212. Labour struggling, Tories soaring, the economy wobbling

212. Labour struggling, Tories soaring, the economy wobbling

It was a terrible time for Labour, down to just 52 MPs and having to choose a new leadership from a narrow pool from which most of the brightest lights, in the view of many but above all their own, were excluded. The Tories were on top of the world, with a clear majority. MacDonald still led the the National government, but in complete dependence on the Conservatives for his survival in office.

A sharp change in direction of economic policy ended the linkage to the gold standard and introduced tariffs on imports. Both initiatives started to improve things, with growth back and with some strength. But the poor remained desperately poor.


Illustration: composite of the Labour Party leader, George Lansbury, and deputy leader, Clement Attlee, chosen by default because the obvious candidates weren’t available. Both photos from the National Portrait Gallery: Attlee by Walter Stoneman, 1930, NPG x163783; Lansbury by Howard Coster, 1930s, NPG Ax136093

Music: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License

Jaksot(274)

89. 1812: turning point

89. 1812: turning point

1812 was a year of turning points. It was the year that Spencer Perceval was murdered, the only British Prime Minister to have met such a fate, and his successor Lord Liverpool was appointed. Just a ...

8 Touko 202214min

88. Murder in the Commons

88. Murder in the Commons

This is where we start to get to know the future King George IV, in the time when he became Prince Regent. We also meet his friend ‘Beau’ Brummel and talk about the disastrous way that friendship end...

1 Touko 202214min

87. War, a war crime, and a duel

87. War, a war crime, and a duel

The Ministry of all the Talents has fallen and the Duke of Portland, after a record-breaking gap of 24 years, has formed a new government. The people making it up are now referred to as Tories and thi...

24 Huhti 202214min

86. Abolition of the Slave Trade. By the Talents. Or Blunderers

86. Abolition of the Slave Trade. By the Talents. Or Blunderers

Slavery: finally, the time had come for a major step to be taken. Oh, no, not the actual abolition of slavery itself. But at least the abolition of the trade in slaves. Funnily enough, that’s somethin...

17 Huhti 202214min

85. England expects. And saves its neighbours

85. England expects. And saves its neighbours

It’s time for Pitt’s second go as Prime Minister, and for another round of war in Europe. But Pitt was no longer the conquering hero he once had been. On the other hand, there was one notable moment o...

10 Huhti 202214min

84. Interludes

84. Interludes

An episode about interludes… The first of these looked like the end of an era, when William Pitt the Younger stepped down as Prime Minister, after seventeen years in power, and still younger than any ...

3 Huhti 202214min

83. Dragging Ireland into the United Kingdom, and how that brought down its first Prime Minister

83. Dragging Ireland into the United Kingdom, and how that brought down its first Prime Minister

After talking about Britain’s biggest and most lucrative colony, India, we now turn our attention to its oldest, closest and most troublesome, Ireland. We've seen that Pitt had tried to establish fre...

27 Maalis 202214min

82. Benefits of Empire in India

82. Benefits of Empire in India

We’re back with Britain’s great imperial project in India, going great guns (often literally) despite the war in Europe. It was still in principle being run by England’s old East India company, though...

20 Maalis 202215min

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