 In 1927 , the British Government , under Conservative Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin , undertook a decennial review of Indian policy mandated by the Government of India Act 1919 . The review began two years early as Baldwin feared he would lose the next election ( which he did , in 1929 ) . The Cabinet was influenced by minister Winston Churchill , who strongly opposed self @-@ government for India , and members hoped that by having the commission appointed early , the policies for India which they favoured would survive their government . The resulting commission , led by Liberal MP John Simon , though with a majority of Conservatives , arrived in India in March 1928 . They were met with a boycott by India 's leaders , Muslim and Hindu alike , angered at the British refusal to include their representatives on the commission . A minority of Muslims , though , withdrew from the League , choosing to welcome the Simon Commission and repudiating Jinnah . Most members of the League 's executive council remained loyal to Jinnah , attending the League meeting in December 1927 and January 1928 which confirmed him as the League 's permanent president . At that session , Jinnah told the delegates that " A constitutional war has been declared on Great Britain . Negotiations for a settlement are not to come from our side ... By appointing an exclusively white Commission , [ Secretary of State for India ] Lord Birkenhead has declared our unfitness for self @-@ government . " 
