Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Henry Campbell-Bannerman was a Liberal politician, member of the Parliament, and prime minister of the United Kingdom.
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History
Henry Campbell was born a younger son of James Campbell.
Campbell entered politics as a member of Glasgow Town Council, first elected in 1831. He also stood as a Conservative in the 1837 and 1841 general elections. Many years later, he stood as a Liberal candidate for an April 1868 by-election, ultimately losing to fellow Liberal John Ramsay. In the general elections held that November however, he beat out Ramsay and entered the Parliament.
In 1871 he inherited the estate of his uncle, Henry Bannerman, and took the surname Campbell-Bannerman.
He was appointed a ministerial role under Gladstone in 1871, rose quickly, and in 1884 joined the cabinet.
In 1899 Campbell-Bannerman became party leader. Tje Liberals were deeply divided over the Boer War; Campbell-Bannerman himself was critical of it and spoke against the use of concentration camps as 'barbarism'.
Balfour resigned as PM in late 1905, leading to Campbell-Bannerman being invited to form a minority government. He immediately called snap elections, which handed him a majority.
Campbell-Bannerman's health began to fail during his term. By April 1908 he had arranged for Asquith to succeed him and resigned. Within three weeks, before he could formally move out of 10 Downing Street, he died.