Rise of Neville Chamberlain Prime Minister. Chamberlain threw himself into Parliamentary work, begrudging the times when he was unable to attend debates and spending much time on committee work. When Austen Chamberlain, Chancellor of the Exchequer in the continued coalition government led by the Liberal Prime Minister, Lloyd George, tried to recruit him to serve on an additional committee, Neville Chamberlain informed his half-brother that he could only serve if it met between midnight and 7:30 am. Chamberlain took time to assure the future of the Birmingham Savings Bank, and Parliament passed an act which removed onerous restrictions from the bank. In March 1920,
Rise of Neville Chamberlain if he stood and lost, his successor would be badly damaged, Baldwin replied, "I don't give a damn about my successor, Neville." Chamberlain resigned as party chairman, though he continued as head of the Conservative Research Department, which he had founded, until his death. Baldwin did not stand in the by-election, but he retained his position and attacked the press barons as wanting "power without responsibility, the prerogative of the harlot through the ages", and the Conservatives won the election. Baldwin and Chamberlain healed their breach, and Chamberlain helped negotiate the return of the press lords to the Conservative fold.