The position of secretary of state for dominion affairs was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for British relations with the Empire’s dominions – Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Newfoundland, and the Irish Free State – and the self-governing Crown colony of Southern Rhodesia.
When initially created in 1925, the office was held in tandem with that of secretary of state for the colonies; this arrangement persisted until June 1930. On two subsequent occasions the offices were briefly held by the same person.
The secretary of state was supported by an under-secretary of state for dominion affairs. In 1947, the name of the office was changed to the secretary of state for commonwealth relations.
Secretaries of state for dominion affairs, 1925–1947 Portrait NameHonorifics & constituencyTerm of office Political partyPrime Minister Foreign Secretary Leo AmeryMP for Birmingham Sparkbrook(also Sec.State for the Colonies) 11 June1925 4 June1929 Conservative Baldwin Chamberlain Sidney Webb, 1st Baron Passfield(also Sec.State for the Colonies) 7 June1929 5 June1930 LabourMacDonaldHenderson James Henry ThomasMP for Derby(also Sec.State for the Colonies, Aug–Nov 1931) 5 June1930 22 November1935 Labour National Labour Reading
Simon Malcolm MacDonaldMP for Ross and Cromarty 22 November1935 16 May1938 National Labour BaldwinHoare
EdenChamberlain Edward Stanley, Lord StanleyMP for Fylde 16 May1938 16 October1938† Conservative Halifax Malcolm MacDonaldMP for Ross and Cromarty(also Sec.State for the Colonies) 31 October1938 29 January1939 National Labour Sir Thomas InskipMP for Fareham 29 January1939 3 September1939 Conservative Anthony EdenMP for Warwick and LeamingtonAlso Secretary of State for War. 3 September1939 14 May1940 Conservative Thomas Inskip, 1st Viscount CaldecoteAlso Leader of the House of Lords. 14 May1940 3 October1940 ConservativeChurchill Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount CranborneMP for South Dorset until 1941Baron Cecil of Essendon after 1941 3 October1940 19 February1942 ConservativeEden Clement AttleeMP for LimehouseAlso Deputy Prime Minister 19 February1942 24 September1943 Labour Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount CranborneBaron Cecil of Essendon 24 September1943 26 July1945 Conservative Christopher Addison, 1st Viscount Addison 3 August1945 7 July1947 Labour Attlee Bevin
Viscount Addison took up the new post of secretary of state for commonwealth relations on 7 July 1947.
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