The Cook Ministry, also known as the Post-Revolutionary Government, was the first formal government of the Union of Britain formed following the aftermath of the British Revolution. It was formed by Arthur Cook as Chairman of the Union of Britain following the disbanding of the civil war era Provisional Government, also led by Cook. The composition of the Ministry was largely a continuation of the Provisional Government with the re-appointment of Deputy Chair John Wheatley and the Provisional Government ministers to their prior offices. The government was constituted in full in 1926 with the ratification of the Government (Reorganisation) Act 1926 which afforded for the creation of new ministries. The three national secretaries for the home nations took their seats later in June following elections to the postings. However, the titular Presidency was abolished during an emergency session of the Constitutional Convention following George Lansbury's resignation and as such is discounted as a true office of the ministry.
The Cook Ministry served as the first of the 'Labour coalitions' that have since made up the basis for future British governments. As opposed to single-party rule, trade union backed candidates and individual members of the Labour Party sat in coalition with affiliate Independent Labour Party ministers of various factions. The reconstituted Liberal Party (the sole other major party in Britain at the time) entered into talks to join the coalition but hopes of forming a new national government faltered and the party instead served as the unofficial 'opposition' in the Federal Congress. A third party joined the coalition in 1930; the Popular Revolution Party, when Oswald Mosley declined to sit as a member of the ILP.
The Cook Ministry oversaw the period of political, social and economic reconstruction following the aftermath of the civil war, presiding over Britain's transition to socialism. Nevertheless, the government remained dominated by moderate forces and contemporary critics attacked this powerful bloc in the Labour Party and ILP for having disproportionate influence over the administration. Nevertheless, the Cook government was lauded as a success following its dissolution in 1931 owing to its major achievements in economic reconstruction; achieving the transition to socialism and the re-integration of Britain into the international diplomatic sphere. The government was succeeded by the First Mann Ministry in January 1931.
Cabinet[]
The 'June Cabinet'[]
- Arthur Cook – Chairman
- John Wheatley – Deputy Chair
- Philip Snowden – Minister for Financial Affairs
- Arthur Henderson – Minister for Foreign Affairs
- John Robert Clynes – Minister for the Home Department
- Christopher Thomson – Minister of War
- Josiah Wedgwood – Secretary-of-state to the Admiralty
- Fred Jowett – President of the Air Board
- Frederick Roberts – Minister of Information
- Alfred Salter – Minister of Health
- William Jowitt – Minister of Justice
- Tom Mann – Minister of Industry & Labour
- Noel Buxton – Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries
- Jimmy Thomas – Minister for Works & Forests
- John Cliff – Minister for Railways
- George Gillett - Minister for Shipping
- James Maxton – President of the Board of Education
- Sidney Webb – President of the Board of Trade
- Tom Kennedy – Paymaster-General
- William Bowen – Postmaster-General
- Jack Tanner – Secretary-of-State for England
- Willie Gallacher – Secretary-of-State for Scotland
- S.O. Davies – Secretary-of-State for Wales
Changes[]
- April 1926 - Following the Constitutional Convention's passing of the Government (Reorganisation) Act 1926, the new ministries are created and appointed.
- June 1926 - The Secretaries of State for the Home Regions take their seats.
- February 1927 – Robert Smilie succeeds Philip Snowden as Minister for Finance after Snowden refused to support full-scale nationalisation of the mines and other industries.
- November 1928 - Willie Gallacher resigns as Scottish Chairman. Kirkwood succeeds him as the Scottish Chair and Secretary-of-State for Scotland.
- March 1929 - Stephen Walsh succumbs to illness and dies in office. Walsh is succeeded by Fred Shaw as the Under-Secretary to the War Office. Oswald Mosley is appointed Under-Secretary for the Works.
- May 1930 - Deputy Chair John Wheatley dies in office from a cerebral hemorrhage after multiple heart attacks. Wheatley is succeeded by Home Secretary, J.R. Clynes. Clynes is succeeded to the Home Office by R.H. Tawney. Solicitor-General Kenneth Muir Mackenzie dies shortly after, is succeeded by Patrick Hastings.
- October 1930 - James Stewart dies in office, the posting of Under-Secretary to Health is left vacant. Harry Gosling dies some weeks later, the position of Secretary for Roads, Fuel & Canals is left vacant.
List of Government Ministers[]
Members of the Executive Committee are in bold face.
| Office | Name | Alignment | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Arthur Cook | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 13 March 1925 |
| Deputy Chair | John Wheatley | Independent Labour Party (Wheatleyites) |
13 March 1925 - 12 May 1930 |
| J.R. Clynes | Independent Labour Party (Snowdenites) |
12 May 1930 | |
| Minister for Financial Affairs | Philip Snowden | Independent Labour Party (Snowdenites) |
13 March 1925 - 20 February 1927 |
| Robert Smilie | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 20 February 1927 | |
| Junior Secretary to the Treasury | George Fletcher | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 10 April 1926 |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | Arthur Henderson | Labour Party - Moderates | 13 March 1925 |
| Under-Secretary for the Foreign Office | Sydney Arnold | Labour Party - Moderates | 10 April 1926 |
| Minister for the Home Department | J.R. Clynes | Independent Labour Party (Snowdenites) |
13 March 1925 - 12 May 1930 |
| R.H. Tawney | Independent Labour Party (Wheatleyites) |
12 May 1930 | |
| Under-Secretary for the Home Department | Alfred Short | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 10 April 1926 |
| Minister of War | Christopher Thomson | Labour Party - Moderates | 13 March 1925 |
| Under-Secretary for the War Office | Stephen Walsh | Labour Party - Moderates | 10 March 1926 - 16 March 1929 |
| Fred Shaw | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 16 March 1929 | |
| Secretary-of-state to the Admiralty | Josiah Wedgwood | Independent Labour Party (Wheatleyites) |
10 April 1926 |
| Under-Secretary for the Admiralty | George Deer | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 10 April 1926 |
| President of the Air Board | Fred Jowett | Independent Labour Party (Wheatleyites) |
10 April 1926 |
| Under-Secretary for the Air Board | John Muir | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 10 April 1926 |
| Minister of Information | Frederick Roberts | Labour Party - Moderates | 10 April 1926 |
| Minister of Health | Alfred Salter | Independent Labour Party (Wheatleyites) |
10 April 1926 |
| Under-Secretary for Health | James Stewart | Labour Party - Moderates | 10 April 1926 - 18 October 1930 |
| Position Vacant | |||
| Minister of Justice | William Jowitt | Labour Party - Moderates | 10 April 1926 |
| Solicitor-General | Kenneth Muir Mackenzie | Labour Party - Moderates | 10 April 1926 - 22 May 1930 |
| Patrick Hastings | Labour Party - Moderates | 22 May 1930 | |
| Advocate-General | John Charles Fenton | Labour Party - Moderates | 10 April 1926 |
| Minister of Industry & Labour | Tom Mann | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 10 April 1926 |
| Under-Secretary for Labour | Dora Montefiore | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 10 April 1926 |
| Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries | Noel Buxton | Labour Party - Moderates | 10 April 1926 |
| Under-Secretary for Agricultre | Morgan Jones | Independent Labour Party (Wheatleyites) |
10 April 1926 |
| Minister for Works & Forests | Jimmy Thomas | Independent Labour Party (Snowdenites) |
10 April 1926 |
| Under-Secretary for the Works | Fred Shaw | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 10 April 1926 - 16 March 1929 |
| Oswald Mosley | Independent Labour Party (Wheatleyites) until 1930 Popular Revolution Party |
16 March 1929 | |
| Secretary for Roads, Fuel & Canals | Harry Gosling | Labour Party - Moderates | 10 April 1926 - 24 October 1930 |
| Position Vacant | |||
| Secretary for the Mines | Abe Moffatt | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 10 April 1926 |
| Minister for Railways | John Cliff | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 10 April 1926 |
| Minister for Shipping | George Gillett | Labour Party - Moderates | 10 April 1926 |
| President of the Board of Education | James Maxton | Independent Labour Party (Wheatleyites) |
10 April 1926 |
| Under-Secretary for Education | Margaret Bondfield | Labour Party - Moderates | 10 April 1926 |
| President of the Board of Trade | Sidney Webb | Labour Party - Moderates | 10 April 1926 |
| Under-Secretary for Trade | William Lunn | Labour Party - Moderates | 10 April 1926 |
| Paymaster-General | Tom Kennedy | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 10 April 1926 |
| Postmaster-General | William Bowen | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 10 April 1926 |
| Secretary-of-State for England | Jack Tanner | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 05 June 1926 |
| Secretary-of-State for Scotland | Willie Gallacher | Labour Party - Syndicalists | 05 June 1926 - 12 November 1928 |
| David Kirkwood | Independent Labour Party (Wheatleyites) |
12 November 1928 | |
| Secretary-of-State for Wales | S.O. Davies | Labour Party - Regionalists | 05 June 1926 |