Minister of Supply

The Minister of Supply was the minister in the British Government responsible for the Ministry of Supply, which existed to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to the national armed forces. The position was campaigned for by many sceptics of the foreign policy of the National Government in the 1930s before finally being created in 1939.

In the post-war governments, the Ministry became increasingly unpopular with economy-minded Conservatives, who objected to it as a redundant middle-man. This point of view was shared by Reginald Maudling, who served as the Minister under Anthony Eden and refused to continue in office under Harold Macmillan; unfortunately for Maudling, Macmillan had served in a junior role in the Ministry and believed in it. Nevertheless, he agreed to wind up the Ministry in 1959.

Minister of Supply 1939-1959

Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Political party
	Leslie Burgin		14 July 1939	12 May 1940	Liberal National
	Herbert Stanley Morrison		12 May 1940	3 October 1940	Labour
	Sir Andrew Duncan		3 October 1940	29 June 1941	National
	Lord Beaverbrook		29 June 1941	4 February 1942	Conservative
	Sir Andrew Duncan		4 February 1942	26 July 1945	National
	John Wilmot		3 August 1945	7 October 1947	Labour
	George Strauss		7 October 1947	26 October 1951	Labour
	Duncan Sandys		31 October 1951	18 October 1954	Conservative
	Selwyn Lloyd		18 October 1954	7 April 1955	Conservative
	Reginald Maudling		7 April 1955	16 January 1957	Conservative
	Aubrey Jones		16 January 1957	22 October 1959	Conservative