- Search our website
- Search our records
Labour Government
26 July 1945 - 26 October 1951
With a landslide of 395 seats compared to only 197 for the Conservatives and 12 for the Liberals, the Labour Party was given a massive mandate to govern Britain. Labour aimed to rebuild the country through a combination of tight controls on resources and nationalisation of industries. The government momentously created the Welfare State in order to help the most disadvantaged in society. Reconstruction of war-torn Britain was expensive and demobilisation of the economy complicated and risky. Control of the empire began to break down. India was the first to gain independence, heralding the start of decolonisation.
| Position | Name | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister | C. Attlee | 26 Jul 45 - 26 Oct 51 |
| Lord President | H. Morrison | 26 Jul 45 - 9 Mar 51 |
| Viscount Addison | 9 Mar 51 - 26 Oct 51 | |
| Lord Chancellor | Lord Jowitt | 27 Jul 45 - 26 Oct 51 |
| Lord Privy Seal | A. Greenwood | 27 Jul 45 - 17 Apr 47 |
| Lord Inman | 17 Apr 47 - 7 Oct 47 | |
| Viscount Addison | 7 Oct 47 - 9 Mar 51 | |
| E. Bevin | 9 Mar 47 - 26 Apr 51 | |
| R. Stokes | 26 Apr 51 - 26 Oct 51 | |
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | H. Dalton | 27 Jul 45 - 13 Nov 47 |
| Sir S. Cripps | 13 Nov 47 - 19 Oct 50 | |
| H. Gaitskell | 19 Oct 50 - 26 Oct 51 | |
| Minister for Economic Affairs | Sir S. Cripps | 29 Sep 47 - 13 Nov 47 |
| Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs | E. Bevin | 27 Jul 45 - 9 Mar 51 |
| nbsp; | H. Morrison | 9 Mar 51 - 26 Oct 51 |
| Secretary of State for Home Affairs | C. Ede | 3 Aug 45 - 26 Oct 51 |
| First Lord of the Admiralty | A. Alexander | 3 Aug 45 - 4 Oct 46 |
| Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries | T. Williams | 3 Aug 45 - 26 Oct 51 |
| Secretary of State for Air | Viscount Stansgate | 3 Aug 45 - 4 Oct 46 |
| Minister for Civil Aviation | Lord Pakenham | 31 May 48 - 28 Feb 50 |
| Secretary of State for the Colonies | G. Hall | 3 Aug 45 - 4 Oct 46 |
| A. Creech Jones | 4 Oct 46 - 28 Feb 50 | |
| J. Griffiths | 28 Feb 50 - 26 Oct 51 | |
| Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations | Viscount Addison | 7 Jul 50 - 26 Oct 51 |
| P. Noel-Baker | 7 Oct 47 - 28 Feb 50 | |
| P. Gordon Walker | 28 Feb 50 - 26 Oct 51 | |
| Minister for Defence | C. Attlee | 27 Jul 45 - 20 Dec 46 |
| A. Alexander | 20 Dec 46 - 28 Feb 50 | |
| E. Shinwell | 28 Feb 50 - 26 Oct 51 | |
| Secretary of State for the Dominions | Viscount Addison | 3 Aug 45 - 7 Jul 47 |
| Minister of Education | E. Wilkinson | 3 Aug 45 - 10 Feb 47 |
| G. Tomlinson | 10 Feb 47 - 26 Oct 51 | |
| Minister for Fuel and Power | E. Shinwell | 3 Aug 45 - 7 Oct 47 |
| Minister of Health | A. Bevan | 3 Aug 45 - 17 Jan 51 |
| Secretary of State for India and Burma | Lord Pethick-Lawrence | 3 Aug 45 - 17 Apr 47 |
| Earl of Listowen | 17 Apr 47 - 26 Oct 51 | |
| Minister of Labour and National Service | G. Isaacs | 3 Aug 45 - 17 Jan 51 |
| A. Bevan | 17 Jan 51 - 24 Apr 51 | |
| A. Robens | 24 Apr 51 - 26 Oct 51 | |
| Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | H. Dalton | 31 May 48 - 28 Feb 50 |
| Viscount Alexander | 28 Feb 50 - 26 Oct 51 | |
| Paymaster-General | A. Greenwood | 9 Jul 46 - 5 Mar 47 |
| Viscount Addison | 2 Jul 48 - 1 Apr 49 | |
| Minister without Portfolio | A. Alexander | 4 Oct 46 - 20 Dec 46 |
| A. Greenwood | 17 Apr 47 - 29 Sep 47 | |
| Secretary of State for Scotland | J. Westwood | 3 Aug 45 - 7 Oct 47 |
| A. Woodburn | 7 Oct 47 - 28 Feb 50 | |
| H. McNeil | 28 Feb 50 - 26 Oct 51 | |
| Town and Country Planning | H. Dalton | 28 Feb 50 - 26 Oct 51 |
| President of the Board of Trade | Sir S. Cripps | 27 Jul 45 - 29 Sep 47 |
| H. WIlson | 29 Sep 47 - 24 Apr 51 | |
| Sir H. Shawcross | 24 Apr 51 - 26 Oct 51 | |
| Secretary of State for War | J. Lawson | 3 Aug 45 - 4 Oct 46 |