Reginald McKenna

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Reginald McKenna (1863 – 1943) was a British Liberal Party statesman.

McKenna was elected to the House of Commons at the 1895 general election as Member of Parliament for Momouthshire North. He served in the Liberal governments of Henry Campbell-Bannerman and Herbert Henry Asquith as President of the Board of Education, First Lord of the Admiralty and Home Secretary. As Chancellor of the Exchequer in Asquith's coalition government, he opposed the introduction of conscription, and retired into opposition upon the fall of Asquith at the end of 1916. He lost his seat in the 1918 general election and became Chairman of the Midland Bank. In 1922, the new Prime Minister Andrew Bonar Law hoped to persuade him to come out of retirement and serve once again at the Exchequer, but he refused, and remained in private life. The following year Law's successor Stanley Baldwin made the repeated request and McKenna was more agreeable. However he wished to enter Parliament as MP for the City of London and neither of the incumbent MPs would agree to vacate in order to make room. As a result McKenna declined.

It is said that he refused offers of a peerage throughout the rest of his life so as to always be in a position to be offered the Exchequer so he could refuse.

[edit] References

Farr, Martin (2004) Reginald McKenna 1863-1943: A Life. London, Frank Cass, ISBN 0-7146-5047-1.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Thomas Phillips Price	Member of Parliament for Momouthshire North 1895–1918	Succeeded by (constituency abolished)
Political offices
Preceded by Augustine Birrell	President of the Board of Education 1907–1908	Succeeded by Walter Runciman
Preceded by The Lord Tweedmouth	First Lord of the Admiralty 1908–1911	Succeeded by Winston Churchill
Preceded by Winston Churchill	Home Secretary 1911–1915	Succeeded by Sir John Simon
Preceded by David Lloyd George	Chancellor of the Exchequer 1915–1916	Succeeded by Andrew Bonar Law