Depressing Possible Candidate For New Ministry

Saturday 28th February 1936

The King received Lord Eustace Percy, the Minister Without Portfolio, at Buckingham Palace. It was a mildly unsettling reminder of his existence. For no better reason than that he was the spare man in the Cabinet, he was thought of as a candidate for the Ministry of Defence Coordination, the day before. He had no obvious talents for the job. He was the son of a Duke and something of a protege of Baldwin, who had earned a return to ministerial office because of his vigour in defending the government's India policy.

He had been ineffective as the minister for Education in Baldwin's second government and made as good as no impact in his current role, which he regretted having taken. Anyone who entertained hopes that the new ministry might bring some change viewed his possible appointment with despair. That he should even come under consideration showed how little faith there was that Baldwin was very serious about rearmament.