Editing Stanley Baldwin (section)

===Iron gates criticism===
In September 1941, Baldwin's old enemy, Lord Beaverbrook, asked all local authorities to survey their area's iron and steel railings and gates that could be used for the war effort. Owners of such materials could appeal for an exemption on grounds of artistic or historic merit, which would be decided by a panel set up by local authorities. Baldwin applied for exemption for the iron gates of his country home on artistic grounds and his local council sent an architect to assess them. In December, the architect advised for them to be exempt, but in February 1942, the Ministry of Supply overruled that and said all his gates must go except the ones at the main entrance.<ref>Middlemas and Barnes, pp. 1059–60.</ref> A newspaper campaign hounded him for not donating the gates to war production. The ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' columnist ''[[William Connor|Cassandra]]'' denounced Baldwin:

<blockquote>Here was the country in deadly peril with half the Empire swinging in the wind like a busted barn door hanging on one hinge. Here was Old England half smothered in a shroud crying for steel to cut her way out, and right in the heart of beautiful Worcestershire was a one-time Prime Minister, refusing to give up the gates of his estate to make guns for our defence – and his. Here was an old stupid politician who had tricked the nation into complacency about rearmament for fear of losing an election.... Here is the very shrine of stupidity.... This National Park of Failure....<ref>Middlemas and Barnes, pp. 1056–7.</ref></blockquote>

There were fears that if the gates were not taken by the proper authorities, "others without authority might".<ref>Baldwin, ''My Father: The True Story'', p. 321.</ref> Thus, months before any other collections were made, Baldwin's gates were removed except for those at the main entrance. Two of Beaverbrook's friends after the war claimed that it was Beaverbrook's decision despite Churchill saying, "Lay off Baldwin's gates".<ref>Middlemas and Barnes, p. 1061.</ref> At [[Question Time]] in the House of Commons, Conservative MP Captain [[Alan Crosland Graham|Alan Graham]] said: "Is the honourable Member aware that it is very necessary to leave Lord Baldwin his gates in order to protect him from the just indignation of the mob?"<ref>Middlemas and Barnes, p. 1060.</ref>