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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Lord Home
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(Alec Douglas-Home, 1903-95, 14th earl of Home 1951, KT 1962, baron 1974)
Conservative politician and prime minister (1963–4) with a complex career between the two Houses of Parliament. He was an MP in Lanarkshire from 1931 until he inherited an earldom in 1951; he then sat in the House of Lords, with a spell as foreign secretary (1960–3). In 1963, at the end of *Macmillan's premiership, Lord Home emerged from secret consultations as leader of the party (Rab Butler had been the expected successor). He disclaimed his *peerage, an option first available in that year, and became prime minister as Sir Alec Douglas-Home; he returned to the House of Commons after winning a by-election in Kinross and West Perthshire.
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The anachronistic impression of smoke-filled rooms caused the party to adopt in 1965 a new procedure by which MPs would elect the leader, as in the Labour party. The Conservatives lost the election of 1964, and in 1965 Douglas-Home resigned as leader of the party. He was succeeded by Edward *Heath, in whose administration he served again as foreign secretary (1970–4). In 1974 a life peerage brought him back to the House of Lords – once again as Lord Home, but now a baron rather than an earl.
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