Arthur Balfour
Arthur Balfour was a Conservative politician, member of the Parliament, and prime minister of the United Kingdom.
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History
Balfour was the nephew of Gascoyne-Cecil, whom he served as a private secretary and protege in the Conservative Party. He was first elected to the House of Commons in 1874.
In 1886 his uncle appointed him to government as the secretary for Scotland, and in the following year he became the chief secretary for Scotland.
Balfour moved to the Treasury in 1891. He is the final first lord of the Treasury to not simultaneously lead the government.
His uncle resigned in 1902, leaving him to succeed leadership of the Conservatives and become prime minister.
He resigned in December 1905, and then lost his seat in the Parliament in the following month's election. He did however quickly secure a new seat in a by-election. He continued as the effective leader of the Conservatives until 1911.
During World War 1, Balfour returned to government as foreign secretary.
Following the 1922 Carlton Club meeting, a backbench revolt against continued participation in the coalition, he resigned from government. When the Conservatives won the ensuing election, he was not given a place in Law's government. He was however reappointed under Baldwin in 1925 and continued to serve until the 1929 election, which the Conservatives lost.
Balfour died the next year.