In the United Kingdom, there are at least six Lords of the Treasury who serve concurrently. Traditionally, this board (serving as a commission for the Lord High Treasurer) consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the Treasury, and four or more junior lords (to whom this title is usually applied).
Strictly they are commissioners for exercising the office of Lord High Treasurer (similar to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty exercising the office of Lord High Admiral). This office has continually been in commission since the resignation in 1714 of Charles, Duke of Shrewsbury, who was appointed to the office by Queen Anne on her deathbed.
Until the 19th century, this commission made most of the economic decisions of Great Britain (England, before the Act of Union 1707). However, starting during the 19th century, these positions became sinecure positions, with the First Lord serving almost invariably as Prime Minister, the Second Lord invariably as Chancellor of the Exchequer (the exchequer being the modern treasury of the United Kingdom), and the junior lords serving as assistant whips in Parliament.
Currently, there are seven lords of the treasury:
- Prime Minister and First Lord – The Rt Hon. David Cameron MP
- Chancellor of the Exchequer and Second Lord – The Rt Hon. George Osborne MP
- Junior Lords
- The Rt Hon. Desmond Swayne MP
- Anne Milton MP
- Mark Lancaster MP
- David Evenett MP
- Robert Goodwill MP
- Stephen Crabb MP
Famous quotes containing the words lord of, lord and/or treasury:
““Child,
why do you waste your time
on childish things alone?”
“Clothe yourself in anger.”
“Take courage,
and cast off this honesty
toward your lover.”
When her girlfriends
gave her such advice,
she answered,
her face frightened,
“Speak softly.
The lord of my breath
is still in my heart.
No doubt he’ll hear you.””
—Amaru (c. seventh century A.D.)
“These are thy wonders, Lord of power,
Killing and quickning, bringing down to hell
And up to heaven in an houre;
Making a chiming of a passing-bell.”
—George Herbert (1593–1633)
“The treasury of America lies in those ambitions and those energies that cannot be restricted to a special, favored class. It depends upon the inventions of unknown men; upon the originations of unknown men, upon the ambitions of unknown men. Every country is renewed out of the ranks of the unknown, not out of the ranks of those already famous and powerful and in control.”
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)