ABSTRACT
The much vaunted role of elder statesman is not normally an easy one to fill in British political life. The dignity and respect which accompany seniority do not necessarily compensate for the absence of real power which the loss of office entails. Neville Chamberlain noted that as his brother had grown older he had developed a sort of high, old-fashioned courtesy and consideration for others which, combined with his long experience of political affairs, gave him a unique position in the House of Commons. As the cold wind of economic recession in Europe hastened the growth of political extremism on the continent, Chamberlain was increasingly concerned at the collapse of the Locarno spirit. Winston Churchill later recalled that in the last year of Chamberlain’s life they had worked more closely together than at any time in a political association of nearly forty years.
