The Viscount Margesson | |
|---|---|
 Margesson at his desk in the War Office | |
| Secretary of State for War | |
| In office 22 December 1940 – 22 February 1942 | |
| Prime Minister | Winston Churchill |
| Preceded by | Anthony Eden |
| Succeeded by | Sir James Grigg |
| Government Chief Whip in the House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 10 November 1931 – 22 December 1940 | |
| Prime Minister | Ramsay MacDonald Stanley Baldwin Neville Chamberlain Winston Churchill |
| Preceded by | Tom Kennedy |
| Succeeded by | Sir Charles Edwards |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 July 1890 |
| Died | 24 December 1965 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Frances Leggett |
| Alma mater | Magdalene College, Cambridge |
Henry David Reginald Margesson, 1st Viscount Margesson, PC (26 July 1890 – 24 December 1965) was a British Conservative politician, most popularly remembered for his tenure as Government Chief Whip in the 1930s. His reputation was of a stern disciplinarian who was one of the harshest and most effective whips. His sense of the popular mood led him know when to sacrifice unpopular ministers. He protected the appeasement-supporting government as long as he could.
However, some argue that there were weaknesses of his system because of the number of high-profile rebellions during his tenure.