- United Kingdom coalition government (1940–1945)
-
Members of the War Cabinet are in bold face.
Office Name Party Dates Notes Prime Minister,
Minister of Defence and First Lord of the TreasuryWinston Churchill Conservative 10 May 1940 Member of War Cabinet; also Leader of the House of Commons 1940-1942 Lord Chancellor Viscount Simon Liberal National 12 May 1940 Lord President of the Council Neville Chamberlain Conservative 11 May 1940 Member of War Cabinet Sir John Anderson Independent 3 October 1940 Member of War Cabinet Clement Attlee Labour 24 September 1943 Member of War Cabinet Lord Privy Seal Clement Attlee Labour 11 May 1940 Member of War Cabinet; also Deputy Leader of the House of Commons Stafford Cripps Labour 19 February 1942 Member of War Cabinet; also Leader of the House of Commons Viscount Cranborne Conservative 22 November 1942 also Leader of the House of Lords Lord Beaverbrook Conservative 24 September 1943 Member of War Cabinet Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Kingsley Wood Conservative 12 May 1940 In War Cabinet from 3 October 1940 – 19 February 1942 Sir John Anderson National 24 September 1943 Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury David Margesson Conservative 17 May 1940 – 22 December 1940 Jointly Sir Charles Edwards Labour 17 May 1940 – 12 March 1942 Jointly James Stuart Conservative 14 January 1941 – 23 May 1945 Jointly William Whiteley Labour 12 March 1942 – 23 May 1945 Jointly Financial Secretary to the Treasury Harry Crookshank Conservative 15 May 1940 Ralph Assheton Conservative 7 February 1943 Osbert Peake Conservative 29 October 1944 Lords of the Treasury Stephen Furness Liberal National 12 May 1940 – 18 May 1940 James Stuart Conservative 12 May 1940 – 14 January 1941 Patrick Munro Conservative 12 May 1940 – 13 March 1942 Patrick Buchan-Hepburn Conservative 12 May 1940 – 26 June 1940 William Whytehead Boulton Conservative 12 May 1940 – 13 March 1942 Wilfred Paling Labour 18 May 1940 – 8 February 1941 James Thomas Conservative 26 June 1940 – 25 September 1943 Thomas Dugdale Conservative 8 February 1941 – 23 February 1942 William Murdoch Adamson Labour 1 March 1941 – 2 October 1944 Arthur Young Conservative 23 February 1942 – 3 July 1944 John McEwen Conservative 13 March 1942 – 6 December 1944 Leslie Pym Conservative 13 March 1942 – 23 May 1945 Alec Beechman Liberal National 25 September 1943 – 23 May 1945 Cedric Drewe Conservative 3 July 1944 – 23 May 1945 William John Labour 2 October 1944 – 23 May 1945 Patrick Buchan-Hepburn Conservative 6 December 1944 – 23 May 1945 Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Viscount Halifax Conservative 11 May 1940 also Leader of the House of Lords from 3 October 1940; Member of War Cabinet Anthony Eden Conservative 22 December 1940 Member of War Cabinet; also Leader of the House of Commons 1942-1945 Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs R. A. Butler Conservative 15 May 1940 Richard Law Conservative 20 July 1941 George Henry Hall Labour 25 September 1943 Secretary of State for the Home Department and Minister for Home Security Sir John Anderson National 12 May 1940 Herbert Morrison Labour 2 October 1940 In War Cabinet from 22 November 1942 Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department Osbert Peake Conservative 15 May 1940 The Earl of Munster Conservative 31 October 1944 Parliamentary Secretary for the Home Department William Mabane Liberal National 15 May 1940 – 3 June 1942 Ellen Wilkinson Labour 8 October 1940 – 23 May 1945 First Lord of the Admiralty A. V. Alexander Labour 11 May 1940 Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty Sir Victor Warrender, Bt Conservative 17 May 1940 Lord Bruntisfield Civil Lord of the Admiralty Sir Austin Hudson, Bt Conservative 15 May 1940 Richard Pilkington Conservative 4 March 1942 Financial Secretary to the Admiralty George Hall Labour 4 February 1942 James Thomas Conservative 1943 Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Robert Hudson Conservative 14 May 1940 Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries The Lord Moyne Conservative 15 May 1940 – 8 February 1941 Tom Williams Labour 15 May 1940 – 23 May 1945 The Duke of Norfolk Conservative 8 February 1941 – 23 May 1945 Secretary of State for Air Sir Archibald Sinclair, Bt Liberal 11 May 1940 Under-Secretary of State for Air Harold Balfour Conservative 15 May 1940 – 21 November 1944 The Lord Sherwood Liberal 20 July 1941 – 23 May 1945 Rupert Brabner Conservative 21 November 1944 – 27 March 1945 Quintin Hogg Conservative 12 April 1945 – 23 May 1945 Minister of Aircraft Production The Lord Beaverbrook Conservative 14 May 1940 In War Cabinet from 2 August 1940 – 1 May 1941 John Moore-Brabazon Conservative 1 May 1941 John Llewellin Conservative 22 February 1942 Sir Stafford Cripps Labour 22 November 1942 Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aircraft Production John Llewellin Conservative 15 May 1940 Frederick Montague Labour 1 May 1941 Ben Smith Labour 4 March 1942 Alan Lennox-Boyd Conservative 11 November 1943 Minister of Civil Aviation The Viscount Swinton Conservative 8 October 1944 New office Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Civil Aviation Robert Perkins Conservative 22 March 1945 Secretary of State for the Colonies The Lord Lloyd Conservative 12 May 1940 also Leader of the House of Lords from 22 December 1940 The Lord Moyne Conservative 8 February 1941 also Leader of the House of Lords Viscount Cranborne Conservative 22 February 1942 also Leader of the House of Lords Oliver Stanley Conservative 22 November 1942 Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies George Hall Labour 15 May 1940 Harold Macmillan Conservative 4 February 1942 The Duke of Devonshire Conservative 1 January 1943 Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs The Viscount Caldecote Conservative 14 May 1940 also Leader of the House of Lords Viscount Cranborne Conservative 3 October 1940 Clement Attlee Labour 19 February 1942 Member of War Cabinet Viscount Cranborne Conservative 24 September 1943 also Leader of the House of Lords Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs Geoffrey Shakespeare Liberal National 15 May 1940 Paul Emrys-Evans Conservative 4 March 1942 Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton Labour 15 May 1940 Viscount Wolmer Conservative 22 February 1942 Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Warfare Dingle Foot Liberal 17 May 1940 President of the Board of Education Herwald Ramsbotham Conservative 14 May 1940 Rab Butler Conservative 20 July 1941 Renamed Minister of Education 3 August 1944 Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education James Chuter Ede Labour 15 May 1940 Minister of Food The Lord Woolton Conservative 13 May 1940 John Llewellin Conservative 11 November 1943 Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Food Robert Boothby Conservative 15 May 1940 Gwilym Lloyd-George Liberal 22 October 1940 William Mabane Liberal National 3 June 1942 Minister of Fuel, Light and Power Gwilym Lloyd-George Liberal 3 June 1942 New office Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fuel, Light and Power Geoffrey Lloyd Conservative 3 June 1942 – 23 May 1945 Tom Smith Labour 3 June 1942 – 23 May 1945 Minister of Health Malcolm MacDonald National Labour 13 May 1940 Ernest Brown Liberal National 8 February 1941 Henry Willink Conservative 11 November 1943 Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health Florence Horsbrugh Conservative 15 May 1940 Secretary of State for India and Burma Leo Amery Conservative 13 May 1940 Parliamentary Secretary for India and Burma The Duke of Devonshire Conservative 17 May 1940 The Earl of Munster Conservative 1 January 1943 The Earl of Listowel Labour 31 October 1944 Minister of Information Duff Cooper Conservative 12 May 1940 Attended War Cabinet from 28 May 1940 Brendan Bracken Conservative 20 July 1941 Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Information Harold Nicolson National Labour 17 May 1940 Ernest Thurtle Labour 20 July 1941 Minister of Labour and National Service Ernest Bevin Labour 13 May 1940 In War Cabinet from 3 October 1940 Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour Ralph Assheton Conservative 15 May 1940 – 4 February 1942 George Tomlinson Labour 8 February 1941 – 23 May 1945 Malcolm McCorquodale Conservative 4 February 1942 – 23 May 1945 Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster The Lord Hankey Independent 14 May 1940 Duff Cooper Conservative 20 July 1941 Ernest Brown Liberal National 11 November 1943 Minister Resident North-West Africa Harold Macmillan Conservative 30 December 1942 Minister Resident Middle East Oliver Lyttelton Conservative 19 February 1942 Member of War Cabinet Richard Casey Independent 19 March 1942 Member of War Cabinet until 23 December 1943. Not a British MP The Lord Moyne Conservative 28 January 1944 Sir Edward Grigg Conservative 21 November 1944 Deputy Minister of State The Lord Moyne Conservative 27 August 1942 – 28 January 1944 Minister Resident, Washington John Llewellin Conservative 22 November 1942 Ben Smith Labour 11 November 1943 Minister Resident West Africa The Viscount Swinton Conservative 8 June 1942 Harold Balfour Conservative 21 November 1944 Minister without Portfolio Arthur Greenwood Labour 11 May 1940 – 22 February 1942 Member of War Cabinet Sir William Jowitt Labour 30 December 1942 – 8 October 1944 Paymaster General Viscount Cranborne Conservative 15 May 1940 Office vacant 3 October 1940 The Lord Hankey Independent 20 July 1941 Sir William Jowitt Labour 4 March 1942 The Lord Cherwell Conservative 30 December 1942 Minister for Pensions Sir Walter Womersley Conservative 15 May 1940 Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Pensions Ellen Wilkinson Labour 17 May 1940 The Lord Tryon Conservative 8 October 1940 Wilfred Paling Labour 8 February 1941 Postmaster-General William Morrison Conservative 15 May 1940 Harry Crookshank Conservative 7 February 1943 Assistant Postmaster-General Charles Waterhouse Conservative 17 May 1940 Allan Chapman Conservative 1 March 1941 Robert Grimston Conservative 4 March 1942 Minister of Reconstruction The Lord Woolton Conservative 11 November 1943 Member of War Cabinet Secretary of State for Scotland Ernest Brown Liberal National 14 May 1940 Tom Johnston Labour 8 February 1941 Under-Secretary of State for Scotland Joseph Westwood Labour 17 May 1940 – 23 May 1945 Henry Wedderburn Conservative 8 February 1941 – 4 March 1942 Allan Chapman Conservative 4 March 1942 – 23 May 1945 Minister of Shipping Ronald Cross Conservative 14 May 1940 Merged into Minister of War Transport 1 May 1941 Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Shipping Sir Arthur Salter Independent 15 May 1940 Minister of Social Insurance Sir William Jowitt Labour 8 October 1944 Renamed Minister of National Insurance 17 November 1944 Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Insurance Charles Peat Conservative 22 March 1945 Minister of State The Lord Beaverbrook Conservative 1 May 1941 Member of War Cabinet Oliver Lyttelton Conservative 29 June 1941 Member of War Cabinet. Office vacant from 12 March 1942 Minister of Supply Herbert Morrison Labour 12 May 1940 Sir Andrew Rae Duncan Conservative 3 October 1940 The Lord Beaverbrook Conservative 29 June 1941 Member of War Cabinet Sir Andrew Rae Duncan Conservative 4 February 1942 Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Supply Harold Macmillan Conservative 15 May 1940 – 4 February 1942 Wyndham Raymond Portal, 1st Viscount Portal Conservative 4 September 1940 – 22 February 1942 Ralph Assheton Conservative 4 February 1942 – 7 February 1943 Charles Peat Conservative 4 March 1942 – 22 March 1945 Duncan Sandys Conservative 7 February 1943 – 21 November 1944 John Wilmot Labour 21 November 1944 – 23 May 1945 James de Rothschild Liberal 22 March 1945 – 23 May 1945 Minister of Town and Country Planning William Morrison Conservative 30 December 1942 Minister designate until 7 February 1943 Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Town and Country Planning Henry Strauss Conservative 30 December 1942 Arthur Jenkins Labour 22 March 1945 President of the Board of Trade Sir Andrew Rae Duncan Conservative 12 May 1940 Oliver Lyttelton Conservative 3 October 1940 Sir Andrew Rae Duncan Conservative 29 June 1941 John Llewellin Conservative 4 February 1942 Hugh Dalton Labour 22 February 1942 Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade Gwilym Lloyd-George Liberal 15 May 1940 Also Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Food from 22 October 1940 Charles Waterhouse Conservative 8 February 1941 Secretary for Overseas Trade Harcourt Johnstone Liberal 15 May 1940 Secretary for Mines David Grenfell Labour 15 May 1940 Secretary for Petroleum Geoffrey Lloyd Conservative 15 May 1940 – 3 June 1942 Combined into Minister for Fuel, Light and Power Minister of Transport Sir John Reith National 14 May 1940 John Moore-Brabazon Conservative 3 October 1940 became Minister of War Transport 1 May 1941 Minister of War Production The Lord Beaverbrook Conservative 4 February 1942 Office vacant 19 February 1942 Oliver Lyttelton Conservative 12 March 1942 Post retitled Minister of Production upon appointment Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Production George Garro-Jones Labour 10 September 1942 Secretary of State for War Anthony Eden Conservative 11 May 1940 David Margesson Conservative 22 December 1940 Sir P. J. Grigg National 22 February 1942 Under-Secretary of State for War Sir Henry Page Croft Conservative 17 May 1940 – 23 May 1945 Lord Croft Sir Edward Grigg Conservative 17 May 1940 – 4 March 1942 Arthur Henderson Labour 4 March 1942 – 7 February 1943 Financial Secretary to the War Office Richard Law Conservative 17 May 1940 Duncan Sandys Conservative 20 July 1941 Arthur Henderson Labour 7 February 1943 Minister of War Transport The Lord Leathers Conservative 1 May 1941 Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of War Transport Frederick Montague Labour 18 May 1940 – 1 May 1941 John Llewellin Conservative 1 May 1941 – 4 February 1942 Sir Arthur Salter Independent 29 June 1941 – 4 February 1942 First Commissioner of Works The Lord Tryon Conservative 18 May 1940 Sir John Reith National 3 October 1940 Minister of Works and Buildings, and 1st Commissioner. Later Lord Reith The Lord Portal Conservative 22 February 1942 Renamed Minister of Works and Planning from 11 February 1942, and Minister of Works from February 1943 Duncan Sandys Conservative 21 November 1944 Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Works George Hicks Labour 19 November 1940 – 23 May 1945 Henry Strauss Conservative 4 March 1942 – 30 December 1942 Attorney General Sir Donald Somervell Conservative 15 May 1940 Solicitor General Sir William Jowitt Labour 15 May 1940 Sir David Maxwell Fyfe Conservative 4 March 1942 Lord Advocate Thomas Cooper Conservative 15 May 1940 James Reid Conservative 5 June 1941 Solicitor General for Scotland James Reid Conservative 15 May 1940 David King Murray Conservative 5 June 1941 Knighted Treasurer of the Household Robert Grimston Conservative 17 May 1940 Sir James Edmondson Conservative 12 March 1942 Comptroller of the Household William Whiteley Labour 17 May 1940 William John Labour 12 March 1942 George Mathers Labour 2 October 1944 Vice-Chamberlain of the Household Sir James Edmondson Conservative 17 May 1940 William Whytehead Boulton Conservative 12 March 1942 Arthur Young Conservative 13 July 1944 Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms The Lord Snell Labour 31 May 1940 – 21 April 1944 The Earl Fortescue Conservative 22 March 1945 Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard The Lord Templemore Conservative 31 May 1940 Lords in Waiting The Earl Fortescue Conservative 31 May 1940 – 22 March 1945 The Viscount Clifden Liberal 31 May 1940 – 23 May 1945 The Lord Alness Liberal National 31 May 1940 – 23 May 1945 The Marquess of Normanby Conservative 22 March 1945 – 23 May 1945 Source
- D. Butler and G. Butler, Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900–2000.
Preceded by
War Government 1939–1940Government of the United Kingdom
1940–1945Succeeded by
Caretaker Government 1945Categories:- British ministries
- Coalition governments of the United Kingdom
- Politics of World War II
- 1940s in the United Kingdom
- 1940 establishments in the United Kingdom
- 1945 disestablishments
- United Kingdom in World War II
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