Secretary of State for Air

Summary

The Secretary of State for Air was a secretary of state position in the British government that existed from 1919 to 1964. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. The Secretary of State for Air was supported by the Under-Secretary of State for Air.

Secretary of State for Air
Royal Arms as used by His Majesty's Government
Longest serving
Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso

11 May 1940 – 23 May 1945
Air Ministry
StatusAbolished
Formerly, Secretary of state
Member ofBritish Cabinet
Privy Council
SeatWestminster, London
AppointerThe British Monarch
on advice of the Prime Minister
Term lengthNo fixed term
PrecursorPresident of the Air Council
Formation10 January 1919
First holderWinston Churchill
Final holderHugh Fraser
Abolished1 April 1964
SuccessionSecretary of State for Defence
Air Council in session at the Air Ministry in July 1940.

History

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The position was created on 10 January 1919 to manage the Royal Air Force. In 1946, the three posts of Secretary of State for War, First Lord of the Admiralty, and Secretary of State for Air became formally subordinated to that of Minister of Defence, which had itself been created in 1940 for the co-ordination of defence and security issues. On 1 April 1964, the Air Ministry was incorporated into the newly created united Ministry of Defence, and the position of Secretary of State for Air was abolished.

Principal political leaders of the English/British Armed Forces:
Royal Navy British Army Royal Air Force Co-ordination
1628 First Lord of the Admiralty
(1628–1964)
1794 Secretary of State for War
(1794–1801)
1801 Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
(1801–1854)
1854 Secretary of State for War
(1854–1964)
1919 Secretary of State for Air
(1919–1964)
1936 Minister for Co-ordination of Defence
(1936–1940)
1940 Minister of Defence (1940–1964)
1964 Secretary of State for Defence (1964–present)


List of leaders

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Chairman of the Joint War Air Committee, 1916

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Chairman Term of office Political party
Took office Left office Time in office
  Edward Stanley
17th Earl of Derby
February
1916
February
1916[a]
7 months and 19 days Conservative

Presidents of the Air Board, 1916–1917

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President Term of office Political party
Took office Left office Time in office
  George Curzon
1st Earl Curzon of Kedleston
15 May
1916
3 January
1917
10 months and 23 days Conservative
  Weetman Pearson
1st Viscount Cowdray
3 January
1917
26 November
1917
10 months and 23 days Liberal

Presidents of the Air Council, 1917–1919

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President Term of office Political party
Took office Left office Time in office
  Harold Harmsworth
1st Baron Rothermere
26 November
1917
26 April
1918
5 months
  William Weir
1st Baron Weir
26 April
1918
10 January
1919
8 months and 15 days
  J. E. B. Seely
MP for Ilkeston
January
1919
November
1919[a]
9 or 10 months Conservative

Secretaries of State for Air, 1919–1964

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Secretary Term of office Political party
Took office Left office Time in office
  Winston Churchill[b]
MP for Dundee
10 January
1919
1 April
1921
2 years, 2 months and 22 days Liberal
  Frederick Edward Guest
MP for East Dorset
1 April
1921
19 October
1922
1 year, 6 months and 18 days Liberal
  Sir Samuel Hoare
MP for Chelsea
31 October
1922
22 January
1924
1 year, 2 months and 22 days Conservative
  Christopher Thomson
1st Baron Thomson
22 January
1924
3 November
1924
9 months and 12 days Labour
  Sir Samuel Hoare
MP for Chelsea
6 November
1924
4 June
1929
4 years, 6 months and 29 days Conservative
  Christopher Thomson
1st Baron Thomson
7 June
1929
5 October
1930
1 year, 3 months and 28 days Labour
  William Mackenzie
1st Baron Amulree
14 October
1930
5 November
1931
1 year and 22 days Labour
  Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart
7th Marquess of Londonderry
5 November
1931
7 June
1935
3 years, 7 months and 2 days Conservative
  Philip Cunliffe-Lister
1st Viscount Swinton
7 June
1935
16 May
1938
2 years, 11 months and 9 days Conservative
  Sir Kingsley Wood
MP for Woolwich West
16 May
1938
3 April
1940
1 year, 10 months and 18 days Conservative
  Sir Samuel Hoare
MP for Chelsea
3 April
1940
11 May
1940
1 month and 8 days Conservative
  Sir Archibald Sinclair
MP for Caithness and Sutherland
11 May
1940
23 May
1945
5 years and 12 days Liberal
  Harold Macmillan
MP for Stockton-on-Tees
25 May
1945
26 July
1945
2 months and 1 day Conservative
  William Wedgwood Benn
1st Viscount Stansgate
3 August
1945
4 October
1946
1 year, 2 months and 1 day Labour
  Philip Noel-Baker
MP for Derby
4 October
1946
7 October
1947
1 year and 3 days Labour
Arthur Henderson
MP for Kingswinford before 1950
MP for Rowley Regis and Tipton after 1950
7 October
1947
26 October
1951
4 years and 19 days Labour
  William Sidney
6th Baron De L'Isle and Dudley
31 October
1951
20 December
1955
4 years, 1 month and 20 days Conservative
Nigel Birch
MP for West Flintshire
20 December
1955
16 January
1957
1 year and 27 days Conservative
  George Ward
MP for Worcester
16 January
1957
28 October
1960
3 years, 9 months and 12 days Conservative
  Julian Amery
MP for Preston North
28 October
1960
16 July
1962
1 year, 8 months and 18 days Conservative
  Hugh Fraser
MP for Stafford and Stone
16 July
1962
1 April
1964
1 year, 8 months and 16 days Conservative

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Resigned.
  2. ^ Also Secretary of State for War.
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  • Hansard – Secretary of State for Air