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Blood, Toil, Tears and
Sweat
First Speech as Prime
Minister
May 13, 1940
to
House of Commons
On May 10,
1940, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister.
When he met his Cabinet on
May 13 he
told them that
repeated that phrase
later in the day when he asked the House of
Commons for a vote of
confidence in his
new all-party government. The response of Labour
was heart-warming;
the Conservative
reaction was luke-warm. They still really wanted
Neville Chamberlain. For
the first
time, the people had hope but Churchill commented
to General Ismay:
people, poor people.
They trust me, and I can give them nothing but
disaster for quite a
long
time.
I beg to move,
That this House welcomes the formation
of a Government representing the united and
inflexible resolve of the nation to
prosecute the war with Germany to a victorious
conclusion.
On Friday
evening last I received His Majesty's commission
to form a new Administration.
It as the
evident wish and will of Parliament and the nation
that this should be conceived
on the
broadest possible basis and that it should include
all parties, both those who
supported
the late Government and also the parties of the
Opposition. I have completed
the most
important part of this task. A War Cabinet has
been formed of five Members,
representing, with the Opposition
Liberals, the unity of the nation. The three party
Leaders
have agreed to serve, either in
the War Cabinet or in high executive office. The
three
Fighting Services have been
filled. It was necessary that this should be done
in one single
day, on account of the
extreme urgency and rigour of events. A number of
other positions,
key positions, were
filled yesterday, and I am submitting a further
list to His Majesty to-
night. I hope to
complete the appointment of the principal
Ministers during to-morrow. the
appointment of the other Ministers
usually takes a little longer, but I trust that,
when
Parliament meets again, this part
of my task will be completed, and that the
administration
will be complete in all
respects.
I considered it in the public
interest to suggest that the House should be
summoned to
meet today. Mr. Speaker
agreed, and took the necessary steps, in
accordance with the
powers conferred
upon him by the Resolution of the House. At the
end of the proceedings
today, the
Adjournment of the House will be proposed until
Tuesday, 21st May, with, of
course,
provision for earlier meeting, if need be. The
business to be considered during that