Oliver Stanley

The Right Honourable Oliver Stanley MC, PC
President of the Board of Trade
In office 28 May 1937 – 5 January 1940
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Neville Chamberlain
Preceded by	Walter Runciman
Succeeded by	Sir Andrew Duncan
Secretary of State for War
In office 5 January 1940 – 11 May 1940
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Neville Chamberlain
Preceded by	Leslie Hore-Belisha
Succeeded by	Anthony Eden
Secretary of State for the Colonies
In office 22 November 1942 – 26 July 1945
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Winston Churchill
Preceded by	Viscount Cranborne
Succeeded by	George Hall
Personal details
Born	4 May 1896 (1896-05-04)
Died	10 December 1950 (1950-12-11)
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Lady Maureen Vane-Tempest-Stewart (1900-1942)

Oliver Frederick George Stanley MC, PC (4 May 1896 – 10 December 1950) was a prominent British Conservative politician who held many ministerial posts before his early death when it was expected he would soon assume higher office.

Background and education

Stanley was the second son of Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby, by his wife Lady Alice, daughter of William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester. Edward Stanley, Lord Stanley was his elder brother. He was educated at Eton.

Military career

The Hon. Oliver Stanley was commissioned into the Lancashire Hussars in the First World War, serving for part of it attached to the Royal Artillery, reaching the rank of captain, and winning the Military Cross.

Political career

Stanley then entered the legal profession, but in the 1924 general election he was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Westmorland. From 1945 he sat for Bristol West. He soon came to the attention of the Conservative leaders and held a number of posts in the National Government of the 1930s. As Minister of Transport he was responsible for the introduction of a 30 miles per hour speed limit and driving tests for new drivers. In May 1938 whilst President of the Board of Trade he achieved a rare distinction in British politics when his brother Lord Stanley became Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs - a rare example of two brothers sitting in the same Cabinet, more so as their father, a former Conservative minister, was still alive. However five months later Edward died. (Another example is David Miliband and his brother Ed Miliband who were appointed to the British Cabinet in June 2007.)

In January 1940 Stanley was appointed Secretary of State for War after the previous incumbent, Leslie Hore-Belisha, had been sacked after falling out with the leading officers. Much was expected of Stanley's tenure in this office, as his father had held it during the First World War, but four months later the government fell and Stanley was not initially given a new post in the administration of Winston Churchill. Two years later Stanley's fortunes revived when Churchill appointed him Secretary of State for the Colonies, a post which he held until the end of the war. After the Conservatives' massive defeat in the 1945 general election Stanley was prominent amongst those rebuilding the party and he came to be regarded as one of the most important Conservative MPs. Also during this period he succeeded his father as Chancellor of the University of Liverpool. By this time, however, his health was in decline and he died in December 1950. Many believe^[who?] that had he lived longer he would have been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Conservatives formed a government the following year.

Family

Stanley married Lady Maureen, daughter of Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry and the Hon. Edith Chaplin, in 1920. They had one son and one daughter. Lady Maureen died in June 1942, aged 41. Stanley survived her by eight years and died in December 1950, aged 54.

References

• www.thepeerage.com

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Oliver Stanley

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by John Wakefield Weston	Member of Parliament for Westmorland 1924–1945	Succeeded by William Fletcher-Vane
Preceded by Cyril Culverwell	Member of Parliament for Bristol West 1945–1950	Succeeded by Walter Monckton
Political offices
Preceded by James Pybus	Minister of Transport 1933–1934	Succeeded by Leslie Hore-Belisha
Preceded by Henry Betterton	Minister of Labour 1934–1935	Succeeded by Ernest Brown
Preceded by Walter Runciman	President of the Board of Trade 1937–1940	Succeeded by Andrew Duncan
Preceded by The Viscount Halifax	President of the Board of Education 1935–1937	Succeeded by The Earl Stanhope
Preceded by Leslie Hore-Belisha	Secretary of State for War 1940	Succeeded by Anthony Eden
Preceded by Viscount Cranborne	Secretary of State for the Colonies 1942–1945	Succeeded by George Hall

Persondata
Name	Stanley, Oliver Frederick
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	4 May 1896
Place of birth
Date of death	10 December 1950
Place of death