 Home 's cabinet colleagues Enoch Powell and Iain Macleod , who disapproved of his candidacy , made a last @-@ minute effort to prevent him from taking office by trying to persuade Butler and the other candidates not to take posts in a Home cabinet . Butler , however , believed it to be his duty to serve in the cabinet ; he refused to have any part in the conspiracy , and accepted the post of Foreign Secretary . The other candidates followed Butler 's lead and only Powell and Macleod held out and refused office under Home . Macleod commented , " One does not expect to have many people with one in the last ditch " . On 19 October Home was able to return to Buckingham Palace to kiss hands as Prime Minister . The press was not only wrong @-@ footed by the appointment , but generally highly critical . The pro @-@ Labour Daily Mirror said on its front page : 
