Who was shortest serving Chancellor of the Exchequer Iain Macleod and how did he die?

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Mr. Macleod became the shortest serving Chancellor of the Exchequer when he died 30 days after his appointment in July 1970.

Kwasi Kwarteng became the United Kingdom’s second shortest serving Chancellor of the Exchequer since World War II when he was sacked by Prime Minister, Liz Truss, on Friday.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr. Kwarteng lasted 38 days in the job, eight days more than Iain Macleod, who died 30 days after he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer by then Prime Minister, Edward Heath, in 1970.

Mr. Macleod was regarded as a lead politician of his generation having spent time as Chairman of the Conservative Party; Minister of Health; Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster as well MP for Enfield West from 1950 to 1970.

Regarded as one of the most gifted members of post-war Conservative politics, Macleod was responsible for overseeing the independence of many British African territories. MacLeod refused to serve as a Cabinet Minister under Sir Alec Douglas-Home as he disapproved of the procedure by which Sir Alec was selected but later became the Colonial Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was also the editor of the 'Spectator'.  (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)Regarded as one of the most gifted members of post-war Conservative politics, Macleod was responsible for overseeing the independence of many British African territories. MacLeod refused to serve as a Cabinet Minister under Sir Alec Douglas-Home as he disapproved of the procedure by which Sir Alec was selected but later became the Colonial Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was also the editor of the 'Spectator'.  (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
Regarded as one of the most gifted members of post-war Conservative politics, Macleod was responsible for overseeing the independence of many British African territories. MacLeod refused to serve as a Cabinet Minister under Sir Alec Douglas-Home as he disapproved of the procedure by which Sir Alec was selected but later became the Colonial Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was also the editor of the 'Spectator'. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Mr. Macleod was born in Skipton in Yorkshire in November 1913 and his parents were both from the western isles of Scotland.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He was educated at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge before signing up to fight in World War II in 1939 where he joined the Royal Fusiliers.

Macleod was injured during the Battle of France in 1940 which left him with a life long limp and pain.

As a major, he landed in France on Gold Beach on D-Day on 6 June 1944, as Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General (DAQMG) of the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division, a first line TA formation, under the command of Major-General Douglas Graham.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Macleod was friends with fellow Conservative MP and former Minister for Health, Enoch Powell.

After various appointments in government and a period as editor of the Spectator, Macleod was appointed Chancellor in 1970.

After giving his first major speech as Chancellor on July 7, 1970, Maleod was rushed to hospital with suspected appendicitis, but what turned out to be a pelvic diverticulum.

Mr. Macleod was discharged from hospital 11 days later and suffered a heart attack while in 11 Downing Street - he was 56 years-old.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.