72-701: The National Labour Organisation , also known simply as National Labour , was formed in 1931 by supporters of the National Government in Britain who had come from the Labour Party . Its leaders were Ramsay MacDonald (1931–1937) and his son Malcolm MacDonald (1937–1945). The most prominent member was the Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald. National Labour sponsored parliamentary candidates, but did not consider itself
144-607: A "Doctor's Mandate" to take a free hand and that each party would issue its own manifesto. Supporters of MacDonald formed the National Labour Organisation and the parties agreed to allow their local organisations to agree whether or not to oppose each other. The government was opposed by the Labour Party, Lloyd George and his Liberals and the New Party of Sir Oswald Mosley . Within the parties there
216-526: A National Labour candidate, which would mean handing over their organisation and funding the campaign. MacDonald may have considered resigning, but he decided only to refuse to send a message of support to the Conservative, who ended up losing the seat to Labour anyway. In its publicity, National Labour was concerned to stress that although Parliament was heavily dominated by the Conservatives,
288-748: A closing statement that praised the Labour Party for joining the Coalition in 1940 and condemned it for breaking up the Coalition immediately after victory in Europe. It called "all men and women of progressive outlook" to vote to re-elect the Churchill government. In recording the dissolution, the "Election Diary" in The Observer considered the surprising thing to be that it took place in a year as late as 1945. The five remaining National Labour MPs were rebadged as 'National' candidates and were defeated in
360-567: A correspondent who had referred to " Labour's defeat" by asserting, "Labour was victorious, and a queer mixture which had neither principle nor political policy, now known as Opposition Labour, was defeated". On 18 October 1937, Ramsay MacDonald officially opened the new headquarters of the National Labour Organisation at 57 Tufton Street. A month later, MacDonald was dead; the National Labour Organisation continued, although it postponed its conference until March 1938. When
432-577: A declaration from National Labour was printed and it pledged support for a united British Empire , a strong League of Nations ("for bringing about constructive schemes of world appeasement, economic as well as political"), the national planning of our economic life, preservation of the countryside and the improvement of social services. When Germany invaded the whole of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, an editorial called for "a Government of national concentration" which would have to include "the trusted leaders of
504-618: A general election should be fought to secure a mandate but this was anathema to the Liberal Party. The Liberals' acting leader and Home Secretary , Sir Herbert Samuel , fought in Cabinet against an election but found the Liberal Party dividing in several directions over the course of action. One group, under Sir John Simon emerged as the Liberal Nationals , was prepared to accept the tariff and expressed willingness to take
576-597: A large proportion of the Labour party's base refused to support any cuts to benefits or wages except to "the salaries of Ministers". Efforts to bring public expenditure cuts produced further problems, including a mutiny in the Royal Navy over pay cuts (the Invergordon Mutiny ), with the result that the pound sterling came under renewed pressure, and the government was forced to take the radical step of taking
648-493: A list of 34 seats which they wanted to fight: 14 out of 15 sitting National Labour MPs wished to fight for re-election and a further ten candidates were ready to stand in other seats. The group thought that a further ten candidates could easily be found. MacDonald was adamant that National Labour should be separate and not connected to Conservative Central Office . An offer of £100,000 funding from Lord Beaverbrook seems to have been declined, but Sir Alexander Grant gave £250 and
720-456: A political party as it had no policy distinctive from that of the government which it supported. After Ramsay MacDonald's death, the group continued in existence under his son Malcolm until it was wound up on the eve of the 1945 general election ; its newsletter ceased publication two years later. After Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald formed a National Government with the Conservative and Liberal parties to implement spending cuts rejected by
792-724: A reduced majority, but over the next two days it became increasingly clear that Labour and the Liberals would have to be brought into government and that Chamberlain was unable to achieve this. On 10 May 1940, Germany invaded the Low Countries and Chamberlain finally bowed to pressure and resigned, bringing the life of the National Government to a close. It was succeeded by an all-party coalition headed by Winston Churchill . Combined English Universities (UK Parliament constituency) Combined English Universities
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#1732772850237864-512: A series of conferences to enable more home rule in India and other colonies. Baldwin's last years in office were seen as a period of drift, but in late 1936 he achieved a notable triumph in resolving the Edward VIII abdication crisis without major repercussions. Baldwin took the occasion of George VI 's coronation as an opportune moment to retire. Neville Chamberlain was seen by many as
936-707: Is a list of people who were elected to represent these English universities in the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1918 and 1950. The elections were not held on the polling dates for general elections in the territorial constituencies. The university constituency elections were held over five days, not on the ordinary polling date, so that plural voting graduates could vote in their place of residence and then visit their university to participate in its election. There were six contested STV elections. The MPs in 1935 were returned unopposed. By-elections, to fill
1008-436: The 1931 United Kingdom general election 13 were returned as National Labour MPs. In December, MacDonald's private secretary Herbert Usher wrote a long memorandum asking key questions about what type of ongoing organisation was needed. Usher stated that MacDonald needed to answer three crucial questions: first, whether he wanted to form a new party; second, whether he envisaged returning to the Labour Party ; and third, whether
1080-521: The Duke of Westminster gave £2,000 through Maundy Gregory . National Labour had collected £20,000 in total for election expenses. At the start of the election, MacDonald denied Labour Party claims that the funds had come from the Conservative Party . Frank Markham (MacDonald's Parliamentary Private Secretary ) and the junior minister Earl De La Warr set up a National Labour Committee to run
1152-725: The Labour Party , he and his supporters were expelled from the party. He also received no support from any of the Constituency Labour Parties or major trade unions affiliated with the Trades Union Congress . The sudden decision to call a general election in October 1931 left MacDonald and the other Labour supporters with the difficult job of organising their own re-elections without any form of organisation. Preparations had been started on 19 September and by early October National Labour supporters had
1224-564: The League of Nations and sanctions against Italy for invading Abyssinia . The following month a massive storm developed when it emerged that the new Foreign Secretary, Sir Samuel Hoare , had negotiated the Hoare-Laval Pact which proposed to cede most of Abyssinia to Italy. Many were outraged, including many government MPs, and the agreement was dropped and Hoare sacked, though he later returned to government. The government sponsored
1296-512: The politics of the United Kingdom , a National Government is a coalition of some or all of the major political parties . In a historical sense, it refers primarily to the governments of Ramsay MacDonald , Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain which held office from 1931 until 1940. The all-party coalitions of H. H. Asquith and David Lloyd George in the First World War were sometimes referred to as National Governments at
1368-629: The Conservative Lord Irwin (later Lord Halifax). Further tensions emerged over the Ottawa Agreement , which set up a series of tariff agreements within the British Empire , and the remaining Liberals and Snowden resigned their ministerial posts although they continued to support the government from the backbenches for another year. MacDonald considered resigning as well to allow a party government to take office but
1440-646: The Conservatives and returned to the House of Commons in 1951 as the MP for Buckingham at the 1951 general election . Markham retired from parliament in 1964. Leslie Thomas (the son of Jimmy Thomas) had stood as a National Labour candidate in Leek in the 1935 general election . In 1953, he was elected as a Conservative Party candidate for Canterbury in a by-election until he stood down in 1966 . The only former National Labour politician to return to government besides Jowitt
1512-532: The Council . At the 1935 general election , the party sponsored 20 candidates, eight of whom were elected. A notable new recruit was Harold Nicolson , a former diplomat and an ex-political associate of Oswald Mosley when he created the New Party . Immediately after the election, the News-Letter argued that Labour supporters of the National Government were hidden "thanks to the trade union 'terror'" and that
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#17327728502371584-556: The Dominions except Ireland . For some time there had been calls to expand Chamberlain's war ministry by bringing in members of the official Labour and Liberal parties but both parties refused to join (with the one exception of Liberal MP Gwilym Lloyd George , who joined the government as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade ). For the first few months of war Britain saw comparatively little action apart from at sea, but
1656-560: The Exchequer had been second only to MacDonald in becoming a prominent Labour member of the National Government, remained nominally one of the National Labour cabinet members after the election, having received a Peerage. However, Snowden rejected an invitation from Clifford Allen to write for the News-Letter , replying scathingly and declaring that "I really do not understand this National Labour Party". When Snowden resigned from
1728-508: The Labour Party officially repudiated the new National government. It expelled MacDonald and made Henderson the leader of the main Labour party. Henderson led it into the general election on 27 October against the three-party National coalition. The Government was initially applauded by most, but the Labour Party were left in a state of confusion with the loss of several of their most prominent figures, and MacDonald, Philip Snowden and James Henry Thomas did little to explain themselves, with
1800-410: The Liberal Party under another name; the editorial believed "the struggle for the future will be for individual rights against the omnipotent State, democracy against despotism". The last edition of the News-Letter was dated April–July 1947. Subsequently, Harold Nicolson joined the Labour Party and stood as its candidate in the 1948 Croydon North by-election , which he lost. Sir Frank Markham joined
1872-401: The National Government was formed. Usher concluded that the public favoured a large centrist party, but that existing political organisations would not permit it. Early in 1932 a constitution and organisation was established and the monthly News-Letter set up for supporters which was edited by Clifford Allen . An editorial in the first edition written by Allen emphasised that the News-Letter
1944-406: The National Government would continue for a long time and produce a single party of the centre. Usher argued that it was not possible to create a distinctive National Labour Party because any distinctive policy would threaten the unity of the National Government coalition. He also contended that MacDonald could not return to the Labour Party, which harboured extreme bitterness about the manner in which
2016-498: The National Labour argument in support of the National Government's domestic policy—it argued that the agricultural policy followed by the government had "the characteristic Conservative policy of a tariff " as well as "the characteristic Socialist State organisation of industry" and therefore showed what the government "owes to the traditional doctrines of not one, but all, Parties in the State". The pamphlet asserted that returning to
2088-558: The National Liberals, despite the parliamentary position being reversed. That balance was to cause tensions, particularly as the Diehard wing of the Conservative party felt unrepresented. The government entered protracted wrangling over whether or not to introduce tariffs. Both the Liberals and Snowden found it particularly difficult to accept but were in a heavy minority. However, both MacDonald and Baldwin wished to maintain
2160-653: The Parliamentary group to only five in number. Earl De La Warr resigned in August 1943, succeeded as chairman by Richard Denman . A special conference of the National Labour Organisation on 14 June 1945 decided to dissolve the party. Malcolm Macdonald chose not to defend his seat and retired from front-line politics though was later appointed as High Commissioner to India and Governor of Kenya . The other former National Labour MPs adopted were redesignated to run as National Parliamentary candidates. The organisation issued
2232-590: The cabinet was much more evenly balanced between the parties. In 1933, a local electoral pact was agreed in Finsbury between National Labour and the Municipal Reform Party in advance of the 1934 London County Council election . The Parliamentary constituency had a National Labour MP, but the two London County Council seats were held by Labour and the pact agreed that Kenneth Lindsay would run in conjunction with one Municipal Reform candidate in
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2304-550: The conference happened, The Times greeted it with a leader commending the party for striking "deeper roots than a group formed around a particular personality". Malcolm MacDonald took the leadership of the group in Parliament and National Labour members retained office—the party issued a declaration of support for Neville Chamberlain over the Munich Agreement . In the first edition of the News-Letter for 1939,
2376-558: The curtailing of excess working hours by the Factory Act and much slum clearance . Another success was the Holidays with Pay Act 1938 , which gave a fortnight's paid holiday a year to workers, starting in 1939. The school leaving age was also to be increased from Autumn 1939, but was deferred as war loomed. Further reforms were curtailed by the increased international tension which came to occupy most of his time. In foreign affairs,
2448-786: The cuts proposed by the May Report , even if the Labour Party and the Trade Unions led by Ernest Bevin did not. MacDonald duly changed his mind during the night and met with the Conservative and Liberal MPs the following morning. On 24 August, MacDonald agreed and formed a National Government composed of men from all parties with the specific aim of balancing the Budget and restoring confidence. The new cabinet had four Labourites (now called " National Labour ") who stood with MacDonald, plus four Conservatives (led by Baldwin and Chamberlain) and two Liberals. Labour unions were strongly opposed and
2520-631: The day after the election was announced complained that Attorney-General Sir William Jowitt had been forced out of Preston and the Conservatives could not find a local association willing to accept him. Jowitt subsequently stood and lost as a National Labour candidate for Combined English Universities . He later rejoined the Labour Party and would end up in Clement Attlee 's 1945–1951 government as Lord High Chancellor . Conservative Party chairman Lord Stonehaven complained back to MacDonald about his promotion of "unknown candidates introduced at
2592-497: The election, forced the group to reconsider. In February 1940, it was announced that the party would not be holding an annual conference that year and had suspended publication of "News Letter". In February 1942, Stephen King-Hall resigned from the Parliamentary Party, stating that he wanted to oppose the involvement of party political considerations in wartime. In May 1943, he was followed by Kenneth Lindsay reducing
2664-430: The election. De La Warr became chairman. Negotiations with Conservative Central Office began after a meeting on 25 September, when the Conservatives had reassured MacDonald that it would not be difficult to come to agreement. Frank Markham then drafted a list of 35 constituencies in which National Labour wanted to stand for election and wanted the Conservatives to support them. However, the Conservatives objected to many of
2736-536: The election. In the event, Michael Franklin of National Labour and Fordham Flower of Municipal Reform stood as National Municipal candidates, but they failed to win seats. While National Labour could not advocate any policy in opposition to the National Government, its members gave policy suggestions and argued in support of government policy. A pamphlet, called "On the Home Front" and published in April 1934, outlined
2808-456: The end, MacDonald and Snowden drafted a proposal that would cut benefits by 10%. Trade unions rejected this proposal. When a final vote was taken, the Cabinet was split 11–9 with a minority, including many political heavyweights such as Arthur Henderson and George Lansbury , threatening to resign rather than agree. The unworkable split, on 24 August 1931, made the government resign. The financial crisis grew worse and decisive government action
2880-736: The entries such as Kensington North and Birmingham Erdington , which were marginal former Conservative seats that had only narrowly gone to Labour in 1929. Local Conservatives refused to withdraw their candidates, and in Liverpool Everton , sitting National Labour MP Derwent Hall Caine found himself opposed (and eventually beaten) by a Conservative. By 14 October, with the close of nominations imminent, persistent Conservative associations and candidates had forced National Labour candidates to withdraw in four constituencies and there were only 25 candidates confirmed, 10 of whom had Conservative opposition. MacDonald himself tried to intervene and on
2952-529: The failure of the Norwegian campaign led to a massive outcry in Parliament. On 7 and 8 May 1940, a two-day debate took place in Parliament, known to history as the Norway Debate . Initially a discussion of what had gone wrong in that field, it soon turned into a general debate on the conduct of the war with fierce criticism expressed by all sides of the House. The government won the debate, albeit with
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3024-464: The fine human spirit of our British Socialism as any other political party of pure expediency striving for a majority". Lord Elton argued that trade unions should not affiliate to the Labour Party because they could achieve more by bargaining for support when not tied to one political party. MacDonald remained Prime Minister as the head of a coalition government until June 1935, when he gave way to Stanley Baldwin and became instead Lord President of
3096-711: The government in opposition to the protectionist outcome of the Ottawa Conference in September 1932, he declared that he no longer had any party allegiance. After the election, MacDonald persisted in trying to find a seat for Jowitt. All that Stonehaven would offer was Nottingham South , where the Conservative Association might be persuaded to support Jowitt if the sitting National Labour member George Wilfrid Holford Knight stood down. Unexpectedly, Holford Knight refused to comply and MacDonald
3168-670: The government sought to increase Britain's armaments, while maintaining the unity of the Empire and Dominions and preventing any one power from becoming dominant on the continent of Europe. These proved increasingly difficult to reconcile, as many Dominions were reluctant to support Britain in the event of her going to war, and so military action risked splitting the Empire. Chamberlain took a strong personal lead in foreign affairs and sought to bring about peaceful revision of European frontiers in areas where many commentators had long-acknowledged grievances. In this, he received much popular support at
3240-462: The greatest landslide in British political history, the National Government winning a total of 556 seats and a Parliamentary majority of 500. It was a disaster for Labour, which was reduced to a small minority of 52. MacDonald was unified with the Conservatives and Liberal National leaders on one platform (he returning 13 of his 20 National Labour candidates). As few Labour MPs refused to abandon
3312-403: The legislation, it was agreed that London University alone should continue to return one member. The University of Wales was also given its own seat. The other universities, which were still to be combined, had their proposed representation reduced to two members. Combined English Universities was not a physical area. Its electorate consisted of the graduates of the universities included in
3384-531: The most open opponents. The bill was fiercely opposed but eventually passed in 1947 in very different circumstances. With MacDonald's health failing, he retired as prime minister in June 1935, to be succeeded by Baldwin. Increasingly foreign affairs were coming to dominate political discourse and in November Baldwin led the government to victory in the 1935 general election on a platform of support for
3456-524: The multiparty nature of the Government. On the suggestion of Hailsham, it was agreed to suspend the principle of Cabinet collective responsibility to allow the Liberals to oppose the introduction of tariffs while remaining in government. This held for some months. In 1932, Sir Donald MacLean died. MacDonald came under pressure not to merely appoint another Liberal, particularly as it was felt that they would be over-represented, and so instead appointed
3528-455: The old party system would mean weak government and that it was weak government that had led other European countries to dictatorship . Looking back on the politics of the 1930s in a 1964 article, Professor Arthur Marwick regarded National Labour's significance as being "a central point around which people who desired political agreement could cohere". He noted that National Labour could attract to collectivist socialism, some who were put off by
3600-431: The only possible successor to Baldwin, and his appointment as Prime Minister was widely credited with bringing a new dynamism to the government. With a strong track record as a radical Minister of Health and competent Chancellor of the Exchequer many expected Chamberlain to provide a strong lead in domestic affairs and here the government had a number of successes, such as over the nationalisation of coal mining royalties,
3672-491: The party ought to appeal for the votes of all socialists and trade unionists opposed to being herded into the political wilderness. When Ramsay MacDonald's son, Malcolm , fought the Ross and Cromarty by-election of 1936, he found himself opposed by Randolph Churchill standing as a Conservative and arguing that 'National Labour' was a "sham device" with no real support. After learning of his son's success, Ramsay MacDonald corrected
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#17327728502373744-402: The place of the main Liberals in the government. The party's official leader, David Lloyd George was incapacitated at this time but called for the Liberals to abandon the government altogether and stand independently in defence of free trade , but his call was heeded only by four other MPs, all of whom were his close relatives. It was eventually agreed that the government as a whole would seek
3816-410: The pound off the gold standard altogether. Debate then broke out about further steps to tackle the economic problems. At the same time the Labour Party officially expelled all of its members who supported the National Government, including MacDonald. Increasingly, the majority of the Cabinet came to believe that a protective tariff was necessary to support British industry and provide revenue and that
3888-419: The resolutely working-class character of the Labour Party and cited Harold Nicolson as a case in point. In April 1935, a volume of essays by five leading National Labour politicians was published under the title "Towards a National Policy: being a National Labour Contribution". MacDonald contributed a preface in which he argued that the Labour opposition "is as little guided by Socialist opinion and inspired by
3960-655: The result that the Labour Party soon swung fully against the government. This was in part because of the Trade Unions' decision to oppose all forms of cuts proposed by MacDonald and Snowden in response to the May Report , which had concluded the UK government needed to curb government expenditure to reduce the budget deficit amid the fallout from the Great Depression that began in 1929. The May Report in particular recommended to MacDonald that his Labour government cut unemployment benefit by 20%. The Trade Unions that represented
4032-417: The seat. The universities represented by this constituency were Birmingham , Bristol , Durham , Leeds , Liverpool , Manchester , Reading (from August 1928) and Sheffield . The constituency returned two members of Parliament, elected at general elections by the single transferable vote method of proportional representation . However, the first past the post system was used in by-elections. This
4104-493: The situation deteriorated and there was much fear that the budget was unbalanced, which was borne out by the independent May Report which triggered a confidence crisis and a run on the pound. The Labour government agreed in principle to make changes in taxation and to cut expenditure to balance the budget and restore confidence. However, the Cabinet could not agree on the two options available: either introduce tariffs (taxes on imports) or make 20% cuts in unemployment benefit . In
4176-475: The subsequent 1945 General Election . Former National Labour MP Kenneth Lindsay was re-elected as an independent after moving constituencies from Kilmarnock to Combined English Universities . The News-Letter continued, with an editorial line critical of the post-war Labour government . In September 1946, it urged progressive members of the Conservative Party to discard their name and join with
4248-490: The time, but are now more commonly called Coalition Governments. The term "National Government" was chosen to dissociate itself from negative connotations of the earlier coalitions. Similarly the all-party government of Winston Churchill in the Second World War was generally referred to as the National Government at the time. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 heralded the global Great Depression and Britain
4320-539: The time, but the policy has been much attacked since. The most prominent point in the policy of appeasement came in September 1938, when the Munich Agreement was negotiated. Following the agreement, the government sped up the re-armament process in the hope of being ready for war when it came. At the same time, it took a tougher line in foreign affairs, including making a guarantee to defend Poland against Germany. When Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, Britain declared war in tandem with France, supported by all of
4392-549: The trade unions and the Opposition parties". A Parliamentary motion from Anthony Eden and Winston Churchill calling for a National government "on the widest possible basis" was given support from the News-Letter in the following issue. In the run-up to an expected general election in autumn 1939, several National Labour candidates were adopted and the party attracted some high-profile figures to defect to it (including former MP Michael Marcus ). The outbreak of war, delaying
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#17327728502374464-475: The very last moment by yourself" competing against Conservatives who had promised him their support, which risked handing the seats to the opposition. Of the 20 candidates actually nominated, six faced a rival Conservative candidate and one a rival Liberal National . Three more candidates withdrew before polling day. The general organisation of National Labour during the election was run by Benjamin Musgrave. In
4536-484: The wishes of the Trade Unionists led by Ernest Bevin , the support for the re-elected National Government was heavily Conservative. Although the Conservatives had a bare majority in Cabinet of 11, compared to nine non-Conservatives, the former held comparatively few of the most important jobs. The two groups of Liberals were similarly unbalanced in terms of posts, the official Liberals holding one more seat than
4608-472: Was "intended to be a means of contact between Labour supporters of the National Government", but also "begs the attention of public opinion", The editorship was later taken by Godfrey Elton and both Allen and Elton received peerages from MacDonald. In September 1932, William Spofforth (formerly the Labour Party agent in Westhoughton ) was appointed as secretary. Philip Snowden , who as Chancellor of
4680-1002: Was Earl De La Warr in 1951. He was appointed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill as Postmaster General . It was a ministerial appointment but outside the Cabinet. De La Warr retired in 1955. The candidates sponsored by the National Labour Committee and the subsequent National Labour Organisation were as follows. Seat gained Seat held (seat held by sitting MP in 1931) National Government (United Kingdom) King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee In
4752-561: Was a university constituency represented in the United Kingdom Parliament (from 1918 until 1950 ). It was formed by enfranchising and combining all the English universities, except for Cambridge , Oxford and London which were already separately represented. The constituency effectively represented the red brick universities and Durham University with two members of parliament. This university constituency
4824-610: Was angry not with him, but the Conservatives for not offering a seat that they held. In July 1932, a by-election arose in Wednesbury , a seat that Labour had held at every election except 1931. De La Warr expressed to Stonehaven the hope that the local Conservatives would accept a National Labour candidate, but Stonehaven wrote back that the suggestion amazed him. He had tried, but the Wednesbury Conservative Association were obdurate in refusing to have
4896-587: Was created by the Representation of the People Act 1918 and abolished in 1950 by the Representation of the People Act 1948 . The original proposal of the Speaker's Conference, which considered electoral reform before the 1918 legislation was prepared, was to combine all the English and Welsh universities except for Oxford and Cambridge into a three-member constituency. However, during consideration of
4968-450: Was hit, although not as badly as most countries. The government was trying to achieve several different, contradictory objectives: trying to maintain Britain's economic position by maintaining the pound on the gold standard , balancing the budget , and providing assistance and relief to tackle unemployment. The gold standard meant that British prices were higher than its competitors', so the important export industries did poorly. In 1931,
5040-458: Was needed as the leaders of both the Conservative and Liberal Parties met with King George V , and MacDonald, at first to discuss support for the measures to be taken but later to discuss the shape of the next government. MacDonald had originally wished to tender his resignation but was told to re-consider by the King on the grounds that the majority of opposition MPs and the country at large supported
5112-402: Was particular conflict between the Conservatives and Liberals. The 1931 general election campaign run by the National Government figures stressed their policies would aim to avoid any risk of Britain seeing such events as those of Germany two years ago including hyperinflation and MacDonald famously waved worthless Deutschmarks to emphasise the point. The result of the 1931 general election was
5184-450: Was persuaded to remain even though his health was now in decline. In domestic politics, he increasingly allowed Baldwin to give a lead, but in foreign affairs, the main direction was determined by MacDonald and Simon. The most prominent policy of the National Government in the early 1930s was the proposal to introduce Indian Home Rule , a measure fiercely opposed by the Diehard wing of the Conservative party, with Winston Churchill one of
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