Has Britain ever had a non-British PM

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A.� One. Andrew Bonar Law, born near Rexton, New Brunswick, Canada.< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

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Q.� Not a high-flier

A.� Popular enough, but virtually forgotten now.

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Q.� Early life

A.� Andrew Bonar Law was born in 1858, the son of Rev James Law. He was educated in Canada and moved to Glasgow, Scotland, after the death of his mother, to live with cousins who were merchant bankers. He began work in the family's ironwork business when he was 16 and later worked in the family bank before making his fortune as an iron merchant.

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Q.� Entry to politics

A.� He became interested while attending night classes for university. He decided to enter politics when an inheritance gave him financial independence. In 1900 he was elected Conservative MP for Glasgow Blackfriars.

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Q.� And what was he like as an MP

A.� He had a reputation for honesty and fearlessness, and was praised as an effective speaker. Within two yeas he was to Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade. Disappointment came in 1906 when he lost his seat in the 1906 Liberal landslide General Election. But he returned to represent Dulwich after a by-election later in the same year. In 1911 he was elected Conservative party leader upon the resignation of Arthur Balfour.

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Q.� War was looming

A.� Yes - and a coalition government was formed with the Liberals, led by Herbert Asquith, in May, 1915. Bonar Law became Secretary of State for the Colonies and a member of the War Committee. David Lloyd George replaced Asquith in 1916. Bonar Law admired Lloyd George and the two 'rivals' worked well together. Bonar Law became Chancellor of the Exchequer, effectively making him second-in-command.

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Q.� After the war

A.� The coalition had done a good job and was popular: the coalition was re-elected by a landslide following the Armistice. But Lloyd George was getting too strong and many Tories considered following him. After a rousing speech at the Carlton Club, Bonar Law persuaded the Tories to end the coalition and work as an autonomous party again. Conservative withdrawal forced Lloyd George to resign.

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Q.� Then

A.� Bonar Law - though poor health had forced him to resign as party leader - was invited by the King to form a new administration in 1922. He accepted and his Tranquillity Manifesto was an attempt to allow Britain to recover from war damage. Bonar Law, however, lasted just 209 days in office. He resigned in May, 1923, through ill-health, and died of throat cancer six months later.

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Q.� To sum up

A.� Some called him 'the unknown Prime Minister' - unkind, bearing in mind most of his good work was done in time of war before he became PM. His gravestone in Westminster Abbey refers to him as 'sometime Prime Minister'.� Even he was modest about his successes, saying: 'If I am a great man, then all great men are frauds.'

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Steve Cunningham

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