Prime minister 1957-63; foreign secretary 1955 and chancellor of the Exchequer 1955-57. In 1963 he attempted to negotiate British entry into the European Economic Community, but was blocked by French president de Gaulle. Much of his career as prime minister was spent defending the retention of a UK nuclear weapon, and he was responsible for the purchase of US Polaris missiles 1962. Earl 1984. Macmillan was MP for Stockton 1924-29 and 1931-45, and for Bromley 1945-64. As minister of housing 1951-54 he achieved the construction of 300,000 new houses a year. He became prime minister on the resignation of Anthony Eden after the Suez crisis, and led the Conservative Party to victory in the 1959 elections on the slogan "You've never had it so good" (the phrase was borrowed from a US election campaign). Internationally, his realization of the "wind of change" in Africa advanced the independence of former colonies. Macmillan's nickname Supermac was coined by the cartoonist Vicky.
