Eden ministry

Anthony Eden served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1955 until 1957.

Formation

In April 1955 Sir Anthony Eden succeeded Winston Churchill as Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and finally reached the post he had coveted for so long. He retained Rab Butler (with whom he did not get along) as Chancellor of the Exchequer until December 1955, when Eden demoted him to Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons. Eden was succeeded as Foreign Secretary by future Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, who, however, only held this post until December of the same year, when he replaced Butler as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Selwyn Lloyd gained his first cabinet post when he succeeded Macmillan as Minister of Defence in April 1955, and again replaced Macmillan as Foreign Secretary in December of that year. Another future Prime Minister, the Earl of Home, entered the cabinet as Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations in 1955. Gwilym Lloyd George, younger son of former Liberal leader David Lloyd George, remained as Home Secretary.

Fate

Eden's decision to take military action over the Suez Crisis of 1956 caused major embarrassment for Britain and their French allies. Eden, then already in declining health, resigned as Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party in January 1957. Harold Macmillan was chosen over Rab Butler to succeed as party leader and Prime Minister.

The Cabinet

Changes

Eden's initial cabinet is remarkable for the fact that 10 out of the original 18 members were Old Etonians: Eden, Salisbury, Crookshank, Macmillan, Home, Stuart, Thorneycroft, Heathcoat Amory, Sandys and Peake were all educated at Eton.

List of Ministers

Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.

OfficeNameDatesNotes
Prime Minister
and First Lord of the Treasury
Sir Anthony Eden6 April 1955 - 9 January 1957 
Lord ChancellorThe Viscount KilmuirApril 1955 
Lord President of the Council
and Leader of the House of Lords
The Marquess of SalisburyApril 1955
Lord Privy Seal
and Leader of the House of Commons
Harry CrookshankApril 1955 
R. A. Butler20 December 1955 
Chancellor of the ExchequerR. A. ButlerApril 1955 
Harold Macmillan20 December 1955 
Parliamentary Secretary to the TreasuryPatrick Buchan-HepburnApril 1955 
Edward Heath30 December 1955 
Financial Secretary to the TreasuryHenry BrookeApril 1955 
Economic Secretary to the TreasurySir Edward Boyle7 April 1955 
Derek Walker-Smith11 November 1956 
Lords of the TreasuryEdward HeathApril 1955 - 20 December 1955 
Hendrie OakshottApril 1955 - 13 June 1955 
Martin RedmayneApril 1955 - 9 January 1957 
Richard ThompsonApril 1955 - 8 April 1956 
Gerard WillsApril 1955 - 9 January 1957 
Hon. Peter Legh13 June 1955 - 9 January 1957 
Edward Wakefield24 January 1956 - 9 January 1957 
Harwood Harrison8 April 1956 - 9 January 1957 
Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsHarold Macmillan7 April 1955 
Selwyn Lloyd20 December 1955 
Minister of State for Foreign AffairsMarquess of ReadingApril 1955 - 9 January 1957 
Anthony NuttingApril 1955 - 3 November 1956 
Allan Noble9 November 1956 - 9 January 1957 
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsRobin TurtonApril 1955 - 20 December 1955 
Douglas Dodds-Parker20 December 1955 - 9 January 1957 
Lord John HopeApril 1955 - 9 November 1956 
Hon. David Ormsby-Gore9 November 1956 - 9 January 1957 
Secretary of State for the Home Department
and Welsh Affairs
Hon. Gwilym Lloyd-GeorgeApril 1955 
Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentSir Hugh Lucas-Tooth April 1955 - 20 December 1955 
The Lord MancroftApril 1955 - 9 January 1957 
First Lord of the AdmiraltyJames ThomasApril 1955Viscount Cilcennin
The Viscount Hailsham2 September 1956 
Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the AdmiraltyAllan NobleApril 1955 
Hon. George Ward20 December 1955 
Civil Lord of the AdmiraltySimon Wingfield DigbyApril 1955 
Minister of Agriculture and FisheriesDerick Heathcoat-AmoryApril 1955Combined with Minister of Food
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and FisheriesRichard NugentApril 1955 - 9 January 1957 
The Earl St AldwynApril 1955 - 9 January 1957 
Harmar Nicholls7 April 1955 - 9 January 1957 
William Deedes20 December 1955 - 9 January 1957 
Secretary of State for AirThe Lord de L'Isle and DudleyApril 1955 
Nigel Birch20 December 1955 
Under-Secretary of State for AirHon. George WardApril 1955 
Christopher Soames20 December 1955 
Secretary of State for the ColoniesAlan Lennox-BoydApril 1955 
Minister of State for the ColoniesHenry HopkinsonApril 1955 
John Hare20 December 1955 
John Maclay18 October 1956 
Under-Secretary of State for the ColoniesThe Lord LloydApril 1955 
Secretary of State for Commonwealth RelationsThe Earl of Home7 April 1955 
Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth RelationsDouglas Dodds-ParkerApril 1955 
Allan Noble20 December 1955 
Lord John Hope9 November 1956 
Minister of DefenceSelwyn Lloyd7 April 1955 
Sir Walter Monckton20 December 1955 
Anthony Head18 October 1956 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of DefenceThe Lord CarringtonApril 1955 
The Earl of Gosford26 May 1956 
Minister of EducationSir David EcclesApril 1955 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of EducationDennis VosperApril 1955 
Minister of FoodDerick Heathcoat-AmoryApril 1955Combined with Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of FoodCharles HillApril 1955 
Minister of Fuel and PowerGeoffrey LloydApril 1955 
Aubrey Jones20 December 1955 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fuel and PowerHon. Lancelot Joynson-HicksApril 1955 
David Lockhart-Mure Renton20 December 1955 
Minister of HealthIain MacleodApril 1955 
Robin Turton20 December 1955 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of HealthPatricia Hornsby-SmithApril 1955 
Minister of Housing and Local GovernmentDuncan SandysApril 1955 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Local GovernmentWilliam DeedesApril 1955 
Enoch Powell20 December 1955 
Minister of Labour and National ServiceSir Walter MoncktonApril 1955 
Iain Macleod20 December 1955 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of LabourHarold WatkinsonApril 1955 
Robert Carr20 December 1955 
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterThe Lord WooltonApril 1955Office in Cabinet
The Earl of Selkirk20 December 1955 
Minister without PortfolioThe Earl of MunsterApril 1955 - 8 January 1957
Paymaster GeneralEarl of SelkirkApril 1955
Vacant20 December 1955 
Sir Walter Monckton18 October 1956 
Minister of PensionsOsbert PeakeApril 1955
John Boyd-Carpenter20 December 1955Office not in Cabinet
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of PensionsJohn George SmythApril 1955 - 20 December 1955 
Ernest MarplesApril 1955 - 20 December 1955 
Edith Pitt20 December 1955 - 9 January 1957 
Hon. Richard Wood20 December 1955 - 9 January 1957 
Postmaster-GeneralCharles Hill7 April 1955 
Assistant Postmaster-GeneralDavid GammansApril 1955 
Cuthbert Alport20 December 1955 
Secretary of State for ScotlandHon. James StuartApril 1955 
Minister of State for ScotlandTom Galbraith7 April 1955Lord Strathclyde
Under-Secretary of State for ScotlandWilliam McNair SnaddenApril 1955 - 3 June 1955 
James Henderson StewartApril 1955 - 9 January 1957 
Jack Nixon Browne7 April 1955 - 9 January 1957 
Niall Macpherson13 June 1955 - 9 January 1957 
Minister of SupplyReginald Maudling7 April 1955 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of SupplyFrederick Erroll7 April 1955 
Ian Harvey11 November 1956 
President of the Board of TradePeter ThorneycroftApril 1955 
Minister of State for TradeDerick Heathcoat-AmoryApril 1955 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of TradeDonald Kaberry7 April 1955 
Derek Walker-Smith19 October 1955 
Frederick Erroll11 November 1956 
Minister of TransportJohn Boyd-CarpenterApril 1955 
Harold Watkinson20 December 1955 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of TransportJohn ProfumoApril 1955 - 9 January 1957 
High MolsonApril 1955 - 9 January 1957 
Secretary of State for WarAnthony HeadApril 1955 
Hon. John Hare18 October 1956 
Under-Secretary of State and Financial Secretary for WarFitzroy MacleanApril 1955 
Minister of WorksNigel BirchApril 1955 
Patrick Buchan-Hepburn20 December 1955Office in Cabinet
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of WorksReginald BevinsApril 1955 
Attorney GeneralSir Reginald Manningham-BullerApril 1955 
Solicitor GeneralSir Harry Hylton-FosterApril 1955 
Lord AdvocateWilliam Rankine MilliganApril 1955 
Solicitor General for ScotlandWilliam GrantApril 1955 
Treasurer of the HouseholdCedric DreweApril 1955Knighted
Tam Galbraith13 June 1955 
Comptroller of the HouseholdTam GalbraithApril 1955 
Hendrie Oakshott13 June 1955 
Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdHenry StudholmeApril 1955 
Richard Thompson8 April 1956 
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsThe Earl FortescueApril 1955 
Captain of the Yeomen of the GuardThe Earl of OnslowApril 1955 
Lords in WaitingThe Lord HawkeApril 1955 - 9 January 1957 
The Lord Fairfax of CameronApril 1955 - 9 January 1957 
The Lord CheshamApril 1955 - 9 January 1957 

References

Preceded by
Third Churchill ministry
List of British ministries
19551957
Succeeded by
Macmillan ministry
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