Harold Macmillan (1957-63) - Prime Minister - Parliament

Harold Macmillan was born in 1894 and educated at Eton and Oxford. On the outbreak of the First World War, Macmillan fought for the army. After this he worked for the family publishing business for a while before joining the House of Commons as a Conservative MP. Even though, his social views and advocacy of reforms meant he became unpopular with more conservative MP’s.

It was as Churchill’s Minister of Housing that Macmillan received his greatest recognition and when Eden resigned Churchill became Britain’s new Prime Minister. At first he was very successful with an economic boom and stable prices. Macmillan's tradition as a social reformer was reflected in his "wind of change" speech at Cape Town in 1960 where he acknowledged the inevitability of African independence. Eventually it was ill health that forced Britain out of office.

"Let us be frank about it: most of our people have never had it so good"

"Housing is not a question of Conservatism or Socialism. It is a question of humanity"

Macmillan’s speech to the South African Parliament:
"The wind of change is blowing through this continent and whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact".