Iain Macleod

The Right Honourable Iain Macleod, PC (1913 – 1970) was a UK Conservative politician.

Related Topics:
The Right Honourable - PC - 1913 - 1970 - UK - Conservative - Politician

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He represented the parliamentary constituency of Enfield, West, and served as a minister in the Conservative Governments of the 1950s. As Minister for Health under Winston Churchill (after succeeding Harry Crookshank to the post in 1952) he famously made the announcement that British clinician Richard Doll had proved the link between smoking and lung cancer at a press conference during which he chain smoked throughout.

Related Topics:
Enfield, West - 1950s - Winston Churchill - Harry Crookshank - 1952 - Richard Doll - Lung cancer

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In the Macmillan governments he served as first Minister of Labour and National Service (1957-9) and then as Secretary of State for the Colonies (1959-61) where he presided over considerable decolonisation, seeing Nigeria, British Somaliland, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Kuwait and British Cameroon become independent, and in Kenya he stopped the state of emergency and freed Kenyatta. He made a tour of Sub-Saharan Africa in 1960.

Related Topics:
Secretary of State for the Colonies - Nigeria - British Somaliland - Tanzania - Sierra Leone - Kuwait - British Cameroon - Kenya - Kenyatta - Sub-Saharan Africa - 1960

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In 1961 he added the Chancellorship of the Duchy of Lancaster to his portfolio.

Related Topics:
1961 - Chancellorship of the Duchy of Lancaster

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But when Harold Macmillan acted to block the succession of Rab Butler to his position as Conservative party leader and prime minister, Macleod (along with Enoch Powell) refused to serve under Alec Douglas-Home and was subsequently passed over for a position in the Douglas-Home government.

Related Topics:
Harold Macmillan - Rab Butler - Enoch Powell - Alec Douglas-Home

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He was at one time editor of The Spectator, and the coinage of the word stagflation is attributed to him.

Related Topics:
The Spectator - Stagflation

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Shortly before his death he had been appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer by Prime Minister Edward Heath. He left behind him an outline budget which most observers found surprisingly hard-line in its proposals for control of public spending and tax reform.

Related Topics:
Chancellor of the Exchequer - Edward Heath

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Many conservative politicians of generations following Macleod recalled him as an inspirational speaker, and John Major specifically cited his example on taking office. Many believe he would have made a good leader for the party had he lived.

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Macleod's daughter Dianna Heimann was a UK Independence Party candidate in the 2005 general election.

Related Topics:
UK Independence Party - 2005 general election

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