 Home was generally warmly regarded by colleagues and opponents alike , and there were few politicians who did not respond well to him . One was Attlee , but as their political primes did not overlap this was of minor consequence . More important was Iain Macleod 's prickly relationship with Home . Macleod , Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1959 – 61 , was , like Butler , on the liberal wing of the Conservative party ; he was convinced , as Home was not , that Britain 's colonies in Africa should have majority rule and independence as quickly as possible . Their spheres of influence overlapped in the Central African Federation . 
