Albert Victor Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Hillsborough, KG (1 May 1885 - 11 January 1965) was a British Labour and Co-operative politician. He was three times First Lord of the Admiralty, including during the Second World War, and then Minister of Defence under Clement Attlee. KG, Kg or kg may indicate: A Kampfgeschwader, a bomber squadron of the former German Luftwaffe Basketball Player Kevin Garnett An abbreviation for kilogram (always kg) Knight of the Garter, a British decoration Kommanditgesellschaft, German version of a limited partnership Kongo language (ISO 639 alpha-2) An abbreviation for konig... Jump to: navigation, search May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Jump to: navigation, search January 11 is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1999-The Bomb 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... This article is about the British political party. ... A politician is an individual involved in politics. ... The First Lord of the Admiralty was a British government position in charge of the Admiralty. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... The Secretary of State for Defence is the senior United Kingdom government minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence. ... The Right Honourable Sir Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC (3 January 1883 – 8 October 1967) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951. ...

A.V. Alexander, Minister of Defence

A.V. Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Hillsborough File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A.V. Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Hillsborough File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Background

Born in Weston-super-Mare and one of four children, A. V. Alexander was the son of Albert Alexander, a blacksmith and later engineer who had moved from his native Wiltshire to Bristol during the agricultural depression of the 1860s and 1870s, and Eliza Jane Thatcher, daughter of a policeman. He was named after both his father and Prince Albert Victor, Queen Victoria's eldest grandson, but he was known as "A. V." from a young age. His parents had settled in Weston when they married, but the family moved to Bristol after Albert Alexander's death in August 1886. Alexander's mother worked as a corset-maker to provide for her children. Weston-super-Mare is an English seaside resort town in North Somerset, population 65,000 (1991 estimate). ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ... Jump to: navigation, search Bristol is an English city and county and one of the three administrative centres of South West England (the others being Plymouth and Exeter). ... // Events and trends Technology The First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States is built in the six year period between 1863 and 1869. ... Events and Trends Technology The invention of the telephone (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell. ... His Royal Highness Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (Albert Victor Christian Edward Wettin) (January 8, 1864 – January 14, 1892) was born in Windsor, England, the eldest son of the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) and Alexandra of Denmark, and was therefore the second in... Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819–22 January 1901) was a Queen of the United Kingdom, reigning from 20 June 1837 until her death. ... Note: as an adjective (stressed on the second syllable instead of the first), august means honorable. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1886 is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ...

Alexander attended Barton Hill School from the age of three, at a cost of two pence per week. Against his mother's wishes, he chose not to continue to St. George's Higher Grade School in 1898, feeling the increased weekly charge of six pence was too expensive and that he would get nothing more from school. He began work aged thirteen, first for a leather merchant, and five months later as a junior clerk with the Bristol School Board. In 1903 he transferred to Somerset County Council's newly formed local education authority, where he worked in the School Management Department as a committee clerk. He was by this time a keen chorister and footballer, and a self-taught pianist. Jump to: navigation, search 1898 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1903 has the latest occurring solstices and equinoxes for 400 years, because the Gregorian calendar hasnt had a leap year for seven years or a century leap year since 1600. ... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ... A Local Education Authority (LEA) is the part of a council in England or Wales that is responsible for education within that councils jurisdiction. ...

Raised an Anglican, Alexander converted to Baptism in 1908 after he married Esther Chappel, a school teacher and Baptist. Their daughter, Beatrix, was born in 1909, and their son lived from 1911 to 1913. He joined the Weston Co-operative Society and became treasurer of the local Young Liberal Association in 1908, and the local Trades and Labour Council in 1909. He was elected to the board of the Weston Co-op Society in 1910. The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... Jump to: navigation, search Baptism is a water purification ritual practiced in certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, and Sikhism, and has its origins with the Jewish ritual of mikvah. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1911 was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the 1920s, and a third party of varying strength and importance up to 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party to form a new party which would become known as... 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

He volunteered for service when the First World War began, but was not called-up until two years later. He joined the Artists' Rifles, which principally served to train officers for assignment to other regiments. He trained in London and studied at Magdalen College, Oxford, before earning his commission in December 1917. His health suffered during training, and he never saw active service, instead working as a posting officer in Lancashire. In November 1918 he was promoted to captain and became an education officer, preparing wounded soldiers for civilian life. He was demobbed in late 1919. Within a year of returning home, he became vice-president of the Weston Co-op Society and secretary of the Somerset branch of NALGO. Jump to: navigation, search World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machine guns, and poison gas World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War, the War... The 21st Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Volunteers) is a special forces regiment of the British Territorial Army. ... College name Magdalen College Named after Mary Magdalene Established 1458 Sister College Magdalene College President Professor David Clary FRS JCR President Varun Chandra Undergraduates 395 Graduates 230 Homepage Boatclub Magdalen College (pronounced ) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. ... Jump to: navigation, search Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ... Jump to: navigation, search December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1917 was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search Lancashire (archaically, the County of Lancaster) is a county palatine of England, lying on the Irish Sea. ... Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see November (disambiguation). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search Captain is both a nautical term and a military rank. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The National Association of Local Government Officers (NALGO) was a British trade union representing mostly local government workers. ...

Parliamentary Career

In late 1920, Alexander applied for the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Co-operative Congress. He was selected out of 104 candidates, moving to London that November, and would hold the job until 1946. In this role, he directed the presentation of the Co-op's position and interests to government bodies and MPs. In July 1921 he campaigned directly to MPs to oppose a clause in the government's Finance Bill which would impose Corporation Tax on Co-ops. The government, which had a large majority, was defeated by two votes. Shortly after this, the Sheffield branch of the Co-operative Party invited Alexander to be their Parliamentary candidate. He was duly elected for Hillsborough in November 1922, one of only four Co-op MPs. He was re-elected in 1923, 1924 and 1929. He would continue to represent Sheffield, with one break, until 1950. Jump to: navigation, search 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events WIKIPEDIA EATS VAGINA January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... This article is about the British political party. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see November (disambiguation). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1946 was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... The three letter acronym MPS can refer to: Memory Pool System, a computer memory management system Marginal propensity to save, the rate at which a population saves money Moruya Public School, a small primary school in Moruya, NSW Australia Milwaukee Public Schools, the largest public education district in the State... July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1921 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Jim Callaghan, the Chancellor of the Exchequer who introduced corporation tax in 1965. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the city in England. ... Sheffield Hillsborough is a Parliamentary constituency in the City of Sheffield. ... Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see November (disambiguation). ... The UK general election of 1922 was held on 15th November 1922. ... The UK general election of 1923 was held on 5th December 1923. ... The 1924 UK general election was held on 29th October 1924. ... The 1929 UK general election was held on 30th May 1929, and resulted in a hung parliament. ...

In his maiden speech, Alexander criticised the Liberal Party for abandoning its progressive principles and championed economic theories that were central to the Labour Party's manifesto. The Labour leadership accepted him as a spokesman on a number of issues, though the Co-op was not affiliated to the Labour Party until 1927. When Labour formed its first government in January 1924, Ramsay Macdonald made Alexander Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to the Board of Trade, under Sidney Webb and Emmanuel Shinwell. Alexander's responsibilities included the merchant navy, and answering Parliamentary Questions on all trade matters. The Co-op's Parliamentary Committee had an acting secretary in Alexander's place whilst he was in government, but he continued to take part in appeals to ministers. A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected representative in such bodies as the House of Commons or the United States House of Representatives. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search January, from the Très riches heures du duc de Berry January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1924 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Right Honourable James Ramsay MacDonald (12 October 1866–9 November 1937), British politician, was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... A Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, in the United Kingdom government structure, is a minister who is junior to a Minister of State who is then junior to a Secretary of State. ... The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions. ... Categories: UK Labour Party politicians | British MPs | Peers | Secretaries of State for the Colonies (UK) | 1859 births | 1947 deaths | People stubs ... Emanuel Shinwell (October 18, 1884-May 8, 1986) (familiarly known as Manny) was born in London, but moved with his Jewish family to Scotland. ... In most seafaring countries, the merchant marine (or merchant navy) is a fleet of ships used for commerce that sometimes complements the navy. ...

After the government fell in October 1924, Alexander returned to working for the Co-op full-time. He became well known for his testimonies before government committees, and used the Co-op's Parliamentary Committee to help co-ordinate responses to government action during the General Strike. In Parliament, he became a front bench spokesman on trade, staunchly criticising the protectionist policies of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Winston Churchill. He also spoke on agriculture, local government and on social security, where he called for increased welfare, citing the suffering of his own constituents during the depression. In early 1929, Alexander applied for the position of General Secretary of the Co-operative Union, but was beaten by R. A. Palmer. Within weeks, he became a member of the cabinet in the second Labour government. Jump to: navigation, search October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... The UK General Strike of 1926 lasted nine days, from 3 May to 12 May 1926, and was called by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in an unsuccessful attempt to force the government to act to prevent wage reduction and worsening conditions for coal miners. ... Protectionism is the economic policy of promoting favored domestic industries through the use of high tariffs and other regulations to discourage imports. ... The Rt. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, FRS, PC (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was an English statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... For specific national programs, see Social Security (United States), National insurance (UK), Social Security (Sweden) Social security mainly refers to a field of social welfare concerned with social protection, or protection against socially recognized needs, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment, families with children and others. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1929 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search A Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. ...

First Lord of the Admiralty

Although many had expected Alexander to be appointed President of the Board of Trade, this position went to William Graham, protege of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Snowden. Instead, Alexander became First Lord of the Admiralty, the only Labour member to hold this position as a cabinet rank. The Admiralty was a political power in its own right, and usually able to resist pressure from the Treasury and from Downing Street. Macdonald's primary concern was international disarmament, and Alexander persuaded the Admiralty to reduce their demands for new cruisers as a prelude to negotiations aimed at ending naval rivalry with the U.S.A.. In January 1930, a conference between the five major naval powers (Britain, the US, France, Italy and Japan) was held in London. This resulted in a treaty between Britain, America and Japan, to limit growth and maintain parity of their naval forces. In the spring of 1931, Alexander and the Foreign Secretary, Arthur Henderson, negotiated France and Italy's entry into the treaty. Though Alexander came into conflict with the admiralty over expansion of the fleet, he defended it against criticism of its spending and staffing levels. He also introduced a system to make it easier for working-class recruits to become officers. During the economic crisis in mid-1931, Alexander supported Snowden's defence of free trade against Macdonald and Henderson's proposals for protectionism, but sided with Henderson against Snowden and Macdonald's proposed cuts in government spending, especially unemployment benefit. He organised the cabinet opponents to the cuts, who advocated a socialist economy. The President of the Board of Trade the title of a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. ... William Graham may refer to: William Alexander Graham, Governor and Senator from North Carolina William Graham, Representative from Indiana William Graham, American Revolution militia leader at the Battle of Kings Mountain William Graham, a British statesman who eventually presided over the Board of Trade William Graham, Welsh Assembly member... Philip Snowden, 1st Viscount Snowden (July 18, 1864 - May 15, 1937) was a British politician, and the first Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer. ... The First Lord of the Admiralty was a British government position in charge of the Admiralty. ... A treasury is the part of a government which manages all money and revenue. ... Downing Street Downing Street is the famous street in central London which contains the buildings that have been, for over two hundred years, the official residences of two of the most senior British cabinet ministers, the First Lord of the Treasury, an office held by the Prime Minister of the... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... Jump to: navigation, search January, from the Très riches heures du duc de Berry January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Jump to: navigation, search For the recipient of the Victoria Cross, see Arthur Henderson (VC) The Right Honourable Arthur Henderson (September 13, 1863 - October 20, 1935) was a British politician and union leader. ... The color red and particularly the red flag are traditional symbols of Socialism. ...

Faced with a cabinet split, the Prime Minister formed a coalition with the Conservative and Liberal parties. Snowden and a few others Labour MPs stayed with Macdonald, but the party went into Opposition. Alexander was prominent on the Opposition front bench, leading attacks on the government's policies, but was careful not to exploit the widespread dissatisfaction with pay cuts in the armed forces (especially the Invergordon Mutiny), concerned that the military should not become involved in political matters. Effectively now number two after Henderson in the Parliamentary Labour Party, he was being talked of as a future leader. Both Alexander and Henderson lost their seats in the 1931 General Election. Henderson was succeeded by George Lansbury, and Alexander's contemporary, Clement Attlee, became deputy leader. The Invergordon Mutiny was an industrial action by around a thousand sailors in the British Atlantic Fleet, that took place 15-16 September 1931. ... The Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) consists of the Labour Party in Parliament: Labour MPs as a collective body. ... The UK general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. ... The Right Honourable George Lansbury (February 21, 1859 - May 7, 1940) was a British Labour politician, socialist, Christian pacifist, and newspaper editor. ... The Right Honourable Sir Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC (3 January 1883 – 8 October 1967) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951. ...

For the next four years, Alexander's main role was again as the Co-op's Parliamentary Secretary. He led opposition to renewed government plans to impose Corporation Tax on co-op stores, a fight that was lost this time with the 1933 Finance Bill. He also worked to have consumer interests represented on the new agricultural marketing boards. He was active in the Brotherhood movement (an organisation for nonconformists), spoke at rallies for the League of Nations, wrote columns for Reynolds' News and gave lectures on the BBC. Regaining his Hillsborough seat in 1935, Alexander became a front bench spokesman on trade and foreign affairs. Attlee, now leader of the PLP, asked him to join a new defence committee, working with Shinwell and Jack Lawson to reverse the pacifist ideals which had prevailed under Lansbury. Alexander had been warning of the dangers posed by fascism for several years, and criticised the government's policy of appeasement. In 1937, with Hugh Dalton and Arnold Lees-Smith, he persuaded the PLP to put aside its mistrust of the Baldwin government and support the Service Estimates Bill which began rearmament. In October 1938, he closed the debate on the Munich Pact, attacking the government's abandonment of the Sudeten Germans. Jump to: navigation, search 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... A nonconformist is an English or Welsh Protestant of any non-Anglican denomination, chiefly advocating religious liberty. ... Jump to: navigation, search The League of Nations was an international organization founded after the First World War at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. ... Jump to: navigation, search Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1935(MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... John James Jack Lawson, Baron Lawson (16 October 1881 - 3 August 1965), was a British trade unionist and a Labour politician. ... Pacifist may mean: an advocate of pacifism. ... Jump to: navigation, search Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... Jump to: navigation, search Appeasement is a strategic maneuver, based on either pragmatism, fear of war, or moral conviction, that leads to acceptance of imposed conditions in lieu of armed resistance. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Edward Hugh John Neale Dalton, Baron Dalton, generally known as Hugh Dalton (1887-1962) was a British Labour Party politician, and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1945 to 1947. ... Jump to: navigation, search October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Munich Agreement was an agreement regarding the Munich Crisis between the major powers of Europe after a conference held in Munich in Germany in 1938 and concluded on September 29. ... Karkonosze The Sudetes, also called Sudeten (German; SAMPA: [sudeIt@n]) or Sudety ([sudetI] in Czech, [sudetI] in Polish), is a mountain range in Central Europe. ...

Under Churchill and Attlee

Following the outbreak of World War II, Alexander, like all leading Labour figures, opposed forming a coalition government under Neville Chamberlain. Alexander firmly believed that Winston Churchill should replace Chamberlain as Prime Minister. He worked with Arthur Greenwood, and against Herbert Morrison, who favoured Lord Halifax as successor, to convince Attlee and the party's Executive to support Churchill. In the closing days of April 1940, Churchill met with Alexander, Clement Attlee and Sir Archibald Sinclair to discuss the possibilities for a coalition government. Halifax's friend, Chips Channon, described this as Churchill prematurely forming his cabinet in the expectation of becoming PM. Two weeks later, on 10th May, Churchill was Prime Minister of a coalition government; after forming his War Cabinet, which included Attlee and Greenwood, he invited Alexander and Sinclair, along with Anthony Eden, to head the three service ministries. Jump to: navigation, search World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ... A coalition is an alliance between entities, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Right Honourable Arthur Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869 – 9 November 1940) was a British politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937–1940. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, FRS, PC (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was an English statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... Arthur Greenwood (1880—1954) became deputy leader of the Labour Party under Clement Attlee, with Winston Churchill appointing him to the Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio in 1940. ... Herbert Stanley Morrison, Baron Morrison of Lambeth (January 3, 1888 - March 6, 1965) was a British Labour Party politician and cabinet minister. ... Cover of Time Magazine April 12, 1926 Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, known as Lord Irwin from 1926 until 1934, (1881-1959) was a British Conservative politician. ... Jump to: navigation, search April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Right Honourable Sir Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC (3 January 1883 – 8 October 1967) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951. ... Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso (then Sir Archibald Sinclair) (October 22, 1890-June 15, 1970) was leader of the UK Liberal Party from 1935 until 1945. ... (Redirected from 10th May) May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search The Right Honourable Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, KG, MC, PC (June 12, 1897– January 14, 1977), British politician, was Foreign Secretary during World War II and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1950s. ...

Alexander returned to the Admiralty as First Lord, giving the Admirals practical ways of following Churchill's inspiring leadership and acting as their advocate when they clashed with the Prime Minister. He was committed to the administrative duties of his role, often sleeping in his office, but also took a keen interest in the welfare of sailors. He joined an Arctic Convoy in 1942, and visited troops a few days after D-Day in 1944, the first British minister in France since the occupation in 1940. His radio broadcasts and public appearance boosted moral and made him very popular inside and outside the service. As a working-class politician in a top position, he was an important figure for national unity. He had regular meetings with Churchill when in London, acting as an advisor; they were good friends and Churchill arranged for Alexander to receive an Honorary Degree from the University of Bristol, of which Churchill was Chancellor. However, Alexander firmly supported Labour's withdrawal from the coalition in May 1945, following victory in Europe. Campaigning in the election in July, he drew a sharp distinction between Churchill and the Conservative Party, suggesting that the Tories would sideline the wartime leader as they had done Lloyd George. The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the USA and the United Kingdom to the northern ports of the USSR - Archangel and Murmansk. ... Land on Normandy In military parlance, D-Day is a term often used to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... An Honorary Degree (Latin: honoris causa ad gradum) is an extra-ordinary academic degree awarded to an individual as a decoration, rather than as the result of matriculating and studying for several years. ... The University of Bristol is a university in Bristol in the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the month of May. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... World map showing Europe (geographically) When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... The United Kingdom General Election of 1945 held on 5 July 1945 but not counted and declared until 26 July 1945 (due to the time it took to transport the votes of those serving overseas) was one of the most significant general elections of the 20th century. ... David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor, OM (January 17, 1863–March 26, 1945) was a British statesman and the last Liberal to be Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ...

A member of the Cabinet following Labour's victory, Alexander strongly supported the Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin, sharing his goals of maintaining Britain's influence and opposing the Soviet Union. Britain's wartime ally was admired at the time, and his outspoken criticisms of Russia lessened Alexander's popularity. In 1946 he deputised for Bevin at the Paris Peace Conference, and was part of the Cabinet delegation to India, under Stafford Cripps, exploring possibilities for independence. At the end of 1946 he became Minister of Defence, a role previously held only by Prime Ministers. Responsible for all three armed services, he often clashed with the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Lord Montgomery. He was responsible for formulating the system of National Service and faced a protracted fight against Labour backbenchers who opposed the continuation of conscription in peacetime. In January 1947 he was one of six ministers on the Gen 75 Committee that secretly authorised Britain's nuclear programme; in March he was in the negotiations for the Treaty of Dunkirk, laying the foundations for NATO. As the Cold War began, Alexander's criticisms of the USSR gained wider acceptance. In 1948 he became a Freeman of the City of Sheffield. The title of Foreign Secretary has been traditionally used to refer to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. ... The Rt Hon Ernest Bevin Ernest Bevin (March 9, 1881 - April 14, 1951), British labour leader and politician, was born in a small village in Somerset, England. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1946 was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... The Paris Peace Conference, 1919, negotiated the treaties ending World War I. The Paris Peace Conference, 1946, negotiated the Paris Peace Treaties, 1947, with Germanys [[World War II allies and co-belligerents in Europe. ... Rt Hon Sir Stafford Cripps The Right Honourable Sir Richard Stafford Cripps (April 24, 1889 - April 21, 1952), British Labour politician, was born in London, the son of a Conservative member of the House of Commons who late in life, as Lord Parmoor, joined the Labour Party. ... Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) was the title of the professional head of the British Army from 1908 to 1964. ... Bernard Law Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (November 17, 1887 - March 24, 1976) was a British military officer during World War II often referred to as Monty. ... National Service was the name given to the system of military conscription employed in Great Britain between 1949 and 1960. ... Jump to: navigation, search January, from the Très riches heures du duc de Berry January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search The word nuclear means of or belonging to the nucleus of something. ... Jump to: navigation, search March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Jump to: navigation, search The NATO flag NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D... Jump to: navigation, search For the generic term for a high-tension struggle between countries, see cold war (war). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Freedom of the City is an award made by towns and cities, to esteemed members of its community; such people may then be termed Freemen or Freewomen of the City. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the city in England. ...

Leader in the Lords

A. V. Alexander decided not to seek re-election in the 1950 General Election. He retired from the Commons and was created Viscount Alexander of Hillsborough, of Hillsborough in the City of Sheffield, three months before his sixty-fifth birthday. For practical reasons, the Minister of Defence needed to be a member of the Commons, and Emmanuel Shinwell succeeded to this role. However, Alexander retained a seat in the cabinet as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Although he never made it into the "top five" of the Labour government (Attlee, Bevin, Morrison, Dalton and Greenwood, later replaced by Cripps), he remained an influential member throughout. Out of office following Labour's defeat and his health starting to decline, Alexander retired from front-bench politics after the 1951 General Election. He bought a farm in Essex and, although he continued to attend the House of Lords, he did not hold any front-bench briefs for the next four years. In November 1955, following the resignation of Lord Jowitt, Alexander was asked by Hugh Gaitskell to take over as leader of the small group of Labour peers. His appointment was strongly supported by Labour's faction in the upper House, and he served in this role for the next nine years. The United Kingdom general election in 1950 was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. ... The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a sinecure office in the British government. ... The 1951 election was held soon after the UK general election, 1950, which Labour won, but with an unworkable majority. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the British House of Lords. ... Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see November (disambiguation). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... William Allen Jowitt, 1st Earl Jowitt (15 April 1885 - 16 August 1957), was a British lawyer and politician. ... Hugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell (April 9, 1906 - January 18, 1963) was a British politician, leader of the Labour Party from 1955 until his death in 1963. ... The Peerage is a system of titles of nobility which exists in the United Kingdom and is one part of the British honours system. ...

Alexander spoke on virtually every topic whilst leading the Opposition in the Lords. He supported the introduction of Life Peers, calling for them to be paid so that such appointments would be practical for working-class people. He also supported Tony Benn's campaign to renounce his peerage, and opposed Britain's early attempts to join the European Economic Community. Now a celebrity within the Co-op movement, Alexander continued to lobby for it in Parliament and with members of the government. In 1956 he became President of the UK Council of Protestant Churches. He often spoke on religious matters in the Lords, fiercely opposing closer relations between the Church of England and the Catholic Church and often quoting scripture at Spiritual Peers. He was created Baron Weston-super-Mare, of Weston-super-Mare in the County of Somerset, and Earl Alexander of Hillsborough in 1963 — the last politician to be made an Earl until Harold Macmillan became Earl of Stockton in 1984 — and was appointed a Knight of the Garter in 1964. He finally stood down as leader of the Labour peers in the run-up to the General Election in November 1964. His last appearance in the Lords was shortly before Christmas that year, when he fiercely defended Harold Wilson's foreign policy from Tory accusations of disloyalty. Aged eighty, Lord Alexander of Hillsborough died early in the new, fourteen days before Winston Churchill.

In the United Kingdom, Life Peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles may not be inherited (those whose titles are inheritable are known as hereditary peers). ... Jump to: navigation, search Tony Benn about to join March 2005 anti-war demo in London The Right Honourable Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (born April 3, 1925), known as Tony Benn, formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British politician on the radical left of the Labour Party. ... The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... The Roman Catholic Church believes its founding was based on Jesus appointment of Saint Peter as the primary church leader, later Bishop of Rome. ... The Lords Spiritual of the United Kingdom, also called Spiritual Peers, consist of the twenty-six clergymen of the established Church of England who serve in the House of Lords. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... An Earl as a member of the British peerage ranks below a Marquess and above a Viscount. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Right Honourable Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC (10 February 1894–29 December 1986), nicknamed Supermac and Mac the Knife, was a British Conservative politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. ... Earl of Stockton is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom created in 1984, along with the subsidiary title of Viscount Macmillan of Ovenden, of Chelwood Gate in the County of East Sussex and of Stockton-on-Tees in the County of Cleveland, which is the courtesy title... Jump to: navigation, search This page is about the year 1984. ... Jump to: navigation, search A garter is one of the Orders most recognisable insignia. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The United Kingdom general election of 1964 result was a very slim majority for the Labour Party, of 4, and led to their first government since 1951. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the British politician. ...