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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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A.J. Balfour
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(Arthur James Balfour, 1848–1930, earl of Balfour 1922)
Conservative politician whose early career was closely linked with that of his uncle, Lord *Salisbury (his mother was Salisbury's sister). He became a member of Salisbury's cabinet in 1887, as chief secretary for Ireland, and in his uncle's later administrations (1891–2, 1895–1902) was leader of the House of Commons and first lord of the *Treasury – the only occasion in recent times when the latter office has not been held by the prime minister. With Salisbury leading the House of Lords, and acting as foreign secretary as well as prime minister, uncle and nephew together held the reins of government in an unprecedented fashion.
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In July 1902 Salisbury retired and Balfour succeeded him as prime minister (1902–5). After a string of by-election defeats he resigned in 1905, to be succeeded by the Liberal *Campbell-Bannerman, and in the election of 1906 a Liberal landslide cost Balfour his own seat. He was soon back in parliament, but Bonar *Law took over the party leadership in 1911. In the wartime coalition governments Balfour held various offices, including a spell as foreign secretary (1916–19) which was to have a resounding effect on world history through the *Balfour Declaration. When again in the cabinet in 1925–9, as lord president of the council, he was responsible for the Balfour Report which defined the way forward for the *Commonwealth of Nations.
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