Lord President of the Council
The Lord President of the Council is a British cabinet position, the holder of which acts as Presiding officer of the Privy Council. His principal responsibility is to preside at meetings of the Privy Council, at which the British monarch formally assents to Orders-in-Council. In recent years, the Lord President has also served as Leader of the House of Commons, though the current Lord President also serves as Leader of the House of Lords.In the 19th century, the Lord President was generally the cabinet member responsible for the educational system, a role still played by the Privy Council at this time, although this role was gradually scaled back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
A particularly vital role was played by the Lord President of the Council during the Second World War. The Lord President served as chairman of the Lord President's Committee. This committee acted as a central clearing house for dealing with economic problems that affected the country. As such, it was vital to the smooth running of the British war economy and consequently the entire British war effort.
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2 Lord Presidents, 1621-1631 3 Lord Presidents since 1678 |
Lord Presidents 1530-1553
Lord Presidents, 1621-1631
Lord Presidents since 1678
