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Chancellors of the Exchequer, 1945 to 1979

14 people were appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1945 and 1979, from Hugh Dalton to Denis Healey.

The full list

Attlee's Labour governments, 1945 to 1951 3

Three Labour Chancellors served Clement Attlee between 1945 and 1951.

• Hugh Dalton1945–1947
• Stafford Cripps1947–1950
• Hugh Gaitskell1950–1951

Conservatives under Churchill and Eden, 1951 to 1957 2

One Chancellor served Winston Churchill and stayed on under Anthony Eden; Eden's own appointee succeeded him as Prime Minister in 1957.

• Rab Butler1951–1955
• Harold Macmillan1955–1957

Conservatives, 1957 to 1964 4

Four Chancellors in seven years under Harold Macmillan; the fourth stayed on under Alec Douglas-Home until Labour won in 1964.

• Peter Thorneycroft1957–1958
• Derick Heathcoat-Amory1958–1960
• Selwyn Lloyd1960–1962
• Reginald Maudling1962–1964

Labour under Harold Wilson, 1964 to 1970 2

Two Chancellors in Harold Wilson's first Labour government; the first later became Prime Minister himself, in 1976.

• James Callaghan1964–1967
• Roy Jenkins1967–1970

The 1970s, 1970 to 1979 3

Two Chancellors under Edward Heath, one dying in office in 1970; then one who served Labour throughout 1974 to 1979.

• Iain Macleod1970
• Anthony Barber1970–1974
• Denis Healey1974–1979

Not on the list

• Sir John Anderson: Appointed in 1943 by Winston Churchill's wartime government and replaced when Attlee took office in 1945, so appointed before the period.
• Sir Geoffrey Howe: Appointed in May 1979 by Margaret Thatcher's new government, after Callaghan's government ended.

Questions

How many Chancellors were there from 1945 to 1979?

14 people were appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1945 and 1979, from Hugh Dalton to Denis Healey.

Which Chancellors are on the list?

Hugh Dalton, Stafford Cripps, Hugh Gaitskell, Rab Butler, Harold Macmillan, Peter Thorneycroft, Derick Heathcoat-Amory, Selwyn Lloyd, Reginald Maudling, James Callaghan, Roy Jenkins, Iain Macleod, Anthony Barber and Denis Healey.

What is an easy way to remember them?

By government, 3-2-4-2-3: Attlee's three, two under Churchill and Eden, Macmillan's four, Wilson's two, then Heath's two and Denis Healey.

More lists

Each name checked against at least two sources, one of them gov.uk Past Chancellors, on 3 October 2026. Next review by 3 October 2028.
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