Minister of Defence (United Kingdom) Minister of Defence (United Kingdom) The post of Minister of Defence was responsible for co-ordination of defence and security from its creation in 1940 until its abolition in 1964. The post was a Cabinet-level post and generally ranked above the three service ministers, some of whom, however, continued to also serve in Cabinet. Prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, concerns about British forces being understrength led in 1936 to the creation of the post of Minister for Coordination of Defence by Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin. The post was abolished by Baldwin's successor Neville Chamberlain in April 1940.
Alfred Baldwin (politician) Alfred Baldwin (politician) Alfred Baldwin (4 June 1841 – 13 February 1908) was an English businessman and Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP). He was the father of Stanley Baldwin, the Conservative Prime Minister. Baldwin was the 12th and posthumously-born child of George Pearce Baldwin and Sarah Chalkey Stanley. He started work at the Wilden Iron and Tin Plate Company at Wilden (near Stourport, Worcestershire), which, in 1840, had been taken over by his uncle Enoch Baldwin, who ran the business with his nephews, Pearce and William, trading as "E.P.& W. Baldwin of Wilden". In 1879, Alfred and his brothers