Kent (1939–1942) Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood (1942–1947) Edward Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire (1947–1950) Roger Lumley, 11th Earl of Scarbrough (1951–1967) Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (1967–present) Pro Grand Masters When the Grand Master is a member of the royal family it is customary to appoint a Pro Grand Master. The Pro Grand Master fills the role of the Grand Master when he is not available due to his royal duties. It is distinct from the Deputy Grand Master who acts as the Grand Master's deputy rather than as acting Grand Master. Albert Edward, Prince of Wales Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon (1874 to 1890) Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom (1891 to 1898) William Amherst, 3rd Earl Amherst (1898 to 1901) Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn William Amherst, 3rd Earl Amherst (1901 to 1908) Oliver Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill (1908 to 1935) Prince Edward, Duke of Kent William Cadogan, 7th Earl Cadogan (1969 to 1982) Fiennes Cornwallis, 3rd Baron Cornwallis (1982 to 1991) Barry Maxwell, 12th Baron Farnham (1991 to 2001) Spencer Compton, 7th Marquess of Northampton (2001 to 2009) Peter Lowndes (2009 to 2022) Jonathan Spence (2022 to present) Grand Secretaries 1891–1917: Sir Edward Letchworth (succeeding Colonel Shadwell H. Clarke) 1917–1937: Sir Philip Colville Smith, CVO 1937–1958: Sir Sydney Arthur White, KCVO 1958–1980: Sir James Wilfrid Stubbs, KCVO, TD 1980–1998: Commander Michael Bernard Shepley Higham, CVO Opposition Politics In English politics, freemasonry has often been criticised by those associated with the Labour Party and trade unionism, because of a perception that freemasonry is aligned with the Conservative Party. The Labour Party became the second party of the United Kingdom from 1922 onward and stood on a platform of representing working-class interests, while the Conservatives and Liberals were largely based in the middle-class and upper-class (similar to Freemasonry). After a number of Labour MPs were blackballed from joining Masonic lodges, the Prince of Wales who was concerned by the potential conflict, intervened and had the New Welcome Lodge created for Labour members in 1929. Herbert Morrison claimed that his 1935 bid for the Labour leadership was sabotaged by Lodge members who preferred first Arthur Greenwood and then Clement Attlee. Despite the creation of the New Welcome Lodge, there remained an element of hostility to Masonry within the Labour Party. As well as the alleged Tory connections, they accused Freemasonry of having unaccountable influence within