Arthur Balfour Quotes

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour was a British Conservative politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from July 1902 to December 1905. When he came into his inheritance at 21, Balfour became one of the wealthiest young men in Britain. Balfour authorised the importation of Chinese labour under conditions that were criticised as slavery. Balfour was seen as an ambivalent personality and a weak Prime Minister. He opposed Irish Home Rule, saying there could be no half-way house between Ireland remaining within the United Kingdom or becoming independent. In 1874 he was elected Conservative Member of Parliament for Hertford until 1885. In spring 1878, Balfour became Private Secretary to his uncle, Lord Salisbury. Balfour divided his time between politics and academic pursuits. Released from his duties as private secretary by the general election of 1880, he began to take more part in parliamentary affairs. He was for a time politically associated with Lord Randolph Churchill, Sir Henry Drummond Wolff and John Gorst.