Chamberlain war ministry War cabinet

on 3 september 1939, neville chamberlain announced war cabinet.

prime minister: neville chamberlain (cons)
lord privy seal: sir samuel hoare (cons)
chancellor of exchequer: sir john simon (nat. liberal)
foreign secretary: viscount halifax (cons)
secretary of state war: leslie hore-belisha (nat. liberal)
secretary of state air: sir kingsley wood (cons)
first lord of admiralty: winston churchill (cons)
minister coordination of defence: lord chatfield (nat.)
minister without portfolio: lord hankey (nat. )

dominated largely conservative ministers served under chamberlain s national government between 1937 , 1939, additions of lord hankey (a former cabinet secretary first world war) , winston churchill (strong anti-appeaser) seemed give cabinet more balance. unlike lloyd george s war cabinet, members of 1 heads of government departments.

in january 1940, after disagreements chiefs of staff, hore-belisha resigned national government, refusing move post of president of board of trade. succeeded oliver stanley.

it practice chiefs of staff attend military discussions of chamberlain war cabinet. churchill became uneasy this, felt when attended did not confine comments purely military issues. overcome this, military co-ordination committee set up, consisting of 3 service ministers chaired lord chatfield. service chiefs co-ordinate strategic ideas of top hats , brass , agree strategic proposals put forward war cabinet. unfortunately, except when chaired prime minister, military co-ordinating committee lacked sufficient authority override minister fighting corner . when churchill took on chatfield, whilst continuing represent admiralty, introduced additional problems, , did little improve pre-existing ones. chamberlain announced further change in arrangements in norway debate, (and military co-ordination committee) overtaken events, churchill war cabinet being run on rather different principles.