Churchill caretaker ministry

Winston Churchill

The Caretaker Ministry of 1945 was a United Kingdom Ministry, which held office from 23 May 1945 until 26 July 1945, during the latter stages of the Second World War. The head of the government was the Prime Minister since 1940, Winston Churchill of the Conservative Party.

Formation of the caretaker government

After the defeat of Germany, in the Second World War, Winston Churchill (leader of the Conservative Party) proposed to Clement Attlee (leader of the Labour Party) and Sir Archibald Sinclair (leader of the Liberal Party) that the war-time coalition should continue until victory over Japan.

At first it seemed agreement would be reached, but at the Labour Party Conference in 1945 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 (under pressure from his party to hold a quick election to exploit his standing as the man who had won the war) then resigned as Prime Minister whilst the Labour conference was still in session. This brought the war-time coalition government to an end on 23 May 1945. King George VI the same day invited Churchill to form a caretaker government pending the general election.

The caretaker government was formed from members of the Conservative Party and the groups and politicians who had been associated with them in the National government, in office up to 1940.

The Liberal Party were determined to fight the general election as an independent party so they did not join the caretaker government. However one Liberal Member of Parliament, Gwilym Lloyd George, accepted an invitation to join the ministry.

General election and resignation of Churchill

Parliament was dissolved on 15 June 1945. Polling day was on 5 July 1945 and the results were declared on 26 July 1945. Mr Churchill, having been defeated in the election, resigned on 26 July and was replaced as Prime Minister by Clement Attlee.

Cabinet

List of Ministers

Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.

OfficeNamePartyDatesNotes
Prime Minister,
First Lord of the Treasury
and Minister of Defence		Winston ChurchillConservative23 May 1945 
Lord ChancellorThe Viscount SimonLiberal National25 May 1945 
Lord President of the CouncilThe Lord WooltonNational25 May 1945 
Lord Privy SealThe Lord BeaverbrookConservative25 May 1945 
Chancellor of the ExchequerSir John AndersonNational25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary to the TreasuryJames StuartConservative26 May 1945 
Financial Secretary to the TreasuryOsbert PeakeConservative26 May 1945 
Lords of the TreasuryAlexander BeechmanLiberal National28 May 1945 
Cedric DreweConservative25 May 1945 
Patrick Buchan-HepburnConservative25 May 1945 
Robert CaryConservative28 May 1945 
Charles Mott-RadclyffeConservative28 May 1945 
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
and Leader of the House of Commons		Anthony EdenConservative25 May 1945 
Minister of State for Foreign AffairsWilliam MabaneLiberal National25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsLord DunglassConservative26 May 1945-26 July 1945 
The Lord LovatConservative26 May 1945-13 July 1945 
Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentSir Donald SomervellConservative25 May 1945 
Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentThe Earl of MunsterConservative26 May 1945 
First Lord of the AdmiraltyBrendan BrackenConservative25 May 1945 
Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the AdmiraltySir Victor Warrender, BtConservative26 May 1945Lord Bruntisfield
Civil Lord of the AdmiraltyRichard PilkingtonConservative26 May 1945 
Financial Secretary to the AdmiraltyJames ThomasConservative1945 
Minister of Agriculture and FisheriesRobert HudsonConservative25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and FisheriesDonald ScottConservative26 May 1945 
The Duke of NorfolkConservative26 May 1945 
Secretary of State for AirHarold MacmillanConservative25 May 1945 
Under-Secretary of State for AirQuintin HoggConservative26 May 1945 
The Earl BeattyConservative26 May1945 
Minister of Aircraft ProductionErnest BrownLiberal National25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aircraft ProductionAlan Lennox-BoydConservative26 May 1945 
Minister of Civil AviationThe Viscount SwintonConservative25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Civil AviationRobert PerkinsConservative26 May 1945 
Secretary of State for the ColoniesOliver StanleyConservative25 May 1945 
Under-Secretary of State for the ColoniesThe Duke of DevonshireConservative26 May 1945 
Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
and Leader of the House of Lords		Viscount CranborneConservative25 May 1945 
Under-Secretary of State for Dominion AffairsPaul Emrys-EvansConservative26 May 1945 
Minister of EducationRichard LawConservative25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of EducationThelma Cazalet-KeirConservative26 May 1945 
Minister of FoodJohn LlewellinConservative25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of FoodFlorence HorsbrughConservative26 May 1945 
Minister of Fuel and PowerGwilym Lloyd-GeorgeLiberal25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fuel and PowerSir Austin Hudson, Bt Conservative26 May 1945 
Minister of HealthHenry WillinkConservative25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of HealthHamilton KerrConservative26 May 1945 
Secretary of State for India and BurmaLeo AmeryConservative25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary for India and BurmaThe Earl of ScarbroughConservative26 May 1945 
Minister of InformationGeoffrey LloydConservative25 May 1945 
Minister of Labour and National ServiceR. A. ButlerConservative25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of LabourMalcolm McCorquodaleConservative26 May 1945 
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterSir Arthur SalterIndependent25 May 1945 
Minister Resident Middle EastSir Edward GriggNational25 May 1945 
Minister Resident West AfricaHarold BalfourConservative25 May 1945 
Minister of National InsuranceLeslie Hore-BelishaNational25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National InsuranceCharles PeatConservative26 May 1945 
Paymaster GeneralThe Lord CherwellConservative25 May 1945 
Minister for PensionsSir Walter WomersleyConservative25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for PensionsWilliam SidneyConservative26 May 1945Lord De L'Isle
Postmaster-GeneralHarry CrookshankConservative25 May 1945 
Assistant Postmaster-GeneralWilliam Anstruther-GrayConservative26 May 1945 
Minister of ProductionOliver LytteltonConservative25 May 1945Also President of the Board of Trade
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of ProductionJohn MaclayLiberal National28 May 1945 
Secretary of State for ScotlandThe Earl of RoseberyLiberal National25 May 1945 
Under-Secretary of State for ScotlandAllan ChapmanConservative26 May 1945 
Thomas GalbraithConservative26 May 1945 
Minister of SupplySir Andrew Rae DuncanNational25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of SupplyRobert GrimstonConservative26 May 1945 
Minister of Town and Country PlanningWilliam MorrisonConservative25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Town and Country PlanningRonald TreeConservative26 May 1945 
President of the Board of TradeOliver LytteltonConservative25 May 1945Also Minister of Production
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of TradeCharles WaterhouseConservative26 May 1945 
Secretary for Overseas TradeSpencer SummersConservative26 May 1945 
Secretary of State for WarSir P. J. GriggConservative25 May 1945 
Under-Secretary of State for WarSir Henry Page CroftConservative26 May 1945Lord Croft
Financial Secretary to the War OfficeMaurice PetherickConservative26 May 1945 
Minister of War TransportThe Lord LeathersConservative25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of War TransportPeter ThorneycroftConservative26 May 1945 
First Commissioner of WorksDuncan SandysConservative25 May 1945 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of WorksReginald Manningham-BullerConservative26 May 1945 
Attorney GeneralSir David Maxwell FyfeConservative25 May 1945 
Solicitor GeneralSir Walter MoncktonConservative25 May 1945 
Lord AdvocateJames ReidConservative25 May 1945 
Solicitor General for ScotlandSir David King MurrayConservative25 May 1945 
Treasurer of the HouseholdSir James EdmondsonConservative28 May 1945 
Comptroller of the HouseholdLeslie PymConservative28 May 1945 
Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdArthur YoungConservative28 May 1945 
Assistant Whip[1]Peter AgnewConservative 28 May 1945
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsThe Earl FortescueConservative28 May 1945 
Captain of the Yeomen of the GuardThe Lord TemplemoreConservative28 May 1945 
Lords in WaitingThe Duke of NorthumberlandConservative28 May 1945 
The Lord AlnessLiberal National28 May 1945 
The Marquess of NormanbyConservative28 May 1945 

References

  1. ↑ J C Sainty 'Assistant Whips 1922-1964' in Parliamentary History Vol 4 (1985) pp 201-04
Preceded by
Churchill War Ministry		 Government of the United Kingdom
1945 		Succeeded by
Attlee Ministry