of State for India Austen Chamberlain 25 May 1915 Conservative  
Under-Secretary of State for India The Lord Islington 30 May 1915 Liberal  
First Lord of the Admiralty Arthur Balfour 25 May 1915 Conservative  
Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty Thomas James Macnamara 30 May 1915 Liberal  
Civil Lord of the Admiralty The Duke of Devonshire 9 June 1915 Conservative  
The Earl of Lytton 26 July 1916 Conservative  
President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries The Earl of Selborne 25 May 1915 Conservative  
The Earl of Crawford 11 July 1916 Conservative  
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries Francis Dyke Acland 30 May 1915 Liberal  
Minister of Blockade Lord Robert Cecil 23 February 1916 Conservative  
President of the Board of Education Arthur Henderson 25 May 1915 Labour  
The Marquess of Crewe 18 August 1916 Liberal  
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education Herbert Lewis 30 May 1915 Liberal  
President of the Local Government Board Walter Long 25 May 1915 Conservative  
Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board William Fisher 30 May 1915 Conservative  
Chief Secretary for Ireland Augustine Birrell 25 May 1915 – 3 May 1916 Liberal  
Henry Duke 31 July 1916 Conservative  
Vice President of the Department of Agriculture for Ireland Thomas Russell 30 May 1915 Liberal  
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Winston Churchill 25 May 1915 Liberal  
Herbert Samuel 25 November 1915 Liberal  
Edwin Samuel Montagu 11 January 1916 Liberal  
Thomas McKinnon Wood 9 July 1916 Liberal  
Minister of Munitions David Lloyd George 25 May 1915 Liberal  
Edwin Samuel Montagu 9 July 1916 Liberal  
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Munitions Christopher Addison 30 May 1915 – 8 December 1916 Liberal  
Arthur Lee 11 November 1915 – 9 July 1916 Conservative  
Paymaster-General The Lord Newton 9 June 1915 Conservative  
Arthur Henderson 18 August 1916 Labour  
Minister without Portfolio The Marquess of Lansdowne 25 May 1915 Conservative  
Postmaster-General Herbert Samuel 26 May 1915 Liberal  
Joseph Pease 18 January 1916 Liberal  
Assistant Postmaster-General Herbert Pease 30 May 1915 Conservative  
Secretary for Scotland Thomas McKinnon Wood 25 May 1915 Liberal  
Harold Tennant 9 July 1916 Liberal  
President of the Board of Trade Walter Runciman 25 May 1915 Liberal  
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade Ernest George Pretyman 30 May 1915 Conservative  
First Commissioner of Works Lewis Harcourt 25 May 1915 Liberal  
Attorney-General Sir Edward Carson 25 May 1915 Conservative  
Sir F. E. Smith 3 November 1915 Conservative  
Solicitor-General Sir F. E. Smith 2 June 1915 Conservative  
Sir George Cave 8 November 1915 Conservative  
Lord Advocate Robert Munro 8 June 1915 Liberal  
Solicitor General for Scotland Thomas Brash Morison 8 June 1915 Liberal  
Attorney General for Ireland John Gordon 8 June 1915 Conservative  
James Campbell 9 April 1916 Conservative  
Solicitor General for Ireland James O'Connor 8 June 1915 Irish Nationalist  
Lord Steward of the Household The Lord Farquhar 9 June 1915 Conservative  
Lord Chamberlain of the Household The Lord Sandhurst 9 June 1915 Liberal  
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household Cecil Beck 30 May 1915 Liberal  
Master of the Horse The Earl of Chesterfield 9 June 1915 Liberal  
Treasurer of the Household James Hope 30 May 1915 Conservative  
Comptroller of the Household Charles Henry Roberts 30 May 1915 Liberal  
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms The Lord Colebrooke 9 June 1915 Liberal  
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard The Lord Suffield 9 June 1915 Conservative  
Lords in Waiting The Lord Herschell 9 June 1915 Liberal  
The Viscount Allendale 9 June 1915 Liberal  
The Lord Stanmore 9 June 1915 Liberal  
The Lord Ranksborough 9 June 1915 Liberal  
The Viscount Valentia 9 June 1915 Conservative  
The Lord Hylton 9 June 1915 Conservative  

[edit] References

  • Butler, David and Gareth Butler. Twentieth Century British Political Facts, 1900–2000. (St. Martin's, 2000)
Preceded by
Liberal Government 1905–1915		 British Government
1915–1916		 Succeeded by
Coalition Government 1916–1922
v • d • e
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