Labour Minority Gov 1

Labour Minority Gov 1

1. Impacts of WW1

   • Positive
     • powerful trade unions abandoned support for Liberals
     • Liberals became dependent on Labour
     • Labours membership had risen. Its organisation and finances improved too.
   • Negative
     • Only got its 42 MP's due to Lib-Lab pact.
     • number of Labour MP's had fallen due to by-election losses.
     • labour had no real separate identity from the Liberals.
     • Persued no policies to benefit working class.

2. 1923 Election results

3. Jan 1924 - Oct 1924

4. Minority

   • An argument whether or not Labour should take office.
   • A minority gov would mean that it would be very hard for them to pass any acts or laws.
   • Also their first ever time in office.

5. Industrial Relations

   • Struggled to control number of strikes.
   • Dockers, Tram drivers, railworkers and builders.

6. Social Reforms

   • unemployment benefit improved.
   • old pensions increased.
   • taxes on basic foods cut.
     • Tea, sugar, cocoa and coffee.
   • Wheatley housing Act
     • Significant achievements.
       • 500,000 houses built over next 10 years.

7. Foreign Policy

   • Dawes Plan.
     • persuaded France & Germany to settle reparations
       • France lowered reparations and allowed Germany to pay them over 5 years.
         • Dawes plan not agreed until 1925 so Macdonald didn't get recognisition for it.
   • First & only PM to visit league of nations.

8. Campbell Case

   • Appeared to interfere with the judicial system.
     • Accused of influencing prosecution of left wing journalist J.R. Campbell.
       • Campbell urged soldiers to disobey orders.
         • macdonald resigned after this.

9. Zinoviev letter

   • fear of communism.
   • Letter posted in Daily Mail from Grigor Zinoviev.
     • Letter urged communist party to infiltrate the Labour Party