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Morrison had a long ministerial career under four Prime Ministers ( Ramsay MacDonaldJames Ramsay MacDonald ( October 12, 1866 November 9, 1937) was Britain's first Labour Prime Minister (January-November 1924 and June 1929-August 1931) and subsequently Prime Minister of the "National" Government of August 1931-June 1935. Biography Born a, Stanley BaldwinStanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley ( August 3, 1867 December 14, 1947) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on three separate occasions. Early Life Born at Bewdley in Worcestershire he was educated at Harrow and Cambridge, and went into the, Neville ChamberlainArthur Neville Chamberlain ( 18 March 1869 9 November, 1940) was a British politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937 1940. Early life Chamberlain was the eldest son from Birmingham Mayor Joseph Chamberlain's second marriage and also ha and Winston ChurchillChurchill" redirects here. For other meanings, see Churchill (disambiguation). The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill KG, OM, CH, FRS ( November 30, 1874 January 24, 1965) was a British politician, best known as Prime Minister of the U). He was Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General 1931- 35, Financial Secretary to the Treasury 1935- 36, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries 1936- 39, Minister for Food 1939- 40, Postmaster-General 1940- 43 and Minister for Town and Country Planning 1943- 45.
In 1951, when the Conservatives returned to power, Morrison was elected Speaker of the House of Commons. He was opposed by Labour MP Major James Milner , who said it was his party's turn to have a Speaker of the House. It was the first contested election for the post in the twentieth century. Morrison was elected in a vote on party lines.
Morrison held the post of Speaker until 1959, when he resigned from Parliament. As was customary for former Speakers he was made a Viscount, taking the title Viscount Dunrossil of Vallaquie. He was appointed Governor-General of Australia the same year. By this time support for the idea of British Governors-General was declining in Australia, but the Liberal Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, was determined to maintain the British link.
Dunrossil took office in February 1960. Exactly a year later he died suddenly in Canberra, the first and only Australian Governor-General to die in office.
| Preceded by: Walter Elliot | Minister of Agriculture 1936–1939 | Followed by: Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith |
| Preceded by: The Earl Winterton | Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1939–1940 | Followed by: The Lord Tryon |
| Preceded by: Clifton Brown | Speaker of the House of Commons 1951–1959 | Followed by: Sir Harry Hylton-Foster |
| Preceded by: The Viscount Slim | Governor-General of Australia 1960–1961 | Succeeded by: The Viscount De L'Isle |
| Preceded by: New Creation | Viscount Dunrossil | Followed by: John William Morrison |