Saturday, 13 January 2018
1793 George Lloyd
Constituency : Staffordshire West 1910-12 ( Liberal Unionist ), 1912-18, Eastbourne 1924-5 ( Conservative )
George unseated Henry McLaren at West Staffordshire.
George's grandfather had been a Conservative MP. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge where he was cox in two Boat Races. He joined the family firm of steel tube manufacturers. He signed up to Joseph Chamberlain's tariff reform campaign. In 1905 he began working in the Near East for the foreign office on an unofficial basis at first. His reports led to a more conventional commission. He held business directorships.
George's maiden speech in 1910 was in favour of tariff reform.
Once a Conservative, George became a "diehard". He pressed for an early declaration of war against Germany and served from the start. He took part in the Gallipoli campaign , visited Petrograd on a special mission and then was active in the Middle East. He became a captain and won the DSO.
George didn't like the coalition with Lloyd George and with Edward Wood ( later Lord Halifax ) wrote The Great Opportunity in 1918 setting out an alternative manifesto calling for devolution and industrial renewal.
George stood down in 1918 to become Governor of Bombay. He arrested Gandhi and had him jailed for sedition. He completed his term in 1923.
George returned to Parliament for Eastbourne in 1924. The following year he was created Baron Lloyd and appointed High Commissioner for Egypt. He was a shrewd operator but alienated many with his love of ostentation and autocratic behaviour .He served until 1929 when Arthur Henderson forced his resignation.
In the thirties George worked with Churchill against Indian home rule and supported rearmament before Hitler even came to power. In 1937, he became chairman of the British Council. He trained as a military pilot but never saw action.
In 1940 Churchill appointed George as Under Secretary of State for the Colonies and shortly afterwards, Leader of the House of Lords. He was a proponent of the London Central Mosque.
George married and had children but was thought to be homosexual.
He died of leukaemia in 1941 aged 61.
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