ABSTRACT
The Home Secretary is perhaps the minister who comes into closest touch with the public, Robert Donald told Reginald McKenna, 'and is therefore most liable to be attacked.' In 1905, McKenna had been appointed financial secretary to the Treasury and in 1907, he regretted his promotion to the Cabinet since it meant leaving the Treasury. Lord Robert Cecil was as diligent a persecutor of McKenna as McKenna had been of the Chamberlains, while his colleagues sat opposite the government front bench and shouted at the home secretary. On 25 October 1911, McKenna introduced Churchill to his new officials at the Admiralty, and Churchill introduced McKenna to his new officials at the Home Office. If a cipher were required as chancellor, there were better candidates, Liberals with more experience of financial affairs than Lloyd George had in 1908, and with none of the infamy that McKenna had in 1915.
