Unionist government, 1895–1905 Unionist government, 1895–1905 A coalition of the Conservative and Liberal Unionist parties took power in the United Kingdom following the 1895 general election. Conservative leader Lord Salisbury was appointed Prime Minister and his nephew, Arthur Balfour, became Leader of the House of Commons, but various major posts went to the Liberal Unionists, most notably the leader of the House of Lords, the Liberal Unionist Duke of Devonshire, who was made Lord President, and his colleague in the Commons, Joseph Chamberlain, who became Colonial Secretary. It was this government which would conduct the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902, which
Records of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom to at least one other Prime Minister by blood or marriage. Two sets of father and son have successively held the office: The only brothers to hold the office were Henry Pelham, who was succeeded on his death in 1754 by the Duke of Newcastle. Pitt the Younger and Lord Grenville (who directly succeeded the latter in office) were the only set of full cousins to hold the office, their fathers being brothers-in-law. There have been three blood uncle-nephew sets of Prime Ministers: Lord Wilmington was two-greats uncle of Spencer Perceval, whose mother, Catherine ( Compton), Baroness Arden, was a