A coalition of the Conservative and Liberal Unionist parties took power in the United Kingdom shortly before the 1895 general election. Conservative leader Lord Salisbury was appointed Prime Minister and his nephew, Arthur Balfour, became Leader of the House of Commons, but various major posts went to the Liberal Unionists, most notably the Leader of the House of Lords, the Liberal Unionist Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire, who was made Lord President, and his colleague in the Commons, Joseph Chamberlain, who became Colonial Secretary. It was this government which would conduct the Second Boer War from 1899–1902, which helped them to win a landslide victory at the 1900 general election.
The government consisted of three ministries, the first two led by Salisbury (from 1895–1902) and the third by Balfour (from 1902 onwards).
__TOC__
The office of Prime Minister
thumb|[[Joseph Chamberlain and Arthur Balfour by Sydney Prior Hall]]
Lord Salisbury was the second and last person to be head of government while not simultaneously holding the title of First Lord of the Treasury. It was said that there were some attempts to distinguish between the two offices, but in the century or more since, they have remained one and the same.
Trade reform
Balfour succeeded Salisbury as prime minister in 1902. Eventually, the Unionist government would falter after Chamberlain proposed his scheme for tariff reform, whose partial embrace by Balfour led to the resignation of the more orthodox free traders in the Cabinet.
Chinese miners in South Africa
right|thumb| [[Punch (magazine)|Punch cartoon, 1903. The Rand mine-owners' employment of Chinese labour on the Transvaal gold mines in British-controlled South Africa was controversial and contributed to the 1906 Liberal landslide.]]
After the conclusion of the Boer War, the British government sought to rebuild the South African economy which had been devastated by the war. An important part of the rebuilding effort was to get the gold mines of the Witwatersrand, the richest in history and a major cause of the war, back in production as soon as possible. Because the government decreed that white labour was too expensive and black labourers were reluctant to return to the mines, the government decided to import over 60,000 contracted workers from China.
This was deeply unpopular at the time, as popular opinion in much of the Western world, including Britain; was hostile to Chinese immigration. It also happened at a time when poverty and unemployment amongst working-class British people was at very high levels. On 26 March 1904, a demonstration against Chinese immigration to South Africa was held in Hyde Park and was attended by 80,000 people. The Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress then passed a resolution declaring that:
Fall from power
With his majority greatly reduced and defeat in the next election seeming inevitable, Balfour resigned as prime minister in December 1905, leading to the appointment of a minority Liberal government under Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman. In the general election which followed in 1906, all but three members of Balfour's cabinet lost their seats, including Balfour himself.
Cabinets
Salisbury ministry
June 1895 to November 1900
November 1900 to July 1902
In November 1900, the Cabinet was reformed for the first time.
Balfour ministry
<!-- this section is transcluded on Arthur Balfour -->:
<section begin="July 1902 to December 1905" />
<section end="July 1902 to December 1905" />
Changes
- May 1903Lord Onslow succeeds Robert William Hanbury at the Board of Agriculture.
- September to October 1903
- Lord Londonderry succeeds the Duke of Devonshire as Lord President. Londonderry remains President of the Board of Education.
- Lord Lansdowne succeeds Devonshire as Leader of the House of Lords. Lansdowne remains Foreign Secretary.
- Lord Salisbury succeeds Arthur Balfour as Lord Privy Seal.
- Austen Chamberlain succeeds Charles Ritchie at the Exchequer. Chamberlain's successor as Postmaster General is not in the Cabinet.
- Alfred Lyttelton succeeds Joseph Chamberlain as Colonial Secretary.
- St John Brodrick succeeds Lord George Hamilton as Secretary for India.
- H. O. Arnold-Forster succeeds Brodrick as Secretary for War.
- Andrew Graham-Murray succeeds Lord Balfour of Burleigh as Secretary for Scotland.
- March 1905
- Walter Hume Long succeeds George Wyndham as Irish Secretary.
- Gerald Balfour succeeds Long at the Local Government Board.
- Lord Salisbury succeeds Balfour at the Board of Trade. Salisbury remains Lord Privy Seal.
- Lord Cawdor succeeds Lord Selborne at the Admiralty.
- Ailwyn Fellowes succeeds Lord Onslow at the Board of Agriculture.
List of ministers
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
! class=unsortable|Office
! class=unsortable|Name
! Date
|-
|rowspan=2|Prime minister
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" |Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
|
|-
! rowspan=2 scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Arthur Balfour
|
|-
|
<!--Arthur Balfour-->
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Chancellor of the Exchequer
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Sir Michael Hicks Beach, 9th Baronet
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Charles Ritchie
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Austen Chamberlain
|
|-
|rowspan=2|
! scope=row |Sir William Walrond
|
|-
! scope=row |Sir Alexander Acland-Hood
|
|-
|rowspan=5|Financial Secretary to the Treasury
! scope=row |Robert William Hanbury
|
|-
! scope=row |Austen Chamberlain
|
|-
! scope=row |William Hayes Fisher
|
|-
! scope=row |Arthur Elliot
|
|-
! scope=row |Victor Cavendish
|
|-
|rowspan=7|Junior Lords of the Treasury
! scope=row |Henry Torrens Anstruther
|
|-
! scope=row |William Hayes Fisher
|
|-
! scope=row |Edward Stanley, Baron Stanley
|
|-
! scope=row |Ailwyn Fellowes
|
|-
! scope=row |Henry Forster
|
|-
! scope=row |David Lindsay, Baron Balniel
|
|-
! scope=row |Lord Edmund Talbot
|
|-
|Lord Chancellor
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Hardinge Giffard, 1st Baron Halsbury
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Lord President of the Council
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry
|
|-
|rowspan=4|Lord Privy Seal
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount Cross
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Arthur Balfour
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Secretary of State for the Home Department
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Sir Matthew White Ridley, 5th Baronet
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Charles Thomson Ritchie
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Aretas Akers-Douglas
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
! scope=row |Jesse Collings
|
|-
! scope=row |Thomas Cochrane
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" |Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne
|
|-
|rowspan=4|Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
! scope=row |George Curzon
|
|-
! scope=row |St John Brodrick
|
|-
! scope=row |James Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount Cranborne
|
|-
! scope=row |Henry Percy, Earl Percy
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Secretary of State for War
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | St John Brodrick
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | H. O. Arnold-Forster
|
|-
|rowspan=5|Under-Secretary of State for War
! scope=row |St John Brodrick
|
|-
! scope=row |George Wyndham
|
|-
! scope=row |George Somerset, 3rd Baron Raglan
|
|-
! scope=row |Albert Yorke, 6th Earl of Hardwicke
|
|-
! scope=row |Richard Hely-Hutchinson, 6th Earl of Donoughmore
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Financial Secretary to the War Office
! scope=row |Joseph Powell Williams
|
|-
! scope=row |Edward Stanley, Baron Stanley
|
|-
! scope=row |William Bromley-Davenport
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Secretary of State for the Colonies
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Joseph Chamberlain
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Alfred Lyttelton
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
! scope=row |William Palmer, 2nd Earl of Selborne
|
|-
! scope=row |William Onslow, 4th Earl of Onslow
|
|-
! scope=row |Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Secretary of State for India
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Lord George Hamilton
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | St John Brodrick
|
|-
|rowspan=5|Under-Secretary of State for India
! scope=row |William Onslow, 4th Earl of Onslow
|
|-
! scope=row |Albert Yorke, 6th Earl of Hardwicke
|
|-
! scope=row |Henry Percy, Earl Percy
|
|-
! scope=row |vacant
|
|-
! scope=row |Thomas Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath
|
|-
|rowspan=3|First Lord of the Admiralty
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | George Goschen
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | William Palmer, 2nd Earl of Selborne
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Frederick Campbell, 3rd Earl Cawdor
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty
! scope=row |William Ellison-Macartney
|
|-
! scope=row |H. O. Arnold-Forster
|
|-
! scope=row |E. G. Pretyman
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Civil Lord of the Admiralty
! scope=row |Austen Chamberlain
|
|-
! scope=row |E. G. Pretyman
|
|-
! scope=row |Arthur Lee
|
|-
|rowspan=4|President of the Board of Agriculture
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Walter Long
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Robert William Hanbury
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | William Onslow, 4th Earl of Onslow
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Ailwyn Fellowes
|
|-
|rowspan=2|President of the Board of Education
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry
|
|-
|Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education
! scope=row |Sir William Anson, 3rd Baronet
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Chief Secretary for Ireland
! scope=row |Gerald Balfour
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | George Wyndham
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Walter Long
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | George Cadogan, 5th Earl Cadogan
|
|-
! scope=row |William Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley
|
|-
|Lord Chancellor of Ireland
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Edward Gibson, 1st Baron Ashbourne
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount Cross
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Henry James, 1st Baron James of Hereford
|
|-
! scope=row |Sir William Walrond
|
|-
|rowspan=3|President of the Local Government Board
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Henry Chaplin
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Walter Long
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Gerald Balfour
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board
! scope=row |Thomas Russell
|
|-
! scope=row |John Lawson
|
|-
! scope=row |Arthur Frederick Jeffreys
|
|-
|rowspan=4|Postmaster General
! scope=row |Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Austen Chamberlain
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Edward Stanley, Baron Stanley
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Secretary for Scotland
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Alexander Bruce, 6th Lord Balfour of Burleigh
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Andrew Murray
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | John Hope, 1st Marquess of Linlithgow
|
|-
|rowspan=3|President of the Board of Trade
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Charles Ritchie
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Gerald Balfour
|
|-
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" |James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
! scope=row |William Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley
|
|-
! scope=row |Bonar Law
|
|-
|rowspan=2|First Commissioner of Works
! scope=row style="font-weight:bold;" | Aretas Akers-Douglas
|
|-
! scope=row |Robery Windsor-Clive, 14th Baron Windsor
|
|-
|Vice-President of the Committee on Education
! scope=row |Sir John Eldon Gorst
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Paymaster General
! scope=row |John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun
|
|-
! scope=row |Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough
|
|-
! scope=row |Sir Savile Crossley
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Attorney General
! scope=row |Sir Richard Webster
|
|-
! scope=row |Sir Robert Finlay
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Solicitor General
! scope=row |Sir Robert Finlay
|
|-
! scope=row |Sir Edward Carson
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Lord Advocate
! scope=row |Sir Charles Pearson
|
|-
! scope=row |Andrew Murray
|
|-
! scope=row |Charles Dickson
|
|-
|rowspan=5|Solicitor General for Scotland
! scope=row |Andrew Murray
|
|-
! scope=row |Charles Dickson
|
|-
! scope=row |David Dundas
|
|-
! scope=row |Edward Theodore Salvesen
|
|-
! scope=row |James Avon Clyde
|
|-
|Attorney-General for Ireland
! scope=row |John Atkinson
|
|-
|rowspan=4|Solicitor-General for Ireland
! scope=row |William Kenny
|rowspan=2|
|-
! scope=row |Dunbar Barton
|-
! scope=row |George Wright
|
|-
! scope=row |James Campbell
|
|-
|Lord Steward of the Household
! scope=row |Sidney Herbert, 14th Earl of Pembroke
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Lord Chamberlain of the Household
! scope=row |Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom
|
|-
! scope=row |John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun
|
|-
! scope=row |Edward Villiers, 5th Earl of Clarendon
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
! scope=row |Ailwyn Fellowes
|
|-
! scope=row |Sir Alexander Acland-Hood
|
|-
! scope=row |Frederick Glyn, 4th Baron Wolverton
|
|-
|Master of the Horse
! scope=row |William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
|
|-
|rowspan=4|Treasurer of the Household
! scope=row |George Osborne, Marquess of Carmarthen
|
|-
! scope=row |Richard Curzon, Viscount Curzon
|
|-
! scope=row |Victor Cavendish
|
|-
! scope=row |James Hamilton, Marquess of Hamilton
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Comptroller of the Household
! scope=row |Lord Arthur Hill
|
|-
! scope=row |Arthur Annesley, 11th Viscount Valentia
|
|-
|Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms
! scope=row |Henry Strutt, 2nd Baron Belper
|
|-
|rowspan=2|
! scope=row |William Pery, 3rd Earl of Limerick
|
|-
! scope=row |William Waldegrave, 9th Earl Waldegrave
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Master of the Buckhounds
! scope=row |George Coventry, 9th Earl of Coventry
|
|-
! scope=row |Charles Cavendish, 3rd Baron Chesham
|
|-
|Mistress of the Robes
! scope=row |Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch
|
|-
|rowspan=14|Lords-in-Waiting
! scope=row |Victor Spencer, 3rd Baron Churchill
|
|-
! scope=row |George Harris, 4th Baron Harris
|
|-
! scope=row |John Henniker-Major, 5th Baron Henniker
|
|-
! scope=row |John Lawrence, 2nd Baron Lawrence
|
|-
! scope=row |Uchter Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly
|
|-
! scope=row |William Waldegrave, 9th Earl Waldegrave
|
|-
! scope=row |Edward Villiers, 5th Earl of Clarendon
|
|-
! scope=row |Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport
|
|-
! scope=row |Algernon Keith-Falconer, 9th Earl of Kintore
|
|-
! scope=row |William Bagot, 4th Baron Bagot
|
|-
! scope=row |Rudolph Feilding, 9th Earl of Denbigh
|
|-
! scope=row |Richard Curzon, 4th Earl Howe
|
|-
! scope=row |Lloyd Tyrell-Kenyon, 4th Baron Kenyon
|
|-
! scope=row |Charles Hay, 20th Earl of Erroll
|
|}