Leslie Hore-Belisha

The Lord Hore-Belisha
Leslie Hore-Belisha
Secretary of State for War
In office
28 May 1937 – 5 January 1940
Prime MinisterNeville Chamberlain
Preceded byDuff Cooper
Succeeded byHon. Oliver Stanley
Minister of Transport
In office
29 June 1934 – 28 May 1937
Prime Minister
Preceded byHon. Oliver Stanley
Succeeded byLeslie Burgin
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
In office
29 September 1932 – 29 June 1934
Prime MinisterRamsay MacDonald
Preceded byWalter Elliot
Succeeded byDuff Cooper
Member of Parliament
for Plymouth Devonport
In office
6 December 1923 – 15 June 1945
Preceded byClement Kinloch-Cooke
Succeeded byMichael Foot
Personal details
Born
Isaac Leslie Belisha

(1893-09-07)7 September 1893
Hampstead, London, England
Died16 February 1957(1957-02-16) (aged 63)
Reims, France
Political party
Spouse
Cynthia Elliot
(m. 1944)
Alma materSt John's College, Oxford

Leslie Hore-Belisha, 1st Baron Hore-Belisha, PC (/ˈhɔːr bəˈlʃə/; Isaac Leslie Belisha; 7 September 1893 – 16 February 1957) was a British Liberal, then National Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) and Cabinet Minister. He later joined the Conservative Party. He proved highly successful in modernising the British road system in 1934–1937 as Minister of Transport. As War Secretary, 1937–1940, he feuded with the commanding generals and was removed in 1940. Some writers believe anti-semitism played a role in both his dismissal and in blocking his appointment as Minister of Information.[1][2] One historian compares his strong and weak points:

He was a brilliant speaker, a warm and engaging personality, a go-getter and a persistent driver, a master of the unconventional or indirect approach, a patriot and a man of moral and physical courage, not a great intellect but an original with a flair for imaginative gestures and for public relations. He also had personal weaknesses. He was extremely self-centred and had a fine conceit of himself. At times he was accused of sharp practice. ... Sharp practitioner or not, [his] quickness of mind and tongue, and transparent ambition to be seen to succeed, made him vulnerable to smears. ... His over-assertiveness ... led him to appear inconsiderate of the feelings and views of others.[3]: 397–398 

His name is still widely associated in the UK with the introduction of flashing amber "Belisha beacons" at pedestrian crossings while he was Minister for Transport.

  1. ^ Holmes, Colin (2016). A Tolerant Country? Immigrants, Refugees and Minorities. Oxfordshire: Routledge. p. 37. ISBN 978-1-138-93422-1.
  2. ^ Harry Defries (2014). Conservative Party Attitudes to Jews 1900–1950. Routledge. pp. 180–81. ISBN 9781135284626.
  3. ^ Trythall, A. J. (1981). "The Downfall of Leslie Hore-Belisha". Journal of Contemporary History. 16 (3): 391–411. doi:10.1177/002200948101600301. JSTOR 260312. S2CID 159844239.