In January 1957 Sir Anthony Eden resigned from his positions of Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. This was mainly a consequence of the Suez Crisis fiasco of the previous autumn, but was also owing to his increasingly failing health. Harold Macmillan, formerly Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer, was chosen over Rab Butler as the new party leader and consequently as Prime Minister.
Harold Macmillan tried to placate Butler, who had stood against Macmillan as leader, by appointing him to the senior position of Home Secretary. Peter Thorneycroft became Chancellor of the Exchequer, but caused embarrassment for Macmillan when he resigned only a year later. He was replaced by Derick Heathcoat Amory, previously Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Selwyn Lloyd was retained as Foreign Secretary, a post he held until 1960, when he succeeded Heathcoat Amory as Chancellor. Ernest Marples became Minister for Transport and the Earl of Home was promoted to Leader of the House of Lords and also continued as Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs, before replacing Lloyd as Foreign Secretary in 1960. Lord Kilmuir and Alan Lennox-Boyd retained their offices of Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for the Colonies respectively, while Lord Hailsham became a member of the cabinet for the first time as Minister of Education. Future Chancellor Iain Macleod was appointed Minister of Labour and National Service and succeeded Lennox-Boyd as Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1961.
The Conservatives comfortably won the 1959 general election, increasing their majority in the House of Commons, following a campaign slogan "Life's better with the Conservatives". This centred on the consistently low unemployment, strong economy and rising standard of living which much of the British population was enjoying in the late 1950s.
But a series of economic measures in the early 1960s caused the popularity of the Conservative Party to decline. Macmillan tried to remedy this by a major cabinet reshuffle in July 1962. Seven members of the cabinet were sacked in what became known as the Night of the Long Knives. Lord Kilmuir was notably replaced as Lord Chancellor by Lord Dilhorne and the emerging Reginald Maudling replaced Selwyn Lloyd as Chancellor, while Peter Thorneycroft returned to the cabinet as Minister of Defence. Rab Butler was also promoted to the office of First Secretary of State. The move was controversial within the Conservative Party and was seen as a betrayal by many. Macmillan's credibility was also affected by the 1963 Profumo affair, and he was now in his 69th year and had until after his 70th birthday to call the next general election. The election of Harold Wilson as Labour Party leader early in the year following the sudden death of Hugh Gaitskell was well received by voters, with opinion polls showing the Labour Party ascendant.
However, it was still considered a surprise when he resigned in October 1963.
Macmillan's resignation saw a three-way tussle for the party leadership and premiership. The Earl of Home and Lord Hailsham both disclaimed their peerages under the Peerage Act 1963 and became known as Sir Alec Douglas-Home and Quintin Hogg respectively – as it was not considered appropriate for a Prime Minister to be a member of the House of Lords. Rab Butler was also in the running for the post but Douglas-Home was finally chosen to succeed Macmillan. This was seen as controversial as it was alleged that Macmillan had pulled strings and used the party's grandees, nicknamed "The Magic Circle", to ensure that Butler was once again overlooked.
In the Douglas-Home ministry, Rab Butler became Foreign Secretary, and Henry Brooke replaced Butler as Home Secretary. Reginald Maudling continued as Chancellor, while Quintin Hogg remained as Lord President of the Council and Minister for Sports (although he was removed from the post of Leader of the House of Lords). In April 1964 Hogg was made Minister for Education. Selwyn Lloyd also returned to the government after a one-year absence, as Leader of the House of Commons. Douglas-Home's government was defeated in the October 1964 general election. He remained party leader until the 1965 party conference.
The 1957–1964 Conservative government saw several emerging figures who would later attain high office. Future Prime Minister Edward Heath became a member of the cabinet for the first time as Minister of Labour and National Service in 1959, while another future Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, held her first government post in 1961 as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Pensions. The government also included future Chancellor Anthony Barber, future Home Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister William Whitelaw and future Secretary of State for Education and Science Sir Keith Joseph. Other notable government members included Enoch Powell, Lord Carrington, David Ormsby-Gore, John Profumo, Christopher Soames, Bill Deedes, Airey Neave and the Marquess of Salisbury. The Conservatives were defeated in the 1964 general election.
Harold Macmillan: Prime Minister
Lord Kilmuir: Lord Chancellor
Lord Salisbury: Lord President of the Council
Rab Butler: Lord Privy Seal and Secretary of State for the Home Department
Peter Thorneycroft: Chancellor of the Exchequer
Selwyn Lloyd: Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Alan Lennox-Boyd: Secretary of State for the Colonies
Lord Home: Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
Sir David Eccles: President of the Board of Trade
Charles Hill: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Lord Hailsham: Minister of Education
John Scott Maclay: Secretary of State for Scotland
Derick Heathcoat Amory: Minister of Agriculture
Iain Macleod: Minister of Labour and National Service
Harold Arthur Watkinson: Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation
Duncan Edwin Sandys: Minister of Defence
Lord Mills: Minister of Power
Henry Brooke: Minister of Housing and Local Government and Welsh Affairs
Changes
March 1957 – Lord Home succeeds Lord Salisbury as Lord President, remaining also Commonwealth Relations Secretary.
September 1957 – Lord Hailsham succeeds Lord Home as Lord President, Home remaining Commonwealth Relations Secretary. Geoffrey Lloyd succeeds Hailsham as Minister of Education. The Paymaster-General, Reginald Maudling, enters the Cabinet.
January 1958 – Derick Heathcoat Amory succeeds Peter Thorneycroft as Chancellor of the Exchequer. John Hare succeeds Amory as Minister of Agriculture.
Harold Macmillan: Prime Minister
Lord Kilmuir: Lord Chancellor
Lord Home: Lord President of the Council and Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
Lord Hailsham: Lord Privy Seal and Minister of Science
Derick Heathcoat Amory: Chancellor of the Exchequer
Rab Butler: Secretary of State for the Home Department
Selwyn Lloyd: Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Iain Macleod: Secretary of State for the Colonies
Reginald Maudling: President of the Board of Trade
Charles Hill: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Sir David Eccles: Minister of Education
Lord Mills: Paymaster-General
Ernest Marples: Minister of Transport
Duncan Edwin Sandys: Minister of Aviation
Harold Arthur Watkinson: Minister of Defence
John Scott Maclay: Secretary of State for Scotland
Edward Heath: Minister of Labour and National Service
John Hare: Minister of Agriculture
Henry Brooke: Minister of Housing and Local Government and Welsh Affairs
Harold Macmillan: Prime Minister
Lord Kilmuir: Lord Chancellor
Lord Hailsham: Lord President of the Council and Minister of Science
Edward Heath: Lord Privy Seal
Selwyn Lloyd: Chancellor of the Exchequer
Rab Butler: Secretary of State for the Home Department
Lord Home: Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Iain Macleod: Secretary of State for the Colonies
Duncan Edwin Sandys: Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
Reginald Maudling: President of the Board of Trade
Charles Hill: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Sir David Eccles: Minister of Education
Lord Hailsham: Minister of Science
Lord Mills: Paymaster-General
Ernest Marples: Minister of Transport
Peter Thorneycroft: Minister of Aviation
Harold Arthur Watkinson: Minister of Defence
John Scott Maclay: Secretary of State for Scotland
John Hare: Minister of Labour
Christopher Soames: Minister of Agriculture
Henry Brooke: Minister of Housing and Local Government and Welsh Affairs
Harold Macmillan: Prime Minister
Lord Kilmuir: Lord Chancellor
Lord Hailsham: Lord President of the Council and Minister of Science
Edward Heath: Lord Privy Seal
Selwyn Lloyd: Chancellor of the Exchequer
Rab Butler: Secretary of State for the Home Department
Lord Home: Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Reginald Maudling: Secretary of State for the Colonies
Duncan Edwin Sandys: Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
Frederick Erroll: President of the Board of Trade
Iain Macleod: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Sir David Eccles: Minister of Education
Henry Brooke: Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster-General
Ernest Marples: Minister of Transport
Peter Thorneycroft: Minister of Aviation
Harold Arthur Watkinson: Minister of Defence
John Scott Maclay: Secretary of State for Scotland
John Hare: Minister of Labour
Christopher Soames: Minister of Agriculture
Charles Hill: Minister of Housing and Local Government and Welsh Affairs
Lord Mills: Minister without Portfolio
In a radical reshuffle dubbed "The Night of the Long Knives", Macmillan sacked a third of his Cabinet and instituted many other changes.
Harold Macmillan: Prime Minister
Rab Butler: Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State
Lord Dilhorne: Lord Chancellor
Lord Hailsham: Lord President of the Council and Minister of Science
Edward Heath: Lord Privy Seal
Reginald Maudling: Chancellor of the Exchequer
Henry Brooke: Secretary of State for the Home Department
Lord Home: Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Duncan Edwin Sandys: Secretary of State for the Colonies and Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
Frederick Erroll: President of the Board of Trade
Iain Macleod: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Sir Edward Boyle: Minister of Education
John Boyd-Carpenter: Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster-General
Ernest Marples: Minister of Transport
Julian Amery: Minister of Aviation
Peter Thorneycroft: Minister of Defence
Michael Noble: Secretary of State for Scotland
John Hare: Minister of Labour
Christopher Soames: Minister of Agriculture
Sir Keith Joseph: Minister of Housing and Local Government and Welsh Affairs
Enoch Powell: Minister of Health
Bill Deedes: Minister without Portfolio
Sir Alec Douglas-Home: Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury
Lord Dilhorne: Lord Chancellor
Quintin Hogg: Lord President of the Council and Minister of Science
Selwyn Lloyd: Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons
Reginald Maudling: Chancellor of the Exchequer
Rab Butler: Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Henry Brooke: Secretary of State for the Home Department
Sir Keith Joseph: Minister of Housing and Local Government
Peter Thorneycroft: Secretary of State for Defence
Julian Amery: Minister of Aviation
Ernest Marples: Minister of Transport
Frederick Erroll: Minister of Power
Edward Heath: Secretary of State for Industry, Trade, and Regional Development and President of the Board of Trade
Duncan Sandys: Secretary of State for the Colonies and Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
Sir Edward Boyle: Minister of Education
Anthony Barber: Minister of Health
John Boyd-Carpenter: Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster-General
Joseph Godber: Minister of Labour
Geoffrey Rippon: Minister of Public Works
Christopher Soames: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Michael Noble: Secretary of State for Scotland
Lord Blakenham: Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
William Deedes: Minister without Portfolio
Lord Carrington: Minister without Portfolio and Leader of the House of Lords
Changes
April 1964: Quintin Hogg became Secretary of State for Education and Science. Sir Edward Boyle left the cabinet
Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.
