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| Period in Office: | 28 May 1937 - 10 May 1940 |
| PM Predecessor: | Stanley Baldwin |
| PM Successor: | Winston Churchill |
| Date of Birth: | 18 March 1869 |
| Place of Birth: | Birmingham |
| Political Party: | Conservative |
Arthur Neville Chamberlain ( 18 March 1869 - 9 November, 1940) was a British politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937 - 1940.
Chamberlain was the eldest son from Birmingham MayorA mayor ( Latin major "better") is the chief executive official of a city, town, or village. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs as to the powers and responsibilities of a mayor, as well as the means of becoming mayor. The French Joseph ChamberlainJoseph Chamberlain ( July 8, 1836 July 3, 1914) was a British politician. In his early years he was a Liberal and a campaigner for educational reform, and became President of the Board of Trade. Later he re-emerged in alliance with the Conservatives, as a's second marriage and also half-brother to Sir Austen ChamberlainSir Austen Chamberlain ( 1863 1937) was a British statesman and politician. The son of Birmingham's Mayor Joseph Chamberlain and older half-brother of Neville Chamberlain, Austen was first elected to parliament in 1892. In 1903, he became Chancellor of th. He became Lord Mayor of Birmingham himself in 1915 after a successful start in business.
In 1916 Chamberlain was appointed Director of National Service by David Lloyd George. However, he found the post a frustrating one, felt that it was never properly defined, and clashed with Lloyd George several times, finally resigning in 1917. At no point during this period did he sit in Parliament, but he decided to stand in the next general election, when he was successfully elected for the first time at the age of 49 - by far the oldest age for any future Prime Minister entering Parliament to date. Chamberlain spent the next four years as a Conservative backbencher, despite his half-brother Austen becoming leader of Conservative MPs in 1921. However in 1922 the Lloyd George Coalition Government fell and Austen with it. As part of an olive branch, the new Conservative Prime Minister Andrew Bonar Law offered Neville the position of Postmaster General, which he accepted. It was to be the start of a rapid series of appointments. Chamberlain was soon appointed Paymaster General. Then in April 1923, after only six months as a minister, he was promoted to the Cabinet as Minister of Health. In this position he introduced a bold housing act which aimed to encourage local authorities to expand house construction. Four months later Chamberlain was promoted again by the new Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin to the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer, which he held until the government fell in January 1924.
Chamberlain remained one of the leading Conservative figures but faced a tremendous challenge in the 1924 general election. Whereas elsewhere the Conservatives were advancing, in Birmingham they faced a tremendous challenge from the Labour Party, locally headed by Oswald Mosley who stood against Chamberlain. After a tense series of recounts Chamberlain was declared elected by a mere 77 votes. In subsequent elections he stood in a safer seat.
The Conservatives formed a new government, but Chamberlain declined the offer of a return as Chancellor of the Exchequer, preferring instead to once more become Minister of Health. Over the next four and a half years he successfully introduced no less than 21 pieces of bold legislation, establishing his credentials as a strong social reformer.
The Conservatives were out of power after the 1929 general election and entered a period of internal conflict. In 1930 Chamberlain became Chairman of the Conservative Party for a year and was widely seen as the next leader. However Stanley Baldwin survived the conflict over his leadership and retained the leadership for another seven years.
In August 1931 Chamberlain headed the Conservative delegation in negotiations with the Labour Government of Ramsay MacDonald as it sought to deal with a budget crisis. Throughout Chamberlain came to the conclusion that the most desirable outcome would be to form a National Government, which eventually occurred on August 24 1931. Chamberlain once more returned to the Ministry of Health with the specific task of encouraging local authorities to make cuts to their expenditure.
After the 1931 general election Chamberlain wa appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer a second time. He emerged as the most active Minister of the government and achieved a strong personal success when he successfully introduced tariffs, something that his father had long campaigned for.
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