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Coalition Caretaker Government
23 May 1945 - 26 July 1945
At the end of the war in Europe, pressure mounted for the return of 'normal' party politics. This culminated in the withdrawal of the Labour Party from the coalition and the decision to hold a general election in early July 1945. While arrangements to allow large numbers of overseas servicemen to vote were made, a caretaker government under Winston Churchill governed the country.
| Position | Name | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister & Minister for Defence | W. Churchill | 23 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| Lord President | Lord Woolton | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| Lord Privy Seal | Lord Beaverbrook | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | Sir J. Anderson | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs | A. Eden | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| Secretary of State for Home Affairs | Sir D. Somervell | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| First Lord of the Admiralty | B. Bracken | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries | R. Hudson | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| Secretary of State for Air | H. Macmillan | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| Secretary of State for the Colonies | O. Stanley | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| Secretary of State of the Dominions | Viscount Cranborne | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| Secretary of State for India and Burma | L. Amery | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| Minister for Labour and National Service | R. Butler | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| Minister for Production | O. Lyttelton | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| Secretary of State for Scotland | Earl of Rosebery | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| President of the Board of Trade | O. Lyttelton | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |
| Secretary of State of War | Sir J. Grigg | 25 May 45 - 26 Jul 45 |