Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
The secretary of state for Commonwealth relations was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for dealing with the United Kingdom's relations with members of the Commonwealth of Nations (its former colonies). The minister's department was the Commonwealth Relations Office (CRO).
The position was created in 1947 out of the old positions of secretary of state for dominion affairs and secretary of state for India. In 1966, the position was merged with that of the secretary of state for the colonies to form that of secretary of state for Commonwealth affairs, which was in turn merged with the secretary of state for foreign affairs in 1968 to create the new position of secretary of state for foreign and Commonwealth affairs. The equivalent position today is the secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs.
Secretaries of state for Commonwealth relations, 1947–1966
Portrait | Name | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Christopher Addison The Viscount Addison | 7 July 1947 | 7 October 1947 | Labour | Attlee (I & II) | |||
Philip Noel-Baker MP for Derby | 7 October 1947 | 28 February 1950 | Labour | ||||
Patrick Gordon Walker MP for Smethwick | 28 February 1950 | 26 October 1951 | Labour | ||||
General Hastings Ismay The Lord Ismay | 28 October 1951 | 12 March 1952 | – | Churchill III | |||
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil The Marquess of Salisbury | 12 March 1952 | 24 November 1952 | Conservative | ||||
Philip Cunliffe-Lister The Viscount Swinton | 24 November 1952 | 7 April 1955 | Conservative | ||||
Alec Douglas-Home The Earl of Home | 7 April 1955 | 27 July 1960 | Conservative | Eden | |||
Macmillan (I & II) | |||||||
Duncan Sandys MP for Streatham | 27 July 1960 | 16 October 1964 | Conservative | ||||
Douglas-Home | |||||||
Arthur Bottomley MP for Middlesbrough East | 18 October 1964 | 1 August 1966 | Labour | Wilson (I & II) |
References
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office website
Northern Department 1660–1782 Secretaries — Undersecretaries | Southern Department 1660–1768 Secretaries — Undersecretaries | — | |
Southern Department 1768–1782 Secretaries — Undersecretaries 1782: diplomatic responsibilities transferred to new Foreign Office | Colonial Office 1768–1782 Secretaries — Undersecretaries | ||
Foreign Office 1782–1968 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries | Home Office 1782–1794 Secretaries — Undersecretaries | ||
War Office 1794–1801 Secretaries — Undersecretaries | |||
War and Colonial Office 1801–1854 Secretaries — Undersecretaries | |||
Colonial Office 1854–1925 Secretaries — Undersecretaries | India Office 1858–1937 Secretaries — Undersecretaries | ||
Colonial Office 1925–1966 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries | Dominions Office 1925–1947 Secretaries — Undersecretaries | ||
India Office and Burma Office 1937–1947 Secretaries — Undersecretaries | |||
Commonwealth Relations Office 1947–1966 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries | |||
Commonwealth Office 1966–1968 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries | |||
Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1968–2020 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries | |||
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Since 2020 Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries |