The Rise and Fall of the First British Labour Government

This lecture explores, in detail, why the first Labour Government was formed, what it achieved and why it failed – was it the Russian treaties or MacDonald’ commitment to remain in Office that ended its brief existence? And, above all, what was its political legacy?

The first Labour government was formed on 22 January 1924, coming to power as a minority government under James Ramsay MacDonald, at a watershed moment in British politics when Labour was taking over from the Liberal Party as the progressive party in British politics, and as the Conservative Party, the largest party, lost its way by advocating protectionism over free trade. It was initially seen by many as more a Communist government than a Socialist government, and King George V wondered what ‘grandmama’, Victoria who had died 23 years before to the day, would have made of ‘a Labour government.’ In the end this minority government lasted less than ten months, achieved little in the way of socialist measures, and lost the vital support of the Liberal Party over support for Russian commercial treaties and its poor handling of the arrest of J. R. Campbell, editor of the Communist Workers’ Weekly. This lecture explores, in detail, why the first Labour Government was formed, what it achieved and why it failed – was it the Russian treaties or MacDonald’ commitment to remain in Office that ended its brief existence? And, above all, what was its political legacy?

Professor Keith Laybourn is a leading social historian of working-class history. He has written and edited 50 books on subjects ranging from labour history, the history of welfare, to working-class entertainment.

There will also be an opportunity for members of the audience to ask questions at the end of the lecture.