Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs

The position of secretary of state for dominion affairs was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for British relations with the Empire’s dominions – Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Newfoundland, and the Irish Free State – and the self-governing Crown colony of Southern Rhodesia.

Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
Royal Arms as used by His Majesty's Government
StyleThe Right Honourable
AppointerThe Monarch
(on the advice of the Prime Minister)
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural holderLeo Amery
Formation11 June 1925
Final holderThe Viscount Addison
Abolished7 July 1947
DeputyUnder-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs

When initially created in 1925, the office was held in tandem with that of secretary of state for the colonies; this arrangement persisted until June 1930. On two subsequent occasions the offices were briefly held by the same person.

The secretary of state was supported by an under-secretary of state for dominion affairs. In 1947, the name of the office was changed to the secretary of state for commonwealth relations.

Secretaries of state for dominion affairs, 1925–1947

  Conservative       Labour       National Labour
Portrait Name
Honorifics & constituency
Term of office Political party Prime Minister Foreign Secretary
Leo Amery
MP for Birmingham Sparkbrook
(also Sec.State for the Colonies)
11 June
1925
4 June
1929
Conservative Baldwin Chamberlain
Sidney Webb, 1st Baron Passfield
(also Sec.State for the Colonies)
7 June
1929
5 June
1930
Labour MacDonald Henderson
James Henry Thomas
MP for Derby
(also Sec.State for the Colonies, Aug–Nov 1931)
5 June
1930
22 November
1935
Labour
National Labour Reading

Simon

Malcolm MacDonald
MP for Ross and Cromarty
22 November
1935
16 May
1938
National Labour Baldwin Hoare

Eden

Chamberlain
Edward Stanley, Lord Stanley
MP for Fylde
16 May
1938
16 October
1938†
Conservative Halifax
Malcolm MacDonald
MP for Ross and Cromarty
(also Sec.State for the Colonies)
31 October
1938
29 January
1939
National Labour
Sir Thomas Inskip
MP for Fareham
29 January
1939
3 September
1939
Conservative
Anthony Eden
MP for Warwick and Leamington
3 September
1939
14 May
1940
Conservative
Thomas Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote 14 May
1940
3 October
1940
Conservative Churchill
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount Cranborne
MP for South Dorset until 1941
Baron Cecil of Essendon after 1941
3 October
1940
19 February
1942
Conservative Eden
Clement Attlee
MP for Limehouse
19 February
1942
24 September
1943
Labour
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount Cranborne
Baron Cecil of Essendon
24 September
1943
26 July
1945
Conservative
Christopher Addison, 1st Viscount Addison 3 August
1945
7 July
1947
Labour Attlee Bevin

Viscount Addison took up the new post of secretary of state for commonwealth relations on 7 July 1947.

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