Alec Douglas-Home
The Lord Home of the Hirsel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Prime Minister of the United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 19 October 1963 – 16 October 1964 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monarch | Elizabeth II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Harold Macmillan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Harold Wilson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader of the Opposition | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 16 October 1964 – 28 July 1965 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monarch | Elizabeth II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Harold Wilson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Harold Wilson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Edward Heath | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader of the Conservative Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 18 October 1963 – 28 July 1965 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Harold Macmillan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Edward Heath | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Alexander FrederickDouglas-Home 2 July 1903 Mayfair,London,England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 9 October 1995 Coldstream,Scotland | (aged 92)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Resting place | Lennel Churchyard,Coldstream | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other political affiliations | Unionist | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse(s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Children | 4, includingDavid | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Parents | Charles Douglas-Home(father) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cricket information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Right-armfast-medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1924–1927 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source:Douglas-HomeatESPNcricinfo |
Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel,KT,PC(/ˈhjuːm/(listen);2 July 1903 – 9 October 1995) wasPrime Ministerof theUnited Kingdomfrom 1963 to 1964. He was better known asAlec Douglas-Home.[1]
Home was aMember of Parliamentand a junior official (a Parliamentary Private Secretary) whenNeville Chamberlainwent toMunichto meetAdolf Hitlerin 1938. He was present at the main meetings betweenHitlerand Chamberlain. Later in life, he was appointed byHarold MacmillanasForeign Secretaryin 1960–1963, and again inEdward Heath's government from 1970 to 1974.
Home's name and title changed a few times during his life. Born as Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, he became Lord Dunglass when his father became theEarlof Home. Dunglass is a junior title, that is, a lower title which is held by the eldest son. When his father died Alec became the 14thEarl of Home.He also became Baron Douglas in the peerage of the United Kingdom (that was also a junior title).
Leader of Party and Prime Minister[change|change source]
When he was chosen as Leader of theConservative Partyafter Harold Macmillan retired, he knew it would be difficult to lead a government from theHouse of Lords.So he renounced his title, four days after becoming Prime Minister.[2][3]Once he renounced the title, he became simply Sir Alec Douglas-Home. He had been made aKnight of the Thistlein 1962. Finally, after he lost the election of 1964, he was given alife peerage,titled 'BaronHome of the Hirsel'. That title is not hereditary but, after his death, his son became the 15th Earl of Home.
Rapidly, after the title was renounced, arrangements were made. The safe Conservative seat ofKinross and Western Perthshirewas vacant, and Douglas-Home was adopted as his party's candidate. Parliament was due to meet on 24 October after the summer recess, but its return was postponed until 12 November pending the by-election.[4]For twenty days Douglas-Home was Prime Minister while a member of neither house of Parliament, a situation without modernprecedent.[5]He won the by-election with a majority of 9,328.
Prime Minister 1963–1964[change|change source]
A former peer as Prime Minister was open to attack, and Douglas-Home was attacked by the Labour Party leaderHarold Wilson.Wilson attacked the new prime minister as "an elegant anachronism". He said that nobody from Douglas-Home's background knew the problems of ordinary families. In particular, Wilson asked how "a scion of an effete establishment" could lead the technological revolution which was needed. His premiership was ended by the general election of 1964, which put in the Labour Party with Harold Wilson as Prime Minister.
Foreign Affairs 1970–1974[change|change source]
When the Conservatives returned to power in 1970, Home was madeForeign Secretary.He was a considerable success in this role. His speeches explained the world situation, which was then at the height of theCold War.
In east–west relations, Douglas-Home spoke against the Soviet Union and its spying activities in Britain. In September 1971 he expelled 105 Soviet diplomats, who were spying.[6]Although this was an extraordinary incident,[7]Gromykowas realistic enough to keep a working relationship with the British government.[7]Within days of the expulsions from London he and Douglas-Home met and discussed the Middle East and disarmament.[6][7]
Assessment[change|change source]
The Timesconsidered that his reputation rested not on his brief premiership, but on his two spells as Foreign Secretary: "He brought to the office... his capacity for straight talking, for toughness towards theSoviet Unionand for firmness (sometimes interpreted as a lack of sympathy) towards the continents ofAfricaandAsia.But he brought something else as well: an unusual degree of international respect ".[8]
References[change|change source]
- ↑The word "" Home "in his name is pronounced" Hume ".
- ↑Hurd, Douglas 2004.Home, Alexander Frederick Douglas-, fourteenth Earl of Home and Baron Home of the Hirsel (1903–1995),Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,Oxford University Press, accessed 14 April 2012(subscription required)
- ↑Boyd, Francis, and Norman Shrapnel. "Stumbling into Number 10",The Guardian,10 October 1995, p. 15
- ↑Pike, E Royston 1968.Britain's Prime Ministers.London: Odhams, p464.ISBN0600720322
- ↑Technically, no Prime Minister, or any other politician, is a Member of Parliament between the dissolution of one Parliament and the election of another. Home was unusal in being a PM for nearly two weeks while Parliamentwassitting while he was without a seat in either chamber."Dissolution Arrangements"Archived2016-12-28 at theWayback Machine,House of Commons, February 2010, accessed 14 April 2012
- ↑6.06.1"Thaw in Anglo-Soviet Relations",The Times,p. 17, 4 December 1973
- ↑7.07.17.2Leapman, Michael (28 September 1971), "Gromyko threat of reprisals on diplomats fails to sway Sir Alec",The Times,p. 1
- ↑Obituary
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