Neville Chamberlain - Premiership (1937–1940)

Premiership (1937–1940)

Upon his accession, Chamberlain considered calling a general election, but with three and a half years remaining in the current Parliament's term, decided to wait. At age 68, he was the second-oldest person in the 20th century (behind Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman) to become Prime Minister for the first time, and was widely seen as a caretaker who would lead the Conservative Party until the next election and then step down in favour of a younger man, with Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden a likely candidate. From the start of Chamberlain's premiership, a number of would-be successors were rumoured to be jockeying for position.

Chamberlain had disliked what he considered to be an overly sentimental attitude by both Baldwin and MacDonald on Cabinet appointments and reshuffles. Although he had worked closely with the President of the Board of Trade, Walter Runciman, over the tariff issue, Chamberlain dismissed him from his post, offering him the token position of Lord Privy Seal, which an angry Runciman declined. Runciman, a member of the Liberal National Party, was thought by Chamberlain to be lazy. Soon after taking office, Chamberlain instructed his ministers to prepare two-year policy programmes. These reports were to be integrated, with the intent of coordinating the passage of legislation through the current Parliament, the term of which was to expire in November 1940.

At the time of his succession, Chamberlain's personality was not well known to the public, though he had made annual budget broadcasts for six years, which, according to Chamberlain biographer Robert Self, appear relaxed and modern, showing an ability to talk directly to the camera. Chamberlain had few friends among his parliamentary colleagues, and an attempt by his Parliamentary Private Secretary, Lord Dunglass (later Prime Minister himself as Alec Douglas-Home) to bring him to the Smoking Room in the Commons to socialise with his colleagues ended in embarrassing silence. Chamberlain compensated for these shortcomings by devising the most sophisticated press management system employed by a Prime Minister up to that time, with officials at Number 10, led by his chief of press, George Steward, convincing members of the press that they were colleagues, sharing power and insider knowledge, and should espouse the government line.