Butler was given his first ministerial job as Under-Secretary of State for India ( 29 September 1932 ) when Lord Lothian resigned along with the rest of Herbert Samuel 's Official Liberals over the National Government 's abandonment of free trade . At 29 , he was the youngest member of the government . At the end of March 1933 , Butler spoke for the Government in the House of Commons , calling for a Joint Select Committee of Both Houses to examine the recent White Paper and make proposals for an India bill . Butler was active speaking in the country on behalf of the Union of Britain and India , a front organisation funded by Conservative Central Office and launched on 20 May 1933 . Butler faced significant opposition from Conservative activists in his constituency . Baldwin replaced Ramsay MacDonald as Prime Minister ( 7 June 1935 ) during the Third reading of the bill . In the resulting reshuffle Hoare became Foreign Secretary and was succeeded as India Secretary by Lord Zetland , so Butler had to steer the final stages of the bill which became the Government of India Act 1935 through the House of Commons . Butler continued as Under-Secretary for India for the rest of Baldwin 's government ( 1935 – 7 )
abandonment of free trade
British Empire Economic Conference
Rab Butler