COMPOSITION OF NEW CABINET

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 49, 26 August 1931, Page 9

COMPOSITION OF NEW CABINET

REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL PARTIES

EXPERIENCED MINISTERS

(British Official Wireless.) (Received 26th August, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, 25ih August. Soon after 6 o'clock to-night the composition of the new Cabinet lvas announced from 10, Downing Street. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald had previously visited Buckingham Palace, and had an audience of the King lasting 35 minutes. Cabinet will consist of the ten following Ministers:— Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Philip Snowden. Lord President of the Council, Mr. Stanley Baldwin. Foreign Minister, Lord Reading. Secretary for the Dominions and Colonies, Mr. J. H. Thomas. Lord Chancellor, Lord Sankey. Home Secretary, Sir Herbert Samuel. Secretary for India, Sir Samuel Hoare. Minister of Health, Mr. Neville Chamberlain. President of the Board of Trade, Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister. There are therefore in the Cabinet four members of the late Labour Government, Messrs. Mac Donald, Snowden, Thomas, and Lord Sankey, two Liberals, Lord Reading and Sir Herbert Samuel, and four Conservatives, Mr. Baldwin, Sir Samuel Hoare, Mr. N. Chamberlain, and Sir P. Cunliffe-Lister.

In addition, the following appointments are announced:—

Secretary for Air, Lord Amulree (who retains die post he held under the Labour Government). First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Austen Chamberlain. Secretary for Scotland, Sir Archibald Sinclair (Liberal). President of the Board of Education, Sir Donald Maclean (Liberal). Minister of Labour, Sir Henry Betterton (Conservative). First Commissioner of Works, Lord Londonderry (Conserva-^ live). . Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Lord Lothian (Liberal). . The names of the Secretary for War and the Minister of Agriculture will be announced later. It is generally assumed that Mr. Baldwin -will act as Leader of the House of Commons. It is understood that Ministers in the late Labour Government will hand over their seals of office at Buckingham Palace early to-morrow morning, and the new Ministers will go to receive them at 11.30. The first meeting of the new Cabinet will probably take place at noon. •According to the Prime Minister's statement last night, Parliament will meet on Bth September, "when proposals will be submitted to the House of Commons for a very large reduction of expenditure, and for the provision of an equitable basis of further funds required to balance the Budget."

Mr. Ramsay MaeDonald is now leading his third Ministry, the others being from January, 1934, to November, 1924, and from 1929 to this mouth. . ,;.'.;..

Mr. Philip Snowden (Lab.) retains his post of Chancellor of the Exchequer,' which he filled in the First and Second Labour Governments. . ■ Mr. Stanley Baldwin (Con.), twice Prime Minister (1923-24 and 1924-29), is now filling a' post which he has not held previously. He has been Chancellor of the Exchequer and President of the Board of Trade in the past. Lord Reading (Lib.) was Attorney-General in 1910-13, Lord Chief Justice of England in 1913-21, and Viceroy of India in 1921-26. He has also headed a number of notable. British missions abroad. Lord Sankey (Lab.) has been Lord Chancellor since 1929 and retains the office. He is best known, as chairman of the famous Sankey Coal Commission, 1919. Sir Herbert Samuel (Lib.) has been Home Secretary before and has held a variety of other posts in the. Ministry. He was also High Commissioner in Palestine in 1920-25. Sir Samuel lloare (Con.) was Secretary for Air iv 1922-24 anil 1924-29.. •Mr. Neville Ch.-tinberlam (Con.) was Minister ol! Health in 1923 and in 1924-29. He has also been Postmaster-General and Chancellor of the Exchequer. Sir Philip Cunlifte-Lister (Con.) was President of the Board of Trade in 1922-23 and 1924-29, and has held other official positions connected with the Board of Trade and Overseas Trade Department. Mr. J. H. Thomas (Lab.) has been Secretary for the Dominions since 1030, and held the post of Secretary for the Colonies in 1924 and that of Lord Privy Seal in 1929-30. Lord Amulreo (Lab.) became Secretary for Air on the death of Lord Thomson in the 8101 tragedy, and retains the portfolio. Sir, Austen Chamberlain (Con.) was Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the last Baldwin Government, and has previously held a variety of Cabinet posts.

Sir Archibald Sinclair (Lib.) has been Military Secretary to the Secretary for War and Private Secretary to the Secretary for the Colonies.

Lord Londonderry (Con.) has been First Commissioner of ■Works previously (from 192S to 1929), and has held other posts in the Ministry. - Lord Lothian (Lib.), Secretary of the Rhodes Trust and once editor of "The Round Table," was Secretary to the Prime Minister from 1916 to 1921. Sir Donald JtfaeLean (Lib.) has been Deputy-Chairman of Committees ot- the House of Commons, and Chairman of the Liberal Parliamentary Party. Sir Henry Betterton (Con.) was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour in 1923-24 and 1924-29.