Arthur Balfour (1902-1905) - Prime Minister - Parliament

Arthur Balfour was born in 1848 and educated at Eton and Cambridge. He initially entered the House of Commons as the MP for Hertford and then became the private secretary to his uncle, the Marquis of Salisbury and then later was appointed as the Secretary for Scotland.

Other posts during the next few years included Chief Secretary of Ireland (1887), First Lord of the Treasury (1892) and leader of the House of Commons (1892). Eventually he replaced his uncle as Prime Minister and his period marked the end of the Boer War. It was the topic of Tariff Reform that split the Balfour government and he resigned in 1905.

"Democracy is government by explanation"

"Nothing matters very much, and very few things matter at all"
"Conservative prejudices are rooted in a great past and Liberal ones in an imaginary future"

"I am more or less happy when being praised, not very comfortable when being abused, but I have moments of uneasiness when being explained"