John Allsebrook Simon, 1st Viscount Simon, (28 February 1873 – 11 January 1954) was a British politician who held senior Cabinet posts from the beginning of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

to the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He is one of three people to have served as

Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, more commonly known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Home Office. The position is a Great Office of State, maki ...

, Foreign Secretary and

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and the head of HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, t ...

, the others being

Rab Butler Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden (9 December 1902 – 8 March 1982), also known as R. A. Butler and familiarly known from his initials as Rab, was a prominent British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politici ...

and

James Callaghan Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff ( ; 27 March 191226 March 2005) was a British statesman and Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the L ...

. He also served as

Lord Chancellor The Lord Chancellor, formally titled Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom. The lord chancellor is the minister of justice for England and Wales and the highest-ra ...

, the most senior position in the British legal system. Beginning his career as a Liberal (identified initially with the left wing but later with the right wing of the party), he joined the National Government in 1931, creating the Liberal National Party in the process. At the end of his career, he was essentially a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

Background and education

Simon was born in a terraced house on

Moss Side Moss Side is an Inner city, inner-city area of Manchester, England, south of the Manchester city centre, city centre. It had a population of 20,745 at the United Kingdom Census 2021, 2021 census. Moss Side is bounded by Hulme to the north, Cho ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, the eldest child and only son of Edwin Simon (1843–1920) and wife Fanny Allsebrook (1846–1936). His father was a Congregationalist minister, like three of his five brothers, and was pastor of Zion Chapel in Hulme, Manchester. His mother was a farmer's daughter and a descendant of Sir Richard Pole and his wife, Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury. Congregational ministers were expected to move about the country.Jenkins 1999, p. 369. Simon was educated at

King Edward's School, Bath King Edward's School (KES), in Bath, Somerset, England, is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private co-educational day school providing education for 1,134 pupils aged 3 to 18. The school is a member of The Headmasters' and Headmistresses ...

, as his father was President of Somerset

Congregational Union Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christianity, Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice Congregationalist polity, congregational ...

. He was then a scholar of Fettes College in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

, where he was Head of School and won many prizes.Jenkins 1999, p. 370. He failed to win a scholarship to

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

, but won an open scholarship to

Wadham College, Oxford Wadham College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street, Oxford, Broad Street and Parks Road ...

. He arrived at Wadham in 1892.Dutton 1992, pp. 7–9. He achieved Seconds in Mathematics and

Classical Moderations Honour Moderations (or ''Mods'') are a set of examinations at the University of Oxford at the end of the first part of some degree courses (e.g., Greats or '' Literae Humaniores''). Honour Moderations candidates have a class awarded (hence the ...

. He spoke in support of Herbert Samuel for

South Oxfordshire South Oxfordshire is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Oxfordshire, England. Its council is temporarily based outside the district at Abingdon-on-Thames pending a p ...

in the 1895 election and, after two terms as Junior Treasurer, became President of the Oxford Union in

Hilary Term Hilary term is the second academic term of the University of Oxford Simon won the Barstow Law Scholarship and graduated with a first in Greats in 1896. Simon's attendance at Wadham overlapped with those of F. E. Smith, the cricketer C. B. Fry and the journalist Francis Hirst. Smith, Fry and Simon played in the Wadham Rugby XV together.Jenkins 1999, p. 371. Simon and Smith began a rivalry that lasted throughout their legal and political careers over the next 30 years. Simon was, in David Dutton's view, a finer scholar than Smith. Although Smith thought Simon pompous, Simon, in the words of a contemporary, thought that Smith excelled at "the cheap score". A famous (although clearly untrue) malicious story had it that Smith and Simon had tossed a coin to decide which party to join. Simon was briefly a trainee leader writer for the ''

Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' under C. P. Scott. Simon shared lodgings with

Leo Amery Leopold Charles Maurice Stennett Amery (22 November 1873 – 16 September 1955), also known as L. S. Amery, was a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician and journalist. During his career, he was known for his interest in ...

while both were studying for the All Souls Fellowship (both were successful). He became a Fellow of All Souls in 1897. Simon left Oxford at the end of 1898 and was called to the bar at the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

in 1899. He was a

pupil The pupil is a hole located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to strike the retina.Cassin, B. and Solomon, S. (1990) ''Dictionary of Eye Terminology''. Gainesville, Florida: Triad Publishing Company. It appears black becau ...

of A. J. Ram and then of Sir Reginald Acland. Like many barristers, his career got off to a slow start: he earned a mere £27 in his first year at the bar. At first, he earned some extra money by coaching candidates for the bar exams. As a barrister, he relied on logic and reason rather than oratory and histrionics, and he excelled at simplifying complex issues. He was a brilliant advocate of complex cases before judges although rather less so before juries.Jenkins 1999, p. 367. Some of his work was done on the Western Circuit at Bristol. He worked exceptionally hard, often preparing his cases through the night several times a week. His initial lack of connections made his eventual success at the Bar all the more impressive. Simon was widowed in 1902 and took solace in his work. He became a successful lawyer, and in 1903, he acted for the British government in the Alaska boundary dispute. Even three years after his wife's death, he spent Christmas Day 1905 alone by walking aimlessly in France.

Early political career

Simon entered the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

as a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for

Walthamstow Walthamstow ( or ) is a town within the London Borough of Waltham Forest in east London. The town borders Chingford to the north, Snaresbrook and South Woodford to the east, Leyton and Leytonstone to the south, and Tottenham to the west. At ...

at the 1906 general election. In 1908, he became a KC (senior barrister) at the same time as F. E. Smith. Simon annoyed Smith by not telling his rival in advance that he was applying for silk. In 1909, Simon spoke out strongly in parliament in support of

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...

's progressive "

People's Budget The 1909/1910 People's Budget was a proposal of the Liberal government that introduced unprecedented taxes on the lands and incomes of Britain's wealthy to fund new social welfare programmes, such as non-contributary old age pensions under Ol ...

". He entered the government on 7 October 1910 as

solicitor-general A solicitor general is a government official who serves as the chief representative of the government in courtroom proceedings. In systems based on the English common law that have an attorney general or equivalent position, the solicitor general ...

, succeeding Rufus Isaacs, and was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

later that month, as was then usual for government law officers (Asquith brushed aside his objections).Jenkins 1999, p. 372. At 37, he was the youngest solicitor-general since the 1830s. In February 1911, he successfully prosecuted Edward Mylius for criminal libel for claiming that King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

was a bigamist. As was then required by the law, he fought a by-election after his appointment. He was honoured with appointment as a KCVO in 1911. Asquith referred to him as "the Impeccable" for his intellectual self-assurance, but after a series of social encounters, he wrote that "The Impeccable" was becoming "The Inevitable".Jenkins 1999, p. 366. Along with Isaacs, Simon represented the

Board of Trade The Board of Trade is a British government body concerned with commerce and industry, currently within the Department for Business and Trade. Its full title is The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of ...

at the public inquiry into the sinking of the in 1912; their close questioning of witnesses helped to prepare the way for improved maritime safety measures. Unusually for a government law officer, he was active in partisan political debate. When F. E. Smith first spoke from the Conservative front bench in 1912, Simon was put up next to oppose his old rival. He was promoted on 19 October 1913 to

attorney-general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

, again succeeding Isaacs. Unusually for an attorney-general, he was made a full member of Cabinet, as Isaacs had been, rather than simply being invited to attend when he was required. He was already being tipped as a potential future Liberal prime minister. He was the leader of the (unsuccessful) cabinet rebels against

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

's 1914 naval estimates. Asquith thought that Simon had organised "a conclave of malcontents" (Lloyd George, Reginald McKenna, Samuel, Charles Hobhouse and Beauchamp). He wrote to Asquith that the "loss of WC, though regrettable, is ''not'' by any means the splitting of the party". Lloyd George referred to Simon as "a kind of

Robespierre Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (; ; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman, widely recognised as one of the most influential and controversial figures of the French Revolution. Robespierre fer ...

". Simon contemplated resigning in protest at the declaration of war in August 1914 but, in the end, changed his mind. He was accused of hypocrisy even though his position was not actually very different from that of Lloyd George. He remained in the Cabinet after Asquith reminded him of his public duty and hinted at promotion. He damaged himself in the eyes of Hobhouse (postmaster-general),

Charles Masterman Charles Frederick Gurney Masterman Privy Council of the United Kingdom, PC Member of parliament, MP (24 October 1873 – 17 November 1927) was a British radical Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party politician, intellectual and man of letters. He ...

and the journalist C. P. Scott.

Roy Jenkins Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead (11 November 1920 – 5 January 2003) was a British politician and writer who served as the sixth President of the European Commission from 1977 to 1981. At various times a Member of Parliamen ...

believed that Simon was genuinely opposed to war.Jenkins 1999, p. 374. Early in 1915, Asquith rated Simon as "equal seventh" in his score list of the Cabinet, after his "malaise of last autumn". Sir John Simon 1-3-16

First World War

On 25 May 1915, Simon became

in Asquith's new coalition government. He declined an offer of the job of Lord Chancellor, which would have meant going to the Lords and restricting his active political career thereafter. As home secretary, he satisfied nobody. He tried to defend the

Union of Democratic Control The Union of Democratic Control was a British advocacy group, pressure group formed in 1914 to press for a more responsive foreign policy. While not a pacifism, pacifist organisation, it was opposed to military influence in government. World Wa ...

against

Edward Carson Edward Henry Carson, Baron Carson, Privy Council (United Kingdom), PC, Privy Council of Ireland, PC (Ire), King's Counsel, KC (9 February 1854 – 22 October 1935), from 1900 to 1921 known as Sir Edward Carson, was an Irish unionist politician ...

's attempt to prosecute it. However, he tried to ban ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' and the ''

Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily Middle-market newspaper, middle-market Tabloid journalism, tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation, h ...

'' for criticising the government's conduct of the war but failed to obtain Cabinet support.Jenkins 1999, p. 375. He resigned in January 1916 in protest against the introduction of conscription of single men, which he thought a breach of Liberal principles. McKenna and Walter Runciman also opposed conscription but for different reasons: they thought that it would weaken British industry and wanted Britain to concentrate her war effort on the Royal Navy and supporting the other Allies with finance. In his memoirs, Simon would admit that his resignation from the Home Office had been a mistake.Jenkins 1999, p. 376. In August 1916, Simon became chairman of the Royal Commission on the Arrest... and Subsequent Treatment of Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, Thomas Dickson and Patrick James McIntyre. The Commission published its report in September but without the evidential proceedings. After Asquith's fall in December 1916, Simon remained in opposition as an Asquithian Liberal. Simon proved his patriotism by serving as an officer on Trenchard's staff in the

Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...

for about a year, starting in the summer of 1917. His duties included purchasing supplies in Paris, where he married his second wife towards the end of 1917. Amidst questions as to whether it was appropriate for a serving officer to do so, Simon spoke in Trenchard's defence in Parliament when Trenchard resigned as Chief of Air Staff after Trenchard had fallen out with the President of the Air Council Lord Rothermere, who soon resigned. However, Simon was attacked in the Northcliffe Press (Northcliffe was Rothermere's brother). Simon's Walthamstow constituency was split up at the "Coupon Election" in 1918 and he was defeated at the new Walthamstow East division by a margin of more than 4,000 votes.

1920s

Out of Parliament

In 1919, he attempted to return to Parliament at the Spen Valley by-election. Lloyd George put up a coalition Liberal candidate in Spen Valley to keep Simon out and was active behind the scenes trying to see him defeated. Although the Coalition Liberals, who had formerly held the seat, were pushed into third place, Simon came second; in the view of Maurice Cowling (''The Impact of Labour 1920-4''), his defeat by Labour marked the point at which Labour began to be seen as a serious threat by the older political parties.

Deputy leader of Liberals

In the early 1920s, he practised successfully at the bar before being elected for Spen Valley at the general election in 1922, and from 1922 to 1924, he served as deputy leader of the Liberal Party (under Asquith). In the early 1920s, he spoke in the House of Commons about socialism, the

League of Nations The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...

, unemployment and Ireland. He may well have hoped to succeed Asquith as Liberal leader. He retired temporarily from the Bar around then.Jenkins 1999, p. 378. In October 1924, Simon moved the amendment that brought down the first Labour government. At that year's general election, the Conservatives were returned to power, and the Liberals were reduced to a rump of just over 40 MPs. Although Asquith, who had lost his seat, remained leader of the party,

Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...

was elected chairman of the Liberal MPs by 29 votes to 9. Simon abstained in the vote. By this time he was increasingly anti-socialist and quite friendly to the Conservative leader

Stanley Baldwin Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley (3 August 186714 December 1947), was a British statesman and Conservative politician who was prominent in the political leadership of the United Kingdom between the world wars. He was prime ministe ...

and clashed increasingly with Lloyd George. He stood down as deputy leader and returned to the Bar.

General strike and Simon Commission

Unlike Lloyd George, Simon opposed the 1926 general strike. On 6 May, the fourth day of the strike, he declared in the House of Commons that the strike was illegal and argued that it was not entitled to the legal privileges of the Trade Disputes Act 1906 and that the union bosses would be "liable to the utmost farthing" in damages for the harm that they inflicted on businesses and for inciting the men to break their contracts of employment. Simon was highly respected as an authority on the law but was neither popular nor seen as a political leader. Trade Union historian

Henry Pelling Henry Mathison Pelling (27 August 1920 – 14 October 1997) was a British historian best known for his works on the history of the British Labour Party. Life Pelling was born in Prenton, Wirral, the son of a wealthy stockbroker. He was educa ...

comments that Simon's speech was clearly intended to intimidate, but had little effect. A few days later he was answered by Labour’s Sir Henry Slesser, who argued that a strike was only illegal if it could be proven to be a seditious conspiracy against the state. Pelling believes that Slesser was right as sympathetic strikes were not explicitly made illegal until the Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act 1927. Simon was then one of the highest-paid barristers of his generation and was believed to earn between £36,000 and £70,000 per annum (). It seemed for a while that he might abandon politics altogether. Simon spoke for the

Dominion of Newfoundland Newfoundland was a British dominion in eastern North America, today the modern Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It included the island of Newfoundland, and Labrador on the continental mainland. Newfoundland was one of the orig ...

in the Labrador boundary dispute with Canada before he announced his permanent retirement from the Bar. From 1927 to 1931, he chaired the Indian Constitutional Development Committee or the Indian Statutory Commission, known as the

Simon Commission The Indian Statutory Commission, also known as the Simon Commission, was a group of seven members of the British Parliament under the chairmanship of John Simon. The commission arrived in the Indian subcontinent in 1928 to study constitutional ...

, on the

constitution of India The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India, legal document of India, and the longest written national constitution in the world. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures ...

.Jenkins 1999, p. 381. Upon the commission's arrival in Bombay in February 1928, it was immediately met with a

hartal Hartal () is a term in many Languages of India, Indian languages for a strike action that was first used during the Indian independence movement (also known as the nationalist movement) of the early 20th century. A hartal is a mass protest, often ...

and protestors holding black flags and banners reading " Simon Go Back" (coined by Yusuf Meherally) involving prominent Indian political leaders such as Lala Lajpat Rai and

Tanguturi Prakasam Tanguturi Prakasam popularly known as Prakasam Pantulu (23 August 1872 – 20 May 1957), was an Indian jurist, political leader, social reformer, and anti-colonial nationalist who served as the Premier of the Madras Presidency. Prakasam subseq ...

. The protests erupted due to the lack of Indian representation on the commission, with the group composed of seven all-British Members of Parliament. His personality was already something of an issue:

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from ...

wrote of him to the

Viceroy of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 1950, from 1858 to 1947 the viceroy and governor-general of India, commonly shortened to viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom in their capacity as the Emperor of ...

Lord Irwin (12 August 1928): "I am always trying to like him, and believing I shall succeed when something crops up to put me off". Jenkins, Roy ''The Chancellors'' (London: Macmillan, 1998), pp. 366–67. Dutton describes Simon's eventual report as a "lucid exposition of the problems of the subcontinent in all their complexity". However, Simon had been hampered by the inquiry's terms of reference (no Indians had been included on the committee), and his conclusions were overshadowed by the Irwin Declaration of October 1929, which Simon opposed, which promised India eventual

dominion status A dominion was any of several largely self-governing countries of the British Empire, once known collectively as the ''British Commonwealth of Nations''. Progressing from colonies, their degrees of colonial self-governance increased (and, in ...

. Simon was appointed

GCSI The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes: # Knight Grand Commander (:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India, GCSI) # K ...

1930.

Liberal National split and moving towards Conservatives

Before serving on the committee, Simon had obtained a guarantee that he would not be opposed by a Conservative candidate at Spen Valley at the 1929 general election, and, indeed he was never again opposed by a Conservative. During the late 1920s and especially during the 1929-31 Parliament, in which Labour had no majority but continued in office with the help of the Liberals, Simon was seen as the leader of the minority of Liberal MPs who disliked Lloyd George's inclination to support Labour, rather than the Conservatives. Simon still supported free trade during the 1929-31 Parliament. In 1930, Simon headed the official inquiry into the

R101 R101 was one of a pair of British rigid airships completed in 1929 as part of the Imperial Airship Scheme, a British government programme to develop civil airships capable of service on long-distance routes within the British Empire. It was d ...

airship disaster. In June 1931, before the formation of the National Government, Simon resigned the Liberal whip. In September, Simon and his 30-or-so followers became the Liberal Nationals (later renamed the "National Liberals") and increasingly aligned themselves with the Conservatives for practical purposes. Simon was accused by Lloyd George of leaving "the slime of hypocrisy" as he crossed the floor (on another occasion, Lloyd George is said to have commented that he had "sat on the fence so long the iron has entered into his soul", but this quote is more difficult to verify).

1930s: National Government

Foreign Secretary

Simon was not initially included in

Ramsay MacDonald James Ramsay MacDonald (; 12 October 18669 November 1937) was a British statesman and politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The first two of his governments belonged to the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, where he led ...

's National Government, which was formed in August 1931. Simon offered to give up his seat at Spen Valley to MacDonald if the latter had trouble holding

Seaham Seaham ( ) is a seaside town in County Durham (district), County Durham, England. Located on the Durham Coast, Seaham is situated south of Sunderland and east of Durham, England, Durham. The town grew from the late 19th century onwards as ...

(MacDonald held the seat in

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

but lost it in

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

).Jenkins 1999, p. 382. On 5 November 1931, Simon was appointed Foreign Secretary when the National Government was reconstituted. The appointment was at first greeted with acclaim. Simon's Liberal Nationals continued to support protectionism and

's National Government after the departure of the mainstream Liberals, led by Herbert Samuel, who left the government in 1932 and formally went into Opposition in November 1933. Simon's tenure of office saw a number of important events in foreign policy, including the

Japanese invasion of Manchuria The Empire of Japan's Kwantung Army invaded the Manchuria region of the Republic of China on 18 September 1931, immediately following the Mukden incident, a false flag event staged by Japanese military personnel as a pretext to invade. At the ...

, which had begun in September 1931, before he had taken office. Simon attracted particular opprobrium for his speech to the General Assembly of the

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

on 7 December 1932 in which he failed to denounce Japan unequivocally. Thereafter, Simon was known as the "Man of

Manchukuo Manchukuo, officially known as the State of Manchuria prior to 1934 and the Empire of Great Manchuria thereafter, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Northeast China that existed from 1932 until its dissolution in 1945. It was ostens ...

" and was compared unfavourably to the young

Anthony Eden Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1955 until his resignation in 1957. Achi ...

, who was popular at Geneva.Jenkins 1999, p. 384. Simon was excellent in offering up an analysis of a problem in which he would lay out the advantages and disadvantages of each option, but he had much difficulty in choosing which to select, much to the vexation of Eden who complained "he expects the Cabinet to find his policy for him-Poor Simon is no fighter. Nothing will make him into one". Simon's inability to choose an option reflected his background as a lawyer where he would lay out all the possible options for his client, who would then choose which option to pursue. The British historian David Dutton wrote that some of the attacks on Simon's handling of the Japanese conquest of Manchuria were not fair in the sense that everything is put down to Simon's supposed personal weaknesses rather than to the so-called Ten Year Rule instituted in 1919 by the War Secretary Winston Churchill which stated that British defence spending was to be based on the assumption that there would be no major war in the next ten years. As a result of the Ten Year Rule, Britain did not have sufficient military forces to face Japan, most notably as the naval base at Singapore, begun in 1921, was still under construction. Simon's tendency to equivocate with regard to Manchuria and his suggestions that more research was needed to establish whether Japan had committed aggression or not was a way of covering up the fact that Britain was not capable of fighting a major war in 1931. In particular, Simon's equivocating was to cover up the fact that the much vaulted

Singapore strategy The Singapore strategy was a naval defence policy of the United Kingdom that evolved in a series of Military operation plan, war plans from 1919 to 1941. It aimed to deter aggression by Japan by providing a base for a fleet of the Royal Navy in ...

was a sham as the Singapore naval base would not be finished until 1938. Moreover, although the League of Nations' collective security doctrine should had required the other members of the League to respond to an act of aggression against China, there was little support in Britain in 1931 for going to war against Japan for the sake of a Chinese province of whose existence many people only learned when Japan seized it. Adding to the charge against Simon was the claim that the administration of Herbert Hoover wanted to have the United States act against Japan and that Simon spurred the American offer. The historian A. L. Rowse, who belonged to the "guilty men" school of historiography and who tended to be very harsh in his writings towards Simon, conceded that this claim that Simon rejected American offers in 1931-1932 to take joint action against Japan was a myth, apparently invented by American historians to explain why the United States was not more forceful in responding to Japan's aggression. However, it is true that in January 1932 Simon rejected an offer by the American Secretary of State Henry L. Stimson calling for a joint Anglo-American declaration stating that they would never establish diplomatic relations with the sham state of Manchukuo, which was viewed in Japan as a pro-Japanese gesture that reflected a quiet sympathy for Japan's actions. Japanese diplomats and generals believed that Britain could be persuaded to accept Manchukuo in exchange for a promise that Japan would support Britain in upholding its extraterritorial rights in China, and that there was no prospect of any British action against Japan as long as Simon remained Foreign Secretary. Japanese diplomats viewed Labour and the Liberals as the "anti-Japanese" parties committed to the League of Nations while the Conservatives were viewed as the "pro-Japanese" imperialist party committed to ''realpolitik'' in upholding the British empire in Asia. Though Simon was a Liberal, he was felt in Japan to be closer to the Conservatives in his views. The repeated demands by the Chinese for the abolition of all the extraterritorial rights in China held by foreign powers gained via the so-called "unequal treaties" in the 19th century was felt in Japan to be the basis of a common Anglo-Japanese front against China that would ultimately lead to Britain recognising Manchukuo. At the same time,

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

was coming to power in Germany in January 1933. Hitler immediately withdrew Germany from the League of Nations and announced a programme of rearmament, initially to give Germany armed forces commensurate with France and other powers. Simon did not foresee the sheer scale of Hitler's ambitions, but Dutton pointed out, the same was then true for many others. Simon's term of office also saw the failure of the

World Disarmament Conference The Conference for the Reduction and Limitation of Armaments, generally known as the Geneva Conference or World Disarmament Conference, was an international conference of states held in Geneva, Switzerland, between February 1932 and November 1934 ...

(1932-1934). His contribution was not entirely in vain since he proposed qualitative (seeking to limit or ban certain types of weapon), rather than quantitative (simple numbers of weapons), disarmament. Simon does not appear to have been considered for the post of Chancellor of Oxford University in succession to Viscount Grey in 1933 since Simon was then at the depth of his unpopularity as Foreign Secretary. Lord Irwin was elected, and since he lived until 1959, the job did not fall vacant again in Simon's lifetime.Jenkins 1999, p. 392. There was talk of Neville Chamberlain, who dominated the government's domestic policy, becoming Foreign Secretary, but that would have been intolerable to MacDonald, who took a keen interest in foreign affairs and wanted a leading non-Conservative in that role. In 1933 and late 1934, Simon was being criticised by both Austen and Neville Chamberlain as well as by Eden, Lloyd George, Nancy Astor, David Margesson, Vincent Massey, Runciman,

Jan Smuts Field Marshal Jan Christian Smuts, (baptismal name Jan Christiaan Smuts, 24 May 1870 11 September 1950) was a South African statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various military and cabinet posts, he served as P ...

and Churchill. In March 1935, Simon visited Berlin to meet Adolf Hitler at the Reich Chancellery. Just before departing, Simon told King George V that he believed the repudiation of Part V of the Treaty of Versailles (the section of the treaty dealing with the military disarmament of Germany) was the beginning, and that he felt likely that Hitler also wanted the remilitarisation of the Rhineland, the repudiation of Part VI of the Treaty of Versailles (the section dealing with the naval disarmament of Germany) along with the return of the Free City of Danzig (modern Gdańsk), Memel (modern Klaipėda), and the former German colonies in Africa. Simon reported after his meeting in the Reich Chancellery that Hitler's foreign policy was "very dangerous for the peace of Europe" and the results might be "terrible beyond conception". However, Simon stated that thinking along these lines was "pretty hopeless" and resolved to keep to press for Germany to return to the World Disarmament Conference, which had abjured in 1934, and the League of Nations. Because the rules of the League of Nations forbade member nations from attacking each other, Simon attached enormous symbolic significance to a German return to the League as a symbol of Germany's willingness to be a responsible member of the international system. Simon accompanied MacDonald to negotiate the Stresa Front with France and Italy in April 1935, but it was MacDonald who took the lead in the negotiations. Simon himself did not think that Stresa would stop German rearmament – indeed, he told the

in 1934 that Germany's rearmament was "vital to peace" – but thought that it might be a useful deterrent against territorial aggression by Hitler. The first stirrings of Italian aggression towards Abyssinia (now

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

) were also then seen. During Simon's tenure of the Foreign Office, British defence strength was at its lowest point of the interwar period, which severely limited his freedom of action. Even Simon's colleagues thought that he had been a disastrous Foreign Secretary, "the worst since

Æthelred the Unready Æthelred II (,Different spellings of this king's name most commonly found in modern texts are "Ethelred" and "Æthelred" (or "Aethelred"), the latter being closer to the original Old English form . Compare the modern dialect word . ; ; 966 � ...

", as one wag put it. He was better at analysing a problem than at concluding and acting. Jenkins commented that he was a bad Foreign Secretary in the view of his contemporaries and ever since and concurs that he was better at analysing than solving. Neville Chamberlain thought he always sounded as though he was speaking from a brief. Simon's officials despaired of him since he had few thoughts of his own, solutions were imposed on him by others and he defended them only weakly.Jenkins 1999, p. 368.

was a rare defender of Simon's record: in 1937, he recorded that Simon "really had been a sound foreign minister – and Stresa marked the nearest Europe has been to peace since 1914".

Home Secretary

Simon served as Home Secretary (in

's Third Government) from 7 June 1935 to 28 May 1937. That position was in Dutton's view better suited to his abilities than the Foreign Office. He also became Deputy

Leader of the House of Commons The Leader of the House of Commons is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom whose main role is organising government business in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons. The Leader is always a memb ...

on the understanding that the latter position would be given to Neville Chamberlain after the

election An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative d ...

(in the event, it was not).Jenkins 1999, p. 385. In 1936 Simon was the last Home Secretary to attend a royal birth (of Princess Alexandra).

The Battle of Cable Street

In 1936 – despite pressure from the former Labour leader and MP

George Lansbury George Lansbury (22 February 1859 – 7 May 1940) was a British politician and social reformer who led the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party from 1932 to 1935. Apart from a brief period of ministerial office during the Labour government of 1 ...

, as well as from mayors of five East London Boroughs ( Hackney,

Shoreditch Shoreditch is an area in London, England and is located in the London Borough of Hackney alongside neighbouring parts of Tower Hamlets, which are also perceived as part of the area due to historic ecclesiastical links. Shoreditch lies just north ...

Stepney Stepney is an area in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London. Stepney is no longer officially defined, and is usually used to refer to a relatively small area. However, for much of its history the place name was applied to ...

Bethnal Green Bethnal Green is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the common la ...

and Poplar) and a 100,000 signature-strong petition from local East Londoners (organised by the Jewish People's Council) – the then-home secretary Simon refused to ban a march organised by the

British Union of Fascists The British Union of Fascists (BUF) was a British fascist political party formed in 1932 by Oswald Mosley. Mosley changed its name to the British Union of Fascists and National Socialists in 1936 and, in 1937, to the British Union. In 1939, f ...

(BUF) through the then predominantly Jewish East End of London. The BUF's announcement of this large-scale march was widely regarded "an act of provocation (...) aimed at (...) Jews and Communists". The ensuing events have since become known as the Battle of Cable Street. Two days after the event, the Labour Party Annual Conference denounced Sir John Simon for not banning the march and articulated a need for legislation. While the ensuing Public Order Act (1936) did successfully restrict politically extremist movements, it was nevertheless criticised for handing significant powers to the police to determine the routes of marches and processions. The Public Order act's legacy remains mixed and its authorship is contested, but records show that Simon did commend the bill to the house. Other issues Simon also played a key role behind the scenes in the 1936 Abdication Crisis. In 2013 it was revealed that he was so worried about the behaviour of King

Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...

that he ordered the bugging of his telephone line. He was one of the signatories to the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936. He also introduced the Factories Act 1937.

Chancellor of the Exchequer

Peace

In 1937,

succeeded Baldwin as prime minister. Simon succeeded Chamberlain as

and was raised to GCVO in 1937. As Chancellor, he tried to keep arms spending as low as possible in the belief that a strong economy was the "fourth arm of defence". In 1937, he presented a finance bill that was based on the budget that Chamberlain had drawn up before being promoted.Jenkins 1999, p. 388. In 1938, public expenditure passed the previously unthinkable level of £1,000m for the first time. In the spring 1938 budget, Simon raised the income tax from 5s to 5s 6d and increased duties on tea and petrol. Simon had become a close political ally of Chamberlain and flattered him a great deal. In the autumn of 1938, he led the Cabinet to Heston Airport to wish him God speed on his flight to meet Hitler, and he helped to persuade Chamberlain to make the "high" case for Munich: that he had achieved a lasting peace, rather than that he had only limited potential damage. He retained the support of Chamberlain until around the middle of 1939. In the spring 1939 budget, income tax was unchanged, and the surtax was increased, as were indirect taxes on cars, sugar and tobacco. It was not a war budget even though Hitler had already broken the Munich Accords by occupying Prague.

War

On 2 September 1939, Simon led a deputation of ministers to see Chamberlain to insist for Britain to honour her guarantee to Poland and go to war if Hitler did not withdraw. Simon became a member of the small War Cabinet. On the outbreak of war, sterling was devalued, with very little attention, from $4.89 to $4.03. At the emergency budget of September 1939, public expenditure had passed £2,000m; income tax was increased from 5s 6d (27.5%) to 7s 6d (37.5%); duties on alcohol, petrol and sugar were hiked; and a 60% tax on excess profits was introduced. Simon's political position weakened as he came to be seen as a symbol of foot-dragging and the lack of commitment to total war. Along with Labour's dislike of Chamberlain, he was used as an excuse by the opposition parties for not joining the government on the outbreak of war.

Archibald Sinclair Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso, (22 October 1890 – 15 June 1970), known as Sir Archibald Sinclair between 1912 and 1952, and often as Archie Sinclair, was a British politician and leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Li ...

, the leader of the "official" Liberal Party, said that for over seven years, Simon had been "the evil genius of British foreign policy".

Hugh Dalton Edward Hugh John Neale Dalton, Baron Dalton, (16 August 1887 – 13 February 1962) was a British Labour Party (UK), Labour Party economist and politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1945 to 1947. He shaped Labour Party foreig ...

and

Clement Attlee Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee (3 January 18838 October 1967) was a British statesman who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. At ...

were very critical of Simon, as were many government backbenchers.Jenkins 1999, p. 389. Chamberlain privately told colleagues that he found Simon "very much deteriorated". Simon's position weakened after Churchill rejoined the Cabinet on the outbreak of war and got on surprisingly well with Chamberlain, who toyed with the idea of replacing Simon with former Chancellor Reginald McKenna (then aged 76) or Lord Stamp, the chairman of the LMS Railway who had a secret meeting at Downing Street about the position. Even Captain Margesson, the

Chief Whip The Chief Whip is a political leader whose task is to enforce the whipping system, which aims to ensure that legislators who are members of a political party attend and vote on legislation as the party leadership prescribes. United Kingdom I ...

, fancied his chances for the position. Simon's last budget, in April 1940, saw public spending pass £2,700m, 46% of which was paid for from taxation and the rest from borrowing. Simon's April 1940 budget kept income tax at 7s 6d; a '' Punch'' cartoon expressed a widely-held view that it should have been increased to 10s (50%). Tax allowances were increased. Postal charges were increased, as were charges on tobacco, matches and alcohol. The purchase tax, an ancestor of today's

value-added tax A value-added tax (VAT or goods and services tax (GST), general consumption tax (GCT)) is a consumption tax that is levied on the value added at each stage of a product's production and distribution. VAT is similar to, and is often compared wi ...

(VAT), was introduced. In April 1940, he rejected

John Maynard Keynes John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron Keynes ( ; 5 June 1883 – 21 April 1946), was an English economist and philosopher whose ideas fundamentally changed the theory and practice of macroeconomics and the economic policies of governments. Originall ...

' idea of a forced loan, a tax disguised as a compulsory purchase of government securities. Keynes wrote a coruscating letter of rebuke to ''The Times''. Simon found himself criticised, from opposite ends of the spectrum, by

and

Aneurin Bevan Aneurin "Nye" Bevan Privy Council (United Kingdom), PC (; 15 November 1897 – 6 July 1960) was a Welsh Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician, noted for spearheading the creation of the British National Health Service during his t ...

.Jenkins 1999, p. 390.

Lord Chancellor

In May 1940, following the

Norway Debate The Norway Debate, sometimes called the Narvik Debate, was a momentous debate in the British House of Commons from 7 to 9 May 1940, during the Second World War. The official title of the debate, as held in the ''Hansard'' parliamentary archiv ...

, Simon urged Chamberlain to stand firm as Prime Minister although Simon offered to resign and take Samuel Hoare with him. By 1940, Simon, along with his successor as Foreign Secretary, Hoare, had come to be seen as one of the "

Guilty Men ''Guilty Men'' is a British polemical book written under the pseudonym "Cato" that was published in July 1940, after the failure of British forces to prevent the defeat and occupation of Norway and France by Nazi Germany. It attacked fifteen publ ...

" responsible for

appeasement Appeasement, in an International relations, international context, is a diplomacy, diplomatic negotiation policy of making political, material, or territorial concessions to an aggressive power (international relations), power with intention t ...

of the dictators, and like Hoare, Simon was not regarded as acceptable in the War Cabinet of Churchill's new coalition.

thought Simon "the snakiest of the lot". Simon became

in Churchill's government but without a place on the War Cabinet. Attlee commented that he "will be quite innocuous" in the role. On 13 May 1940, he was created Viscount Simon, of Stackpole Elidor in the County of Pembroke, a village from which his father traced descent. In Dutton's view, of all the senior positions which he held, that was the one for which he was most suited. As Lord Chancellor, he delivered important judgements on the damages due for death caused by negligence and on how the judge ought to direct the jury in a murder trial if a possible defence of manslaughter arose. In 1943 alone, he delivered 43 major judgements on complex cases. RVF Heuston (''Lives of the Lord Chancellors'') described him as a "superb" Lord Chancellor. Jenkins comments that it is even more impressive in that many senior judges had over 20 years' experience at that level, whereas Simon had been retired from the law since 1928.Jenkins 1999, p. 391. Simon interrogated

Rudolf Hess Rudolf Walter Richard Hess (Heß in German; 26 April 1894 – 17 August 1987) was a German politician, Nuremberg trials, convicted war criminal and a leading member of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, Germany. Appointed Deputy Führer ( ...

, who had flown to Scotland, and also chaired the Royal Commission on the Birthrate. In May 1945, after the end of the wartime coalition, Simon continued as Lord Chancellor but was not included in the Cabinet of the short-lived Churchill caretaker ministry. After Churchill's defeat in the 1945 general election, Simon never held office again.

Later life

Although he had won plaudits for his legal skills as Lord Chancellor,

declined to appoint him to the British delegation at the Nuremberg War Trials and told him bluntly in a letter that Simon's role in the prewar governments made it unwise. Simon remained active in the House of Lords and as a senior judge on the

Judicial Committee of the Privy Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is the highest court of appeal for the Crown Dependencies, the British Overseas Territories, some Commonwealth countries and a few institutions in the United Kingdom. Established on 14 August ...

. He wrote a well-regarded practitioners' text ''Simon on Income Tax'' in 1948. During the drafting of the

Criminal Justice Act 1948 The Criminal Justice Act 1948 ( 11 & 12 Geo. 6. c. 58) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that implemented several widespread reforms of the English criminal justice system, mainly abolishing penal servitude, corporal punishment ...

, it was Simon who proposed the eventual insertion of the abolition of the privilege of peerage for criminal courts. In 1948, Simon succeeded Lord Sankey as High Steward of Oxford University. The position is often held by a distinguished Oxonian lawyer. Relations with his nearly-alcoholic wife were somewhat strained, and he increasingly spent his weekends at All Souls, of which he was Senior Fellow. Simon was a vigorous campaigner against socialism, across the country in the general elections of 1945,

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...

and

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the Uni ...

. Churchill blocked Simon, who had stepped down as leader of the National Liberals in 1940, from joining the Conservative Party. Churchill was keen to lend Conservative support to the (official) Liberals, including his old friend Lady Violet Bonham Carter, but blocked a full merger between the Conservatives and the National Liberals although a constituency-level merger was negotiated with the Conservative Party chairman Lord Woolton in 1947 (thereafter, the National Liberals were increasingly absorbed into the Conservatives for practical purposes until they fully merged in 1968). Although Simon was still physically and mentally vigorous (aged 78) when the Conservatives returned to power in 1951, Churchill offered him neither a return to the Woolsack nor any other office. In 1952, Simon published his memoirs, ''Retrospect''. The quote "I so very tire of politics. The early death of too many a great man is attributed to her touch" is from Simon's memoir.

Harold Nicolson Sir Harold George Nicolson (21 November 1886 – 1 May 1968) was a British politician, writer, broadcaster and gardener. His wife was Vita Sackville-West. Early life and education Nicolson was born in Tehran, Persia, the youngest son of dipl ...

reviewed the book as describing the "nectarines and peaches of office" as if they were "a bag of prunes". Simon died from a stroke on 11 January 1954. He was an

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

and was cremated in his Oxford robes. His estate was valued for probate at £93,006 12s (). Despite his huge earnings at the Bar, he was not particularly greedy for money and was generous to All Souls, to junior barristers and to the children of friends. His personal papers are preserved in the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...

, Oxford.

Private life and personality

Simon married Ethel Mary Venables, a niece of the historian J. R. Green, on 24 May 1899 in Headington,

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

. They had three children: Margaret (born 1900, who later married Geoffrey Edwards), Joan (born 1901, who later married John Bickford-Smith) and John Gilbert, 2nd Viscount Simon (1902–1993). Ethel died soon after the birth of their son Gilbert, in September 1902. There are some suggestions that his first wife's death may have been caused by misguided use of homeopathic medicines, which added to Simon's guilt. In Jenkins' view, widowerhood, although common for politicians of the era, may have affected Simon's cold personality. He later apparently tried to persuade

Margaret Greville Dame Margaret Helen Greville, ( Anderson; 20 December 1863 – 15 September 1942), was a British society hostess and philanthropist. She was the wife of the Hon. Ronald Greville (1864–1908). Family background Born Margaret Helen Anderson, s ...

, the hostess of Polesden Lacey, to marry him. Greville later claimed that he had told her that he would marry the next woman he met.Dutton 1992, pp. 325–6. In 1917, in Paris, Simon married the abolitionism, abolition activist Kathleen Manning (1863/64–1955), a widow with one adult son, who had for a while been governess to his children. Her social gaucheness and inability to play the part of a great lady caused embarrassment on the Simon Commission in the late 1920s, and Neville Chamberlain found her "a sore trial". She had increasing health problems and "dr[ank] to excess" as she grew older. Jenkins wrote that she was tactless and, by the late 1930s, had become a virtual alcoholic but that Simon treated her with "tolerance and kindness". In 1938, Simon stepped down at Spen Valley and was selected as candidate for Great Yarmouth (UK Parliament constituency), Great Yarmouth since he needed a seat nearer London for the sake of his wife's health (in the event, he never stood for his new seat but remained MP for Spen Valley until his elevation to the Lords in 1940). Simon bought Fritwell Manor in

, in 1911 and lived there until 1933. He was an avid chess player and frequently sought for as a dignitary to open major chess tournaments in England. Simon was neither liked nor trusted, and he was never seriously considered for prime minister. He possessed an unfortunately chilly manner, and from at least 1914 onwards, he had difficulty in conveying an impression that he was acting from honourable motives. His awkward attempts to strike up friendships with his colleagues (asking his Cabinet colleagues to call him "Jack": only J. H. Thomas did so, and Neville Chamberlain settled on "John") often fell flat. Jenkins likens him to the nursery rhyme character I do not like thee, Doctor Fell, Dr Fell.Jenkins 1999, p. 369: "I do not like thee Dr Fell, the reason why I cannot tell, but this I know and know full well, I do not like thee Dr Fell". In the 1930s, his reputation sank particularly low. Although Simon's athletic build and good looks were remarked on even into his old age, the cartoonist David Low (cartoonist), David Low portrayed him with, in Low's own words, a "sinuous writhing body" to reflect his "disposition to subtle compromise".

, after Simon had grabbed his arm from behind to talk to him (19 October 1944), wrote pithily "God what a toad and a worm Simon is!" Another anecdote, from the late 1940s, tells how the socialist intellectual G. D. H. Cole got into a third-class compartment on the train back from Oxford to London to break off conversation with Simon; to his dismay, Simon followed suit, only for both men to produce first-class tickets when the inspector did his rounds. Simon was devoted to his mother and wrote a well-received ''Portrait of My Mother'' in 1936 after her death.

Cases

House of Lords

*''Nokes v Doncaster Amalgamated Collieries Ltd'' [1940] AC 1014

Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

*''Abitibi Power and Paper Company Limited v. Montreal Trust Company'', [1943] AC 536
[1943
/nowiki> UKPC 37] (PC – Canada): ''Constitution Act, 1867'', s. 92(13) – provincial power to enact specific moratorium legislation *''Atlantic Smoke Shops Limited v Conlon'', [1943] AC 550
[1943
/nowiki> UKPC 44] (PC – Canada): ''Constitution Act, 1867'', s. 92(2) – provincial power to impose sales taxes *''The Attorney General of Ontario and others v The Canada Temperance Foundation and others'', [1946] AC 193
[1946
/nowiki> UKPC 2] (PC – Canada): ''Constitution Act, 1867'', s. 91, "peace, order and good government" – federal power to enact laws relating to matters of national concern

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * (essay on Simon, pp. 365–92) * * *

External links

*
A Chessplaying Statesman

Biography of Simon
* * * Archives of John Simon, 1st Viscount Simo
(Sir John Allsebrooke Simon fonds, R150)
are held at Library and Archives Canada {{DEFAULTSORT:Simon, John Allsebrook 1873 births 1954 deaths Alumni of Wadham College, Oxford Attorneys general for England and Wales British Secretaries of State for Foreign Affairs Chancellors of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom English atheists Fellows of All Souls College, Oxford Knights Bachelor Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India, Simon, John Allsebrook Simon, 1st Viscount Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Simon, John Allsebrook Simon, 1st Viscount Law lords, Simon, John Allsebrook Simon, 1st Viscount Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Lord chancellors of Great Britain, Simon, John Allsebrook Simon, 1st Viscount Members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Ministers in the Churchill wartime government, 1940–1945 National Liberal Party (UK, 1931) politicians Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Fettes College Presidents of the Oxford Union Royal Flying Corps officers Secretaries of State for the Home Department Solicitors general for England and Wales UK MPs 1906–1910 UK MPs 1910 UK MPs 1910–1918 UK MPs 1922–1923 UK MPs 1923–1924 UK MPs 1924–1929 UK MPs 1929–1931 UK MPs 1931–1935 UK MPs 1935–1945 UK MPs who were granted peerages Ministers in the Churchill caretaker government, 1945 Ministers in the Chamberlain wartime government, 1939–1940 Viscounts created by George VI Viscounts Simon, 1 Ministers in the Chamberlain peacetime government, 1937–1939 Simon family (United Kingdom), John