Conservative Government 1957-1964

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In January 1957 Sir Anthony Eden resigned from his positions of Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. This was mainly a consequence of the Suez Crisis fiasco of the previous autumn but also due to his increasingly failing health. Harold Macmillan, formerly Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer, was chosen over Rab Butler to succeeded as party leader and consequently as Prime Minister. He tried to placate Butler by appointing him to a senior position, that of Home Secretary. Peter Thorneycroft became Chancellor of the Exchequer, but caused embarrassment for Macmillan when he resigned only a year later. He was replaced by Derick Heathcoat Amory, previously Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Selwyn Lloyd was retained as Foreign Secretary, a post he held until 1960, when he succeeded Heathcoat Amory as Chancellor. The Earl of Home was promoted to Leader of the House of Lords and also continued as Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs before replacing Lloyd as Foreign Secretary in 1960. Lord Kilmuir and Alan Lennox-Boyd also retained their offices as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for the Colonies respectively while Lord Hailsham became a member of the cabinet for the first time as Minister of Education. Future Chancellor Iain Macleod was appointed Minister of Labour and National Service and succeeded Lennox-Boyd as Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1961.

The Conservatives comfortably won the 1959 general election, extending their majority in the House of Commons. However, a series of economic measures in the early 1960's caused the popularity of the Conservative party to decline. Macmillan tried to contravene this by a major cabinet reshuffle in July 1962. Seven members of the cabinet were sacked in what became known as the Night of the Long Knives. Lord Kilmuir was notably replaced as Lord Chancellor by Lord Dilhorne, the emerging Reginald Maudling replaced Selwyn Lloyd as Chancellor while Peter Thorneycroft returned to the cabinet as Minister of Defence. Rab Butler was also promoted to the office of First Secretary of State. The move was controversial within the Conservative Party and was seen as a betrayal by many. Macmillan's credibility nationwide was also affected by the 1963 Profumo affair. However, it was still considered a surprise when he resigned in October 1963.

Macmillan's resignation saw a three-way-tussle for the party leadership and premiership. The Earl of Home and Lord Hailsham both disclaimed their peerages under the Peerage Act 1963 (and became known as Sir Alec Douglas-Home and Quintin Hogg respectively - this was because it was not considered appropriate for a Prime Minister to be a member of the House of Lords). Rab Butler was also in the running for the post but Douglas-Home was finally chosen to succeeded Macmillan. This was seen as controversial as it was alleged that Macmillan had pulled strings and utilised the party's grandees, nicknamed "The Magic Circle", to ensure that Butler was once again overlooked.

Douglas-Home administration saw Rab Butler succeeded him as Foreign Secretary with Henry Brooke replacing Butler as Home Secretary. Reginald Maudling continued as Chancellor while Quinting Hogg remained as Lord President of the Council and Minister for Sports (although he was removed from the post of Leader of the House of Lords). In April 1964 he was made Minister for Education. Selwyn Lloyd also returned to the government after a one year absence as Leader of the House of Commons. Douglas-Home's government only lasted until October 1964, when the Conservatives were defeated in the general election. He remained party leader until the 1965 party conference.

The 1957-1964 Conservative government saw several emerging figures who would later attain high office. Future Prime Minister Edward Heath became a member of the cabinet for the first time as Minister of Labour and National Service in 1959 while another future Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, held her first government post in 1961 as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Pensions. The government also included future Chancellor Anthony Barber, future Home Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister William Whitelaw and future Secretary of State for Education and Science Sir Keith Joseph. Other notably government members included Enoch Powell, Lord Carrington, David Ormsby-Gore, John Profumo, Christopher Soames, Bill Deedes, Airey Neave and the Marquess of Salisbury

Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.

Source: D. Butler and G. Butler, Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900-2000

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