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138-626: The Churchill war ministry was the United Kingdom's coalition government for most of the Second World War from 10 May 1940 to 23 May 1945. It was led by Winston Churchill , who was appointed prime minister of the United Kingdom by King George VI following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain in the aftermath of the Norway Debate . At the outset, Churchill formed a five-man war cabinet which included Chamberlain as Lord President of

276-514: A Coalition Government with confidence and supply from the Green Party . During the 2023 general election , National won 49 seats, ACT won eleven and New Zealand First won eight formed a coalition government . Since 2015, there are many more coalition governments than previously in municipalities, autonomous regions and, since 2020 (coming from the November 2019 Spanish general election ), in

414-609: A caretaker government as no coalition could be formed. In Canada , the Great Coalition was formed in 1864 by the Clear Grits , Parti bleu , and Liberal-Conservative Party . During the First World War , Prime Minister Robert Borden attempted to form a coalition with the opposition Liberals to broaden support for controversial conscription legislation. The Liberal Party refused the offer but some of their members did cross

552-620: A consensus government with a coalition of the four strongest parties in parliament since 1959, called the " Magic Formula ". Between 2010 and 2015, the United Kingdom also operated a formal coalition between the Conservative and the Liberal Democrat parties, but this was unusual: the UK usually has a single-party majority government. Not every parliament forms a coalition government, for example

690-552: A case alleging electoral malpractice. In June 1975, Indira was found guilty and barred by the High Court from holding public office for six years. In response, a state of emergency was declared under the pretext of national security. The next election resulted in the formation of India 's first ever national coalition government under the prime ministership of Morarji Desai , which was also the first non-Congress national government. It existed from 24 March 1977 to 15 July 1979, headed by

828-599: A coalition of the Social Democrats, Venstre , and the Moderates . When the Social Democrats under Stauning won 46% of the votes in the 1935 election , this was the closest any party has gotten to winning an outright majority in parliament since 1918. One party has thus never held a majority alone, and even one-party governments have needed to have confidence agreements with at least one other party to govern. For example, though Frederiksen's first government only consisted of

966-680: A coalition with a smaller party. For example, from 1982 to 1998, the country was governed by a coalition of the CDU/CSU with the minor Free Democratic Party (FDP); from 1998 to 2005, a coalition of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the minor Greens held power. The CDU/CSU comprises an alliance of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany and Christian Social Union in Bavaria , described as "sister parties" which form

1104-405: A coalition with the third-place Conservatives, so his party removed him. The Liberal–Conservative coalition introduced a winner-take-all preferential voting system (the " Alternative Vote ") in the hopes that their supporters would rank the other party as their second preference; however, this strategy backfired in the subsequent 1952 British Columbia general election where, to the surprise of many,

1242-484: A cypher. I thought Winston was a better choice. Winston did not demur." According to Halifax, Margesson then confirmed that the House of Commons had been veering to Churchill. In a letter to Churchill written that night, Bob Boothby asserted that parliamentary opinion was hardening against Halifax, claiming in a postscript that according to Liberal MP Clement Davies , "Attlee & Greenwood are unable to distinguish between

1380-637: A further year. He correctly anticipated the defeat of Germany in the spring of 1945 but he did not expect the end of the Far East war until 1946. He therefore recommended that the end of the European war should be "a pointer (to) fix the date of the (next) General Election". Attlee, along with Eden, Horsbrugh, and Wilkinson, attended the San Francisco Conference and had returned to London by 18 May 1945 (ten days after V-E Day) when he met Churchill to discuss

1518-489: A gating order and the road retains the status of a public highway maintained by Westminster City Council . Public access was curtailed by relying on common law powers to prevent breach of the peace (although its legality has been questioned by a correspondent for New Statesman magazine). In 2005, Westminster City Council used anti-terrorism powers contained in the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 to formalise

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1656-575: A joint parliamentary group, and for this purpose are always considered a single party. Coalition arrangements are often given names based on the colours of the parties involved, such as "red-green" for the SPD and Greens. Coalitions of three parties are often named after countries whose flags contain those colours, such as the black-yellow-green Jamaica coalition . Grand coalitions of the two major parties also occur, but these are relatively rare, as they typically prefer to associate with smaller ones. However, if

1794-587: A pleasant Prospect into St James's Park, with a Tarras Walk". The houses had several distinguished residents. The Countess of Yarmouth lived at Number 10 between 1688 and 1689, Lord Lansdowne from 1692 to 1696 and the Earl of Grantham from 1699 to 1703. The diarist James Boswell took rooms in Downing Street during his stay in London during 1762–63 at a rent of £22 per annum. He records having dealings with prostitutes in

1932-553: A public house, the Rose and Crown, in Downing Street. In 1830 the tenant was a Mr Dixon. Throughout the history of these houses, ministers have lived by agreement in whatever rooms they thought necessary. On some occasions Number 11 has been occupied not by the Chancellor of the Exchequer but by the individual considered to be the nominal deputy Prime Minister (whether or not they actually took

2070-506: A role in diminishing internal political strife. In such times, parties have formed all-party coalitions ( national unity governments , grand coalitions ). If a coalition collapses, the prime minister and cabinet may be ousted by a vote of no confidence , call snap elections , form a new majority coalition, or continue as a minority government . For a coalition to come about the coalition partners need to compromise on their policy expectations. One coalition or probing partner must lose for

2208-755: A single political party. Due to the social nature of the country, the first federal government was formed by a three-party Alliance coalition, composed of the United Malays National Organisations (UMNO) , the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) , and the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) . It was later expanded and rebranded as Barisan Nasional (BN) , which includes parties representing the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak . The 2018 Malaysian general election saw

2346-404: A so-called "rainbow government". The Lipponen cabinets set the stability record and were unusual in the respect that both the centre-left (SDP) and radical left-wing (Left Alliance) parties sat in the government with the major centre-right party (National Coalition). The Katainen cabinet was also a rainbow coalition of a total of five parties. In Germany, coalition governments are the norm, as it

2484-474: A swap was carried out by the new incumbents of the two titles; Tony Blair being a married man with three children living at home, while his counterpart Gordon Brown was unmarried at the time of taking up his post. Although Number 10 was the Prime Minister's official residence and contained the prime ministerial offices, Blair and his family actually moved into the more spacious Number 11, while Brown lived in

2622-552: A treaty between the British government and Hitler. Churchill wanted to continue the war. Attlee and Greenwood supported Churchill while Chamberlain, still the leader of the majority Conservative Parliamentary Party, remained neutral for several days until finally aligning himself with Churchill's resolve to fight on. In October 1944, Churchill had proposed to the Commons that the current Parliament, which had begun in 1935, should be extended by

2760-407: A two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives. In recent decades, single-party full legislative control is rare, and coalition governments are the norm: Most governments of Japan since the 1990s and, as of 2020, all since 1999 have been coalition governments, some of them still fell short of a legislative majority. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) held a legislative majority of its own in

2898-477: Is a coalition of seven parties led by the major centre-left PDIP to let governing big tent Onward Indonesia Coalition In Ireland , coalition governments are common; not since 1977 has a single party formed a majority government. Coalition governments to date have been led by either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael . They have been joined in government by one or more smaller parties or independent members of parliament (TDs). Ireland's first coalition government

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3036-840: Is also found in the states of New South Wales and Victoria . In South Australia and Western Australia the Liberal and National parties compete separately, while in the Northern Territory and Queensland the two parties have merged, forming the Country Liberal Party, in 1978, and the Liberal National Party, in 2008, respectively. Coalition governments involving the Labor Party and the Australian Greens have occurred at state and territory level , for example following

3174-484: Is given. This table lists the junior offices (often ministerial level 3) that held the title of Financial Secretary and/or Parliamentary Secretary. None of these officials were ever in the war cabinet. Their offices have rarely, if ever, been recognised as cabinet-level, although some of the office holders here did, at need, occasionally attend cabinet meetings. Some of the appointees retained offices that they held in former administrations and these are marked in situ with

3312-407: Is no direct responsibility within the governing parties in the coalition. Retrospective voting has a huge influence on the outcome of an election. However, the risk of retrospective voting is a lot weaker with coalition governments than in single party governments. Within the coalition, the party with the head of state has the biggest risk of retrospective voting. Governing parties lose votes in

3450-432: Is not clear; most historians say 15, others say 20. The addresses changed several times; Number 10 was numbered 5 for a while, and was renumbered in 1787. Downing employed Sir Christopher Wren to design the houses. Although large, they were put up quickly and cheaply on soft soil with shallow foundations. The fronts had facades with lines painted on the surface imitating brick mortar. Winston Churchill wrote that Number 10

3588-412: Is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard

3726-504: Is rare for a party to win a full majority, they must form coalitions with other parties. For example, from 1996 to 1998, the country was governed by a coalition of the National with the minor NZ First ; from 1999 to 2002, a coalition of the Labour and the minor Alliance and with confidence and supply from the Green Party held power. Between 2017 and 2020, Labour , New Zealand First formed

3864-465: Is rare for any single party to win a majority in parliament. The German political system makes extensive use of the constructive vote of no confidence , which requires governments to control an absolute majority of seats. Every government since the foundation of the Federal Republic in 1949 has involved at least two political parties. Typically, governments involve one of the two major parties forming

4002-606: The 16th general election in May 2014, the BJP secured a majority on its own (becoming the first party to do so since the 1984 election), and the National Democratic Alliance came into power, with Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. In 2019, Narendra Modi was re-elected as Prime Minister as the National Democratic Alliance again secured a majority in the 17th general election . India returned to an NDA led coalition government in 2024 as

4140-434: The 2010 Tasmanian state election and the 2016 and 2020 Australian Capital Territory elections. In Belgium , a nation internally divided along linguistic lines (primarily between Dutch -speaking Flanders in the north and French-speaking Wallonia in the south, with Brussels also being by and large Francophone), each main political disposition ( Social democracy , liberalism , right-wing populism , etc.) is, with

4278-447: The BBC . Churchill's first act as prime minister was to ask Attlee and Greenwood to come and see him at Admiralty House . Next, he wrote to Chamberlain to thank him for his promised support. He then began to construct his coalition cabinet with the assistance of Attlee and Greenwood. Their conference went on into the early hours of Saturday and they reached a broad agreement on the composition of

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4416-577: The Cameron ministry (with David Cameron at Number 11 and George Osborne at Number 10) and under the premiership of Theresa May , with Theresa May at Number 11 and Philip Hammond at Number 10. Boris Johnson similarly resided at Number 11. Barriers were erected at the St James's Park end of the street for the unveiling of the Cenotaph on 11 November 1920. They were a public safety measure intended to prevent

4554-701: The European Parliament . Armenia became an independent state in 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union . Since then, many political parties were formed in it, who mainly work with each other to form coalition governments. The country was governed by the My Step Alliance coalition after successfully gaining a majority in the National Assembly of Armenia following the 2018 Armenian parliamentary election . In federal Australian politics ,

4692-599: The Indian National Congress , the major political party instrumental in the Indian independence movement , ruled the nation. The first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru , his successor Lal Bahadur Shastri , and the third Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi , were all members of the Congress party. However, Raj Narain , who had unsuccessfully contested an election against Indira from the constituency of Rae Bareli in 1971, lodged

4830-640: The Irish Civil War (1922–23). A similar situation exists in Israel , which typically has at least 10 parties holding representation in the Knesset . The only faction to ever gain the majority of Knesset seats was Alignment , an alliance of the Labor Party and Mapam that held an absolute majority for a brief period from 1968 to 1969. Historically, control of the Israeli government has alternated between periods of rule by

4968-613: The Irish Free State was created. Vehicle access was curtailed in 1973 when metal barriers were placed across the entrance to the street. In 1974, the Metropolitan Police proposed erecting a semi-permanent barrier between the pavement and carriageway on the Foreign Office side to keep pedestrians off the main part of the street. The proposal came with assurances that tourists would still be permitted to take photographs at

5106-553: The Janata Party , an amalgam of political parties opposed to the emergency imposed between 1975 and 1977. As the popularity of the Janata Party dwindled, Desai had to resign, and Chaudhary Charan Singh , a rival of his, became the fifth Prime Minister. However, due to lack of support, this coalition government did not complete its five-year term. Congress returned to power in 1980 under Indira Gandhi, and later under Rajiv Gandhi as

5244-536: The Nordic countries , the Benelux countries, Australia , Austria , Brazil , Chile , Cyprus , East Timor , France , Germany , Greece , Guinea-Bissau , India , Indonesia , Ireland , Israel , Italy , Japan , Kenya , Kosovo , Latvia , Lebanon , Lesotho , Lithuania , Malaysia , Nepal , New Zealand , Pakistan , Thailand , Spain , Trinidad and Tobago , Turkey , and Ukraine . Switzerland has been ruled by

5382-555: The United Farmers of Ontario and the Labour Party , together with three independent MLAs, formed a coalition that governed Ontario until 1923. In British Columbia , the governing Liberals formed a coalition with the opposition Conservatives in order to prevent the surging, left-wing Cooperative Commonwealth Federation from taking power in the 1941 British Columbia general election . Liberal premier Duff Pattullo refused to form

5520-560: The declaration of war against Germany on 3 September 1939 and formed a war cabinet which included Winston Churchill (out of office since June 1929) as First Lord of the Admiralty . Dissatisfaction with Chamberlain's leadership became widespread in the spring of 1940 after Germany successfully invaded Norway. In response, the House of Commons held the Norway Debate from 7 to 9 May. At the end of

5658-730: The 17th. The war situation in Europe became increasingly critical for the Allies as the Wehrmacht overran northern France and the Low Countries through May, culminating in the siege of Dunkirk and the desperate need to evacuate the British Expeditionary Force by Operation Dynamo . In the war cabinet, Churchill faced a serious challenge by Halifax to his direction of the war. Halifax wanted to sue for peace by asking Benito Mussolini to broker

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5796-576: The 1921 election. Like their counterparts in Ontario, they had not expected to win and did not have a leader. They asked John Bracken , a professor in animal husbandry, to become leader and premier. Bracken changed the party's name to the Progressive Party of Manitoba . During the Great Depression, Bracken survived at a time when other premiers were being defeated by forming a coalition government with

5934-459: The 21st and apologised for making only a short address for the present. Even so, his speech has become one of his most famous because he concluded with his statement of intent: I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this Government: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat ". We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what

6072-562: The 2nd Republic, and have been common in some specific Autonomous Communities since the 1980s. Nonetheless, the prevalence of two big parties overall has been eroded and the need for coalitions appears to be the new normal since around 2015. Downing Street Downing Street is a street in Westminster in London that houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of

6210-1035: The Admiralty; and the Liberal Party leader, Sir Archibald Sinclair , became Secretary of State for Air . The CoS at this time were Admiral Sir Dudley Pound , the First Sea Lord ; Air Marshal Sir Cyril Newall , the Chief of the Air Staff ; and Field Marshal Sir Edmund Ironside , the Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS). (On 27 May, Ironside was replaced at Churchill's request by his deputy Field Marshal Sir John Dill , and Ironside became Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces .) The CoS continued to hold their own Chiefs of Staff Committee (CSC) meetings. The CDC enabled Churchill to have direct contact with them so that strategic concerns could be addressed with due regard to civil matters and foreign affairs. In addition, for

6348-503: The BJP failed to achieve an outright majority. As a result of the toppling of Suharto , political freedom is significantly increased. Compared to only three parties allowed to exist in the New Order era, a total of 48 political parties participated in the 1999 election and always a total of more than 10 parties in next elections. There are no majority winner of those elections and coalition governments are inevitable. The current government

6486-525: The CDU/CSU became Chancellor while the SPD was granted the majority of cabinet posts. Coalition formation has become increasingly complex as voters increasingly migrate away from the major parties during the 2000s and 2010s. While coalitions of more than two parties were extremely rare in preceding decades, they have become common on the state level. These often include the liberal FDP and the Greens alongside one of

6624-489: The Churchill administration. Most of these were portfolios in the "outer cabinet" and outside the war cabinet, although some were temporarily included in the war cabinet, as indicated by bold highlighting of the ministers concerned. Focus here is upon the ministerial offices. Some ministries, such as Foreign Secretary, were in the war cabinet throughout the entire administration whereas others like Lord Privy Seal, Chancellor of

6762-463: The Churchill cabinet as one "for winning", while the former Chamberlain cabinet was one "for losing". Labour leader Clement Attlee relinquished his official role as Leader of the Opposition to become Lord Privy Seal (until 19 February 1942 when he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister). Arthur Greenwood, Labour's deputy leader, was appointed a minister without portfolio. There was no de facto Leader of

6900-457: The Council , Clement Attlee as Lord Privy Seal and later as Deputy Prime Minister , Viscount Halifax as Foreign Secretary , and Arthur Greenwood as a minister without portfolio . Although the original war cabinet was limited to five members, in practice they were augmented by the service chiefs and ministers who attended the majority of meetings. The cabinet changed in size and membership as

7038-585: The Exchequer ; and Sir John Anderson as Lord President of the Council, replacing Chamberlain who died in November (Anderson later became chancellor after Wood's death in September 1943). The coalition was dissolved in May 1945, following the final defeat of Germany , when the Labour Party decided to withdraw in order to prepare for a general election . Churchill, who was the leader of the Conservative Party ,

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7176-413: The Exchequer, and Home Secretary were sometimes in the war cabinet and sometimes not, depending on priorities at the time. A number of ministries were created by Churchill in response to wartime needs. Some of the ministers retained offices that they held in former administrations and their notes include the date of their original appointment. For new appointments to existing offices, their predecessor's name

7314-412: The House of Commons. Churchill's version gets the date wrong, and he fails to mention the presence of David Margesson , the government Chief Whip . Halifax's account omits the dramatic pause and gives an additional reason: "PM said I was the man mentioned as most acceptable. I said it would be hopeless position. If I was not in charge of the war (operations) and if I didn't lead in the House, I should be

7452-416: The House of Councillors (later called "twisted Diets", nejire kokkai , when they were not only technically, but actually divided). But during most of that period, the centrist Ryokufūkai was the strongest overall or decisive cross-bench group in the House of Councillors, and it was willing to cooperate with both centre-left and centre-right governments even when it was not formally part of the cabinet; and in

7590-477: The House of Representatives, minority governments of Liberals or Democrats (or their precursors; loose, indirect successors to the two major pre-war parties) could usually count on support from some members of the other major conservative party or from smaller conservative parties and independents. Finally in 1955, when Hatoyama Ichirō's Democratic Party minority government called early House of Representatives elections and, while gaining seats substantially, remained in

7728-422: The King as his successor. The version of events given by Churchill is that Chamberlain's preference for Halifax was obvious (Churchill implies that the spat between Churchill and the Labour benches the previous night had something to do with that); there was a long silence which Halifax eventually broke by saying he did not believe he could lead the government effectively as a member of the House of Lords instead of

7866-400: The LDP entered a coalition government followed its third loss of its House of Representatives majority in the 1983 House of Representatives general election . The LDP- New Liberal Club coalition government lasted until 1986 when the LDP won landslide victories in simultaneous double elections to both houses of parliament. There have been coalition cabinets where the post of prime minister

8004-479: The LDP from power for the first time to break up in less than a year, and the LDP-JSP-Sakigake government that was formed in 1994 when the LDP had agreed, if under internal turmoil and with some defections, to bury the main post-war partisan rivalry and support the election of JSP prime minister Tomiichi Murayama in exchange for the return to government. Ever since Malaysia gained independence in 1957 , none of its federal governments have ever been controlled by

8142-462: The Manitoba Liberals (eventually, the two parties would merge into the Liberal-Progressive Party of Manitoba , and decades later, the party would change its name to the Manitoba Liberal Party ). In 1940, Bracken formed a wartime coalition government with almost every party in the Manitoba Legislature (the Conservatives, CCF, and Social Credit; however, the CCF broke with the coalition after a few years over policy differences). The only party not included

8280-433: The National Diet until 1989 (when it initially continued to govern alone), and between the 2016 and 2019 elections (when it remained in its previous ruling coalition). The Democratic Party of Japan (through accessions in the House of Councillors) briefly controlled a single-party legislative majority for a few weeks before it lost the 2010 election (it, too, continued to govern as part of its previous ruling coalition). From

8418-438: The Opposition from 11 May 1940 until Attlee resumed the role on 23 May 1945. The Labour Party appointed an acting Leader of the Opposition whose job, although he was in effect a member of the national government, was to ensure the continued functionality of the House of Commons. Due process in the Commons requires someone, even a member of the government, to fill the role even if there is no actual opposition. The first acting leader

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8556-451: The PM & Halifax and are not prepared to serve under the latter". Davies (who thought Chamberlain should go, and be replaced by Churchill) had lunched with Attlee and Greenwood (and argued his case) shortly before they saw Chamberlain. Labour's Hugh Dalton , however, noted in his diary entry for 9 May that he had spoken with Attlee, who "agrees with my preference for Halifax over Churchill, but we both think either would be tolerable". On

8694-409: The Prime Minister, and the Second Lord of the Treasury , the office held by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Prime Minister's official residence is 10 Downing Street , and the Chancellor's official residence is Number 11 . The government's Chief Whip has an official residence at Number 12 . Over time, government offices and officials came to occupy most of the street's townhouses. The houses on

8832-414: The Social Democrats, it also relied on the support of the Social Liberal Party , the Socialist People's Party , and the Red–Green Alliance . In Finland , no party has had an absolute majority in the parliament since independence, and multi-party coalitions have been the norm. Finland experienced its most stable government ( Lipponen I and II ) since independence with a five-party governing coalition,

8970-541: The Spanish Government. There are two ways of conforming them: all of them based on a program and its institutional architecture, one consists on distributing the different areas of government between the parties conforming the coalition and the other one is, like in the Valencian Community, where the ministries are structured with members of all the political parties being represented, so that conflicts that may occur are regarding competences and not fights between parties. Coalition governments in Spain had already existed during

9108-413: The United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer . In a cul-de-sac situated off Whitehall , it is 200 metres (660 ft) long, and a few minutes' walk from the Houses of Parliament . Downing Street was built in the 1680s by Sir George Downing . For more than three hundred years, it has held the official residences of both the First Lord of the Treasury , the office now synonymous with that of

9246-434: The absolute majority of seats in parliament necessary to have a majority in the government, whereas minority coalition governments do not hold the majority of legislative seats. A coalition government may also be created in a time of national difficulty or crisis (for example, during wartime or economic crisis) to give a government the high degree of perceived political legitimacy or collective identity , it can also play

9384-470: The adjacent park. Downing probably never lived in his townhouses. In 1675, he retired to Cambridge, where he died a few months after the houses were completed. His portrait hangs in the entrance foyer of the modern Number 10. Downing College, Cambridge was founded in 1800, under the terms of the will of Sir George Downing, 3rd Baronet (died 1749). A door from Number 10 is in use in the college. The houses between Number 9 and Whitehall were acquired by

9522-415: The aid of all, and I say, "Come then, let us go forward together with our united strength". In reply, Hastings Lees-Smith as acting Leader of the Opposition announced that Labour would vote for the motion to assure the country of a unified political front. After several other members had spoken, including David Lloyd George and Stafford Cripps , the House divided on the question: "That this House welcomes

9660-458: The appointees retained offices that they held in former administrations and these are marked in situ with the date of their original appointment. This table lists the officers appointed to the royal household during the Churchill administration. Coalition government There are different forms of coalition governments, minority coalitions and surplus majority coalition governments. A surplus majority coalition government controls more than

9798-471: The coalition parties do not share the same policy ideas. Hence, a more detailed written formulation of the issue helps parties in the coalition to limit 'agency loss' when the ministry overseeing that issue is managed by another coalition party. Coalition governments can also impact voting behavior by diminishing the clarity of responsibility. Electoral accountability is harder to achieve in coalition governments than in single party governments because there

9936-626: The coalition to begin their general election campaign. Churchill resigned as prime minister but the King asked him to form a new government, known as the Churchill caretaker ministry, until the election was held in July. Churchill agreed and his new ministry, essentially a Conservative one, held office for the next two months until it was replaced by Attlee's Labour government after their election victory. A total of sixteen ministers held war cabinet membership at various times in Churchill's ministry. There were five at

10074-459: The conservative Liberal , National , Country Liberal and Liberal National parties are united in a coalition, known simply as the Coalition . While nominally two parties, the Coalition has become so stable, at least at the federal level, that in practice the lower house of Parliament has become a two-party system , with the Coalition and the Labor Party being the major parties. This coalition

10212-597: The constitutional establishment of parliamentary cabinets and the introduction of the new, now directly elected upper house of parliament in 1947 until the formation of the LDP and the reunification of the Japanese Socialist Party in 1955, no single party formally controlled a legislative majority on its own. Only few formal coalition governments ( 46th , 47th , initially 49th cabinet) interchanged with technical minority governments and cabinets without technical control of

10350-473: The construction of his government by the end of his first week in office. Only two women were appointed to government positions – Florence Horsbrugh , who had previously been a Conservative backbench MP, became Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health on 15 May; and Labour's Ellen Wilkinson , the most left-wing member of Churchill's ministry, became Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions on

10488-527: The crowds in Whitehall becoming too dense. When the movement for Irish independence became increasingly violent, it was decided to retain the barriers, which were raised and strengthened. On 26 November 1920 construction commenced on a wooden barricade, 8 feet (2.4 m) high at the end of the street. They were described as being of a "substantial character" mounted on proper foundations and incorporated vehicle gates. The barriers were taken down in 1922 when

10626-481: The date of their original appointment. This table lists the junior offices (often ministerial level 3) whose titles signify an assistant, deputy or under-secretary function. It excludes financial and parliamentary secretaries who are in the table above. None of these officials were ever in the war cabinet. Their offices have rarely, if ever, been recognised as cabinet-level, although some of the office holders here did, at need, occasionally attend cabinet meetings. Some of

10764-515: The door of Number 10. The Prime Minister, Harold Wilson , rejected the proposal, feeling that it would appear to be an unacceptable restriction of the freedom of the public. Wilson's private secretary wrote "I much regret this further erosion of the Englishman's right to wander at will in Downing Street." In 1982 access was further restricted by railings and a demountable gate. They were replaced by black steel gates in 1989. The increase in security

10902-489: The election after their legislative period, this is called “the governing cost”. In comparison, a single- party government has a higher electoral cost, than a party that holds the office of the prime minister. Furthermore, the party that holds the office of prime minister suffer less electoral costs, then a junior coalition partner, when looking only on the electoral cost created by being in the coalition government. Countries which often operate with coalition cabinets include:

11040-675: The exception of the far-left Workers' Party of Belgium , split between Francophone and Dutch-speaking parties (e.g. the Dutch-speaking Vooruit and French-speaking Socialist Party being the two social-democratic parties). In the 2019 federal election , no party got more than 17% of the vote. Thus, forming a coalition government is an expected and necessary part of Belgian politics. In Belgium, coalition governments containing ministers from six or more parties are not uncommon; consequently, government formation can take an exceptionally long time. Between 2007 and 2011 , Belgium operated under

11178-701: The first non-BN coalition federal government in the country's electoral history, formed through an alliance between the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition and the Sabah Heritage Party (WARISAN) . The federal government formed after the 2020–2022 Malaysian political crisis was the first to be established through coordination between multiple political coalitions. This occurred when the newly formed Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition partnered with BN and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) . In 2022 after its registration, Sabah-based Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) formally joined

11316-432: The floor and join the government. Although sometimes referred to as a coalition government, according to the definition above, it was not. It was disbanded after the end of the war. During the 2008–09 Canadian parliamentary dispute , two of Canada's opposition parties signed an agreement to form what would become the country's second federal coalition government since Confederation if the minority Conservative government

11454-464: The formation of a Government representing the united and inflexible resolve of the nation to prosecute the war with Germany to a victorious conclusion". 381 members voted "aye" in favour of the motion and, apart from the two tellers for the "noes", the wartime coalition was endorsed unanimously. Meanwhile, the Labour Party's conference had gone ahead as planned. On the 13th, Attlee spoke to confirm that

11592-534: The future of the coalition. Attlee, in agreement with Churchill, wanted it to continue until after the Japanese surrender but he discovered that others in the Labour Party, especially Morrison and Bevin, wanted an election in October after Parliament ended. On 20 May, Attlee attended his party conference and found that opinion was against him so he informed Churchill that Labour must leave the coalition. On 23 May, Labour left

11730-489: The government (though it had been a part of an informal coalition since 2020). The current government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is composed of four political coalitions and 19 parties. MMP was introduced in New Zealand in the 1996 election . In order to get into power, parties need to get a total of 50% of the approximately (there can be more if an Overhang seat exists) 120 seats in parliament – 61. Since it

11868-590: The government and demolished in 1824 to allow the construction of the Privy Council Office , Board of Trade and Treasury offices. In 1861, the houses on the south side of Downing Street were replaced by purpose-built government offices for the Foreign Office , India Office , Colonial Office , and the Home Office . The houses at the end of the street were arranged around Downing Square. There used to be

12006-503: The grounds granted him by the patent of 1663/4 Feb. 23. The present grant is by reason that the said Cockpit or the greater part thereof is since demolished; but it is to be subject to the proviso that it be not built any nearer than 14 feet of the wall of the said Park at the West end thereof." Between 1682 and 1684, Downing built the cul-de-sac of two-storey townhouses with coach-houses, stables and views of St James's Park. How many he built

12144-418: The hands of the leader, as opposed to backbenchers, then coalition governments will be very difficult to form. Moore shows that the diffusion of power within a party tends to also lead to a diffusion of power in the parliament in which that party operates, thereby making coalitions more likely. Several coalition governments have been formed within provincial politics. As a result of the 1919 Ontario election ,

12282-456: The head of each party for two years, and they switched roles in 1986. In Japan , controlling a majority in the House of Representatives is enough to decide the election of the prime minister (=recorded, two-round votes in both houses of the National Diet , yet the vote of the House of Representatives decision eventually overrides a dissenting House of Councillors vote automatically after

12420-460: The leader of the Conservative Party. He explained to the King why Halifax, whom the King thought the obvious candidate, did not want to become prime minister. The King then sent for Churchill and asked him to form a new government; according to Churchill, there was no stipulation that it must be a coalition government. At 21:00 on 10 May, Chamberlain announced the change of prime minister over

12558-648: The lease on land east of St James's Park , adjacent to the House at the Back, and within walking distance of Parliament. Downing planned to build a row of townhouses "for persons of good quality to inhabit". However, the Hampden family had a lease which prevented their construction for 30 years. When the Hampden lease expired, Downing received permission to build further west to take advantage of recent developments. The new warrant issued in 1682 reads: "Sir George Downing ... [is authorised] to build new and more houses further westward on

12696-468: The major parties are unable to assemble a majority, a grand coalition may be the only practical option. This was the case following the 2005 federal election , in which the incumbent SPD–Green government was defeated but the opposition CDU/CSU–FDP coalition also fell short of a majority. A grand coalition government was subsequently formed between the CDU/CSU and the SPD. Partnerships like these typically involve carefully structured cabinets: Angela Merkel of

12834-453: The major parties, or "red–red–green" coalitions of the SPD, Greens, and The Left . In the eastern states , dwindling support for moderate parties has seen the rise of new forms of grand coalitions such as the Kenya coalition . The rise of populist parties also increases the time that it takes for a successful coalition to form. By 2016, the Greens were participating eleven governing coalitions on

12972-436: The mandatory conference committee procedure fails which, by precedent, it does without real attempt to reconcile the different votes). Therefore, a party that controls the lower house can form a government on its own. It can also pass a budget on its own. But passing any law (including important budget-related laws) requires either majorities in both houses of the legislature or, with the drawback of longer legislative proceedings,

13110-611: The ministry's whole term, both the war cabinet and the CDC were regularly attended by Sir Edward Bridges , the Cabinet Secretary ; General Sir Hastings Ismay , Chief of Staff to the Minister of Defence; and Major General Sir Leslie Hollis , Secretary to the Chiefs of Staff Committee. Bridges was rarely absent from war cabinet sessions. He was appointed by Chamberlain – as a senior civil servant, he

13248-550: The minority, the Liberal Party refused to cooperate until negotiations on a long-debated "conservative merger" of the two parties were agreed upon, and eventually successful. After it was founded in 1955, the Liberal Democratic Party dominated Japan's governments for a long period: The new party governed alone without interruption until 1983, again from 1986 to 1993 and most recently between 1996 and 1999. The first time

13386-541: The more meagre apartments of Number 10. This was the second time this had occurred; Stafford Northcote lived in Number 10 at one point, while Benjamin Disraeli occupied Number 11. That was for precisely the same reason—at the time, Number 10 was the more spacious apartment and Sir Stafford had a larger family. Blair and Brown's arrangement continued between Brown (at Number 11) and Alistair Darling (at Number 10), and continued in

13524-552: The morning of Friday, 10 May, Germany invaded the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg . Chamberlain initially felt that a change of government at such a time would be inappropriate, but upon being given confirmation that Labour would not serve under him, he announced to the war cabinet his intention to resign. Scarcely more than three days after he had opened the debate, Chamberlain went to Buckingham Palace to resign as prime minister. Despite resigning as PM, however, he continued to be

13662-421: The nation to prosecute the war with Germany to a victorious conclusion. He explained that a war cabinet of five members had been formed to represent the unity of the nation with all three main party leaders agreeing to serve either in the war cabinet or in high executive office. Churchill was hoping to complete all ministerial appointments by the end of the 14th. He announced an adjournment of Commons business until

13800-469: The new war cabinet, subject to Labour Party confirmation. Attlee and Greenwood were confident of securing this on Saturday after Churchill promised that more than a third of government positions would be offered to Labour members, including some of the key posts. On Saturday, 11 May, the Labour Party agreed to join a national government under Churchill's leadership and he was able to confirm his war cabinet. In his biography of Churchill, Roy Jenkins described

13938-401: The norm has been coalition governments, though there have been periods where single-party governments were frequent, such as the decade after the end of World War II , during the 1970s, and in the late 2010s. Every government from 1982 until the 2015 elections were coalitions. While Mette Frederiksen 's first government only consisted of her own Social Democrats , her second government is

14076-429: The other one to win, to achieve a Nash equilibrium , which is necessary for a coalition to form. If the parties are not willing to compromise, the coalition will not come about. Before parties form a coalition government, they formulate a coalition agreement, in which they state what policies they try to adapt in the legislative period. In multi-party states , a coalition agreement is an agreement negotiated between

14214-448: The outset of whom two, Churchill and Attlee, served throughout the ministry's entire term. Bevin, Morrison and Wood were appointed to the war cabinet while retaining offices that had originally been outer cabinet portfolios. Anderson and Eden were promoted to the war cabinet from other offices after their predecessors, Chamberlain and Halifax, had left the government; similarly, Casey was brought in after Lyttelton switched portfolio and Moyne

14352-407: The parties that form a coalition government. It codifies the most important shared goals and objectives of the cabinet. It is often written by the leaders of the parliamentary groups . Coalitions that have a written agreement are more productive than those that do not. If an issue is discussed more deeply and in more detail in chamber than what appears in the coalition agreement, it indicates that

14490-456: The party was now in coalition with the Conservatives and Liberals as a national government. He told the conference that: "We are trying to form a government that should rally all the nation and set forth the energies of the people". He added that he had "not the slightest doubt about our victory". Apart from a handful of junior appointments such as royal household positions, Churchill completed

14628-501: The police officers on duty at these gates. Mitchell had to resign as the Government Chief Whip because of the incident. On the afternoon of 25 May 2023 the gates were damaged when a car crashed into them. The Prime Minister was inside at the time. A man was arrested by police and the incident was not terrorism related. Technically speaking, the public right of way along Downing Street has not been extinguished nor subject to

14766-634: The polls in 1998. The first successful coalition government in India which completed a whole five-year term was the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister from 1999 to 2004. Then another coalition, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance , consisting of 13 separate parties, ruled India for two terms from 2004 to 2014 with Manmohan Singh as PM. However, in

14904-553: The restrictions by means of a traffic management order. This by implication results in Downing Street being inaccessible to the general public as admittance is only granted by the Police to scheduled visitors, Parliamentary pass holders and members of the accredited press. Although the Downing Street government buildings and grounds are a designated site under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 for criminal trespass,

15042-474: The right-wing Likud in coalition with several right-wing and religious parties and periods of rule by the center-left Labor in coalition with several left-wing parties. Ariel Sharon 's formation of the centrist Kadima party in 2006 drew support from former Labor and Likud members, and Kadima ruled in coalition with several other parties. Israel also formed a national unity government from 1984–1988 . The premiership and foreign ministry portfolio were held by

15180-479: The right-wing populist BC Social Credit Party won a minority. They were able to win a majority in the subsequent election as Liberal and Conservative supporters shifted their anti-CCF vote to Social Credit. Manitoba has had more formal coalition governments than any other province. Following gains by the United Farmer's/Progressive movement elsewhere in the country, the United Farmers of Manitoba unexpectedly won

15318-483: The road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Let that be realised; no survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages, that mankind will move forward towards its goal. But I take up my task with buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. At this time I feel entitled to claim

15456-516: The second day, the Labour opposition forced a division which was in effect a motion of no confidence in Chamberlain. The government's majority of 213 was reduced to 81, still a victory but nevertheless a shattering blow for Chamberlain. On Thursday, 9 May, Chamberlain attempted to form a National Coalition Government. In talks at Downing Street with Viscount Halifax and Churchill, he indicated that he

15594-417: The sixth Prime Minister. However, the general election of 1989 once again brought a coalition government under National Front , which lasted until 1991, with two Prime Ministers, the second one being supported by Congress. The 1991 election resulted in a Congress-led stable minority government for five years. The eleventh parliament produced three Prime Ministers in two years and forced the country back to

15732-574: The south side of the street were demolished in the 19th century to make way for government offices now occupied by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office . Opposite, for part of the street, the Cabinet Office , initially Treasury, was built to face Whitehall. The term "Downing Street" is also used as a metonym for the Prime Minister or the British Government more generally. The street

15870-414: The state level in seven different constellations. During campaigns, parties often declare which coalitions or partners they prefer or reject. This tendency toward fragmentation also spread to the federal level, particularly during the 2021 federal election , which saw the CDU/CSU and SPD fall short of a combined majority of votes for the first time in history. After India's Independence on 15 August 1947,

16008-468: The street was not included in the boundaries of the designated area. Since 1989, entering Downing Street has required passing through a security checkpoint . The street is patrolled by armed police from the Diplomatic Protection Group , and there is usually at least one police officer outside the front door of Number 10. Security was tightened after 10 Downing Street was mortar bombed by

16146-410: The title); this was particularly common in coalition governments. Sometimes a minister only uses the Downing Street flat for formal occasions and lives elsewhere. In 1881, William Ewart Gladstone claimed residence in numbers 10, 11 and 12 for himself and his family. He was both Chancellor of the Exchequer and Prime Minister at the time. After the 1997 general election , in which Labour took power,

16284-671: The upcoming election. The Saskatchewan NDP was re-elected with a majority under its new leader Lorne Calvert , while the Saskatchewan Liberals lost their remaining seats and have not been competitive in the province since. From the creation of the Folketing in 1849 through the introduction of proportional representation in 1918, there were only single-party governments in Denmark. Thorvald Stauning formed his second government and Denmark's first coalition government in 1929. Since then,

16422-431: The war cabinet office. By Monday, 13 May, most of the senior government posts were filled. That day was Whit Monday , normally a bank holiday but cancelled by the incoming government. A specially convened sitting of the House of Commons was held and Churchill spoke for the first time as Prime Minister: I beg to move, that this House welcomes the formation of a Government representing the united and inflexible resolve of

16560-486: The war progressed but there were significant additions later in 1940 when it was increased to eight after Churchill, Attlee, and Greenwood were joined by Ernest Bevin as Minister of Labour and National Service ; Anthony Eden as Foreign Secretary, replacing Halifax who was sent to Washington as Ambassador to the United States ; Lord Beaverbrook as Minister of Aircraft Production ; Sir Kingsley Wood as Chancellor of

16698-445: Was Hastings Lees-Smith , the MP for Keighley , who died in office on 18 December 1941. He was briefly succeeded by Frederick Pethick-Lawrence and then by Arthur Greenwood, who had left the war cabinet, from 22 February 1942 until 23 May 1945. The main problem for Churchill as he became prime minister was that he was not the leader of the majority Conservative Party and, needing its support,

16836-409: Was "shaky and lightly built by the profiteering contractor whose name they bear". The upper end of the Downing Street cul-de-sac closed access to St James's Park, making the street quiet and private. An advertisement in 1720 described it as "a pretty open Place, especially at the upper end, where are four or five very large and well-built Houses, fit for Persons of Honour and Quality; each House having

16974-433: Was appointed to replace Casey. Beaverbrook, Lyttelton and Woolton were brought in to fill new offices that were created to address current priorities. Greenwood was an original member with no portfolio and was not replaced when he assumed the acting leadership of the Opposition. Cripps was brought in as an extra member to reduce the workloads of Churchill and Attlee. This table lists cabinet level ministries and offices during

17112-514: Was as a junior coalition party to Fine Gael . The exception was a government with Fianna Fáil from 1993 to 1994. The 29th Government of Ireland (2011–16), was a grand coalition of the two largest parties, as Fianna Fáil had fallen to third place in the Dáil. The current government is a Fianna Fáil , Fine Gael and the Green Party . It is the first time Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have served in government together, having derived from opposing sides in

17250-452: Was asked by the King to form a new, essentially Conservative, government. It was known as the Churchill caretaker ministry and managed the country's affairs until the completion of the general election on 26 July that year. The 1935 general election had resulted in a Conservative victory with a substantial majority and Stanley Baldwin became prime minister. In May 1937, Baldwin retired and

17388-540: Was built in the 1680s by Sir George Downing, 1st Baronet , on the site of a mansion, Hampden House. Little is known about what was on the site before the mansion, but there is evidence of a brewhouse called 'The Axe', owned by the Abbey of Abingdon , and the premises of the goldsmith Everard Everdyes . Downing was a soldier and diplomat who served under Oliver Cromwell and King Charles II , and who invested in properties and acquired considerable wealth. In 1654, he purchased

17526-551: Was defeated on a vote of non-confidence, unseating Stephen Harper as Prime Minister. The agreement outlined a formal coalition consisting of two opposition parties, the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party . The Bloc Québécois agreed to support the proposed coalition on confidence matters for 18 months. In the end, parliament was prorogued by the Governor General , and the coalition dispersed before parliament

17664-463: Was due to an increase in violence, particularly by the IRA during The Troubles . The Thatcher ministry was particularly moved to increase security after the 1979 Assassination of Lord Mountbatten . Access through these gates led to a political scandal known as Plebgate (or Gategate ), which started in September 2012. The trigger was an altercation between Conservative Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell , and

17802-501: Was established by Churchill as soon as he took office. It was the key organisation through which the government prosecuted the war, especially in 1940 and 1941. From 1942, as the tide of war began to turn in favour of the Allies, the importance of the CDC was reduced and its meetings became fewer as its work was increasingly delegated or raised at conferences. Anthony Eden became Secretary of State for War (until December 1940); Labour's A. V. Alexander succeeded Churchill as First Lord of

17940-479: Was formed after the 1948 general election , with five parties and independents represented at cabinet. Before 1989, Fianna Fáil had opposed participation in coalition governments, preferring single-party minority government instead. It formed a coalition government with the Progressive Democrats in that year. The Labour Party has been in government on eight occasions. On all but one of those occasions, it

18078-625: Was given to a junior coalition partner: the JSP-DP-Cooperativist coalition government in 1948 of prime minister Ashida Hitoshi (DP) who took over after his JSP predecessor Tetsu Katayama had been toppled by the left wing of his own party, the JSP-Renewal-Kōmei-DSP-JNP-Sakigake-SDF-DRP coalition in 1993 with Morihiro Hosokawa (JNP) as compromise PM for the Ichirō Ozawa -negotiated rainbow coalition that removed

18216-618: Was not a member of the war cabinet. Churchill appointed himself as Leader of the House of Commons (it was normal procedure until 1942 for a prime minister in the Commons to lead the House) and created for himself the new role of Minister of Defence , so that he would be permanent chair of the Cabinet Defence Committee (CDC), Operations, which included the three service ministers, the three Chiefs of Staff (CoS) and other ministers, especially Attlee, and experts as and when required. The CDC

18354-596: Was not a political appointee – in August 1938 and remained in situ until 1946. Churchill later described Bridges as "an extremely competent and tireless worker". Ismay's role, technically, was Secretary of the CSC but he was in fact Churchill's chief staff officer and military adviser throughout the war. Hollis was Secretary to the CoS Committee, also for the duration, and he additionally served as senior assistant secretary to Bridges in

18492-500: Was obliged to include Chamberlain in the war cabinet, but this was not to Labour's liking. Initially, Churchill proposed to appoint Chamberlain as both Leader of the House of Commons and Chancellor of the Exchequer. Attlee objected and Churchill decided to appoint Chamberlain as Lord President of the Council. The fifth member of the war cabinet was Halifax, who retained his position as Foreign Secretary. Instead of Chamberlain, Sir Kingsley Wood became Chancellor but, until 3 October 1940, he

18630-616: Was quite ready to resign if that was necessary for Labour to enter such a government. Labour's leader Clement Attlee and his deputy Arthur Greenwood then joined the meeting, and when asked, they indicated that they must first consult their party's National Executive Committee (then in Bournemouth to prepare for the annual conference ), but it was unlikely they could serve in a government led by Chamberlain; they probably would be able to serve under some other Conservative. After Attlee and Greenwood left, Chamberlain asked whom he should recommend to

18768-501: Was reconvened. According to historian Christopher Moore , coalition governments in Canada became much less possible in 1919, when the leaders of parties were no longer chosen by elected MPs but instead began to be chosen by party members. Such a manner of leadership election had never been tried in any parliamentary system before. According to Moore, as long as that kind of leadership selection process remains in place and concentrates power in

18906-592: Was succeeded by Neville Chamberlain who continued Baldwin's foreign policy of appeasement in the face of German, Italian and Japanese aggression. Having signed the Munich Agreement with Adolf Hitler in 1938, Chamberlain became alarmed by the dictator's continuing aggression and, in March 1939, signed the Anglo-Polish military alliance which supposedly guaranteed British support for Poland if attacked. Chamberlain issued

19044-531: Was the small, communist Labor-Progressive Party , which had a handful of seats. In Saskatchewan, NDP premier Roy Romanow formed a formal coalition with the Saskatchewan Liberals in 1999 after being reduced to a minority. After two years, the newly elected Liberal leader David Karwacki ordered the coalition be disbanded, the Liberal caucus disagreed with him and left the Liberals to run as New Democrats in

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