James Edward Ramsden is a British Conservative politician.
Background
Ramsden is the son of Captain Edward Ramsden and his wife Geraldine. His father was a brother of George Taylor Ramsden, a Coalition Unionist Member of Parliament for Elland, while his mother was a sister of brothers Sir Frank O"Brien Wilson (a Royal Navy officer and early settler of Kenya) and Sir Murrough John Wilson (a Conservative Member of Parliament for Richmond, Yorkshire).
Career
He was the last person to hold the office of Secretary of State for War. He served under Harold Macmillan as Under-Secretary of State and Financial Secretary for War from 1960 to 1963 and under Sir Alec Douglas-Home as Secretary of State for War from 1963 to 1964. At the April 1964 reshuffle, the former cabinet positions of First Lord of the Admiralty and Secretary of State for Air, along with Ramsden"s post, were incorporated into an expanded Ministry of Defence, under the leadership of the new position of Secretary of State for Defence.
Ramsden was appointed Minister of State for the Army at the Ministry of Defence, a post he held until the Home government fell in October 1964.
He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1963.
Membership
40th United Kingdom Parliament. 41st United Kingdom Parliament. 42nd United Kingdom Parliament.
43rd United Kingdom Parliament.
44th United Kingdom Parliament. 45th United Kingdom Parliament]
Ramsden sat as Member of Parliament for Harrogate from 1954 to 1974.