The appointment of the first Labour government in January 1924 was widely regarded by contemporaries as an event of great political and social significance. The new Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, lacked the governmental experience of his predecessors and had risen from obscure origins. Many on the political right expressed alarmist expectations of attacks on private property and established institutions. Among the more extreme predictions was a claim that women would be nationalised and free love proclaimed as official government policy. Winston Churchill wrote that ‘the enthronement in office of a Socialist government will be a serious national misfortune such as has usually befallen great States only on the morrow of defeat in war’.
Notwithstanding such apocalyptic pronouncements, the government’s behaviour proved to be so moderate that its most radical supporters were to be gravely disappointed. After less than 10 months in office, no significant steps had been taken towards the achievement of socialist goals. The party suffered a heavy defeat in the general election of October 1924, winning 151 seats to the Conservatives’ 419.
The performance of the first Labour government was to be affected to a large extent by the circumstances in which it took office. It is important to remember that it was a minority administration, which had come to power because of the peculiar outcome of the December 1923 general election. Although the Conservatives had remained the largest party in the Commons, they were outnumbered by the Liberals and Labour. Since the contest had turned on one issue, it could legitimately be argued that Labour, as the largest pro-free trade party, had the right to form a government. On the other hand, this would mean forming a ministry with the help of the Liberals, who could withdraw their support at any time.
In these circumstances Labour’s term of office was unlikely to be more than a rather unsatisfactory apprenticeship in power. Some on the left were uneasy about the idea of taking office at all and argued that MacDonald should deliberately court parliamentary defeat with an uncompromising socialist programme.
MacDonald refused to ‘ride for a fall’ as suggested by members on the left and instead he resolved that a policy of moderation was essential to give the party a chance to prove its capacity to govern responsibly. If Labour was to establish itself as something more than a party of protest, it needed to win the confidence of the ideologically uncommitted outside the ranks of the movement.
It could be argued that Gladstone’s failure to unite his party, during a time when their ultimate support and confidence in his leadership was crucial, was a significant tactical error that contributed heavily towards the failure of the 1886 Home Rule Bill. The results of the 1885 general election were to have a significant impact on the political landscape of Britain; despite winning the most seats, the Liberals did not have an overall majority.As Parnell and the Irish Parliamentry Party (IPP) held the balance...
Overall, it is evident that Heath had implemented policies and retaliated on impulse which results in problems including the ‘U-turns’ and problems based upon the economy – especially the continuity of the sterling crisis which demonstrates that conservative nor labour were able to deal with the devaluation of the pound effectively. Therefore, Heath’s government had more failures than successes because the economy was still an issue and with Wilson being able to come back to power so quickly after Heath- it demonstrates that Heath’s government had won unexpectedly while Wilson would work on coming back to gain more support which he did in the February 1974 election.
Organized labour thereafter was hostile towards the Conservatives, particularly Meighen and Robertson, for their forcefull role in putting down the strike. Combined with high tariffs in the federal budget passed in the same year which farmers disliked, this contributed to the Conservatives' heavy defeat in the 1921 election. Succeeding Liberal government, made sure that the Winnipeg General Strike resulted in much improved working conditions for millions of Canadians. Liberal government under the young leader William Lyon Mackenzie King.
The Liberal victory in General Election of 1906 has gone down in History for being one of the biggest landslides in modern UK politics, but it can be argued that it was more of a Conservative loss than a Liberal gain.
To begin with, in the 1920’s, there were three main political parties. The Liberal Party was headed by William Lyon Mackenzie King and the Conservative Party was led by Arthur Meighen. King was a conciliator who came from a well-known family in Ontario. Known as a mediator, he found a balance between workers needs and business, making him a social reformer as well. Meighen, on the other hand, was a cold and arrogant character. Coming from an inconspicuous family, he was originally a teacher, then a lawyer (before delving into politics). His harsh personality and debating style cost him his teaching job, his candidacy as prime minister and also provided him with many enemies. The Progressive Party was a new party that emerged in the twenties, made up of farmers from Ontario and the West, as well as ex-Liberals. Led by Thomas Crerar, the party won 65 seats in the 1921 general election. The Liberals won the election with 116 seats and the Conservatives received 50 seats. King remained Prime Minister for 22 out of the next 27 years. Arthur Meighen lost the elections due to many reasons, some of which include the part he played in the First World War as well as his belief in principles over compromise. This contributed to the “Roaring Twenties” as King represented a bright future, with his confident promises to the public.
To determine where the ideas behind the New Deal fit this paper will examine core areas within the new deal ranging from American Politics to economic roles of the New Deal including `Big Government' and `Big Labour'. It will also examine the New Deal's ideas concerning the environment, states, agriculture and social welfare.
"It is what we prevent, rather than what we do that counts most in Government." (Mackenzie King august 26, 1936) This statement sums up the best secrets of Mackenzie King's success as prime minister, and perhaps, the key to governing Canada effectively. King's record of prime minister is sometimes difficult to judge. He had no uninteresting images, he gave no repetitive speeches, and he champions no drastic stage. He is remembered for his easygoing, passive compromise and conciliation (Gregory, page 267). Yet Mackenzie King led Canada for a total of twenty-two years, through half the Depression and all of the Second World War. Like every other prime minister, he had to possess ambition, endurance and determination to become prime minister and, in spite if appearances, his accomplishments in that role required political acuity, decisiveness and faultless judgment.
In fact the place of Sir John A. Macdonald in this country was so large & so absorbing that it is almost impossible to conceive that the politics of this country, will continue without him. His loss overwhelms us. (Swainson, 149)
Even though he is remembered as Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau’s legacy did not start there. While his sixteen years as Prime Minister is said to be his greatest achievement, his reputation as a hard worker started after he graduated from the University of Montreal, when he landed a position as a desk officer for the Privy Council; he practiced law, specializing in labour and civil liberty cases –issues he later brought into focus of Canadians– from 1951 to 1961. During these years, Trudeau spent his time opposing the ‘Union Nationale’ government of Maurice Duplessis; he demanded both social and political change. “Trudeau sought to rouse opposition ...
In This essay I will look at what is new about New Labour in regard to
Due to the widespread popularity of FDR in 1936, the Republicans felt desperate to avoid a repeat of the 1932 failure in which FDR had trounced the incumbent Herbert Hoover. So the party had to select a candidate that could strongly oppose FDR and sweep all the electoral and popular votes. The Kansas...
“Let us be English or let us be French . . . and above all let us be Canadians.” Born on January 11, 1815, in Glascow, Scotland, Sir John A. Macdonald became the first prime minister of Canada and one of the most transcendent that Canada has ever seen. He immigrated to Canada in 1820, at the age of five, where his family, including his mother, father and two siblings, settled in Kingston, Ontario. He spent his childhood studying at the Midland District Grammar School, where he developed his passion for the English language and at the same time, realizing his new dream of becoming a lawyer. He was unable to attend university as a result of the financial problems within his family; however, that did not stop him from achieving his goal. At the age of fifteen, Sir John A. Macdonald entered a law office as a junior and as a result of his perseverance and dexterous personality, he was called to the bar in 1836. He then began his law practice with extensive success as a commercial lawyer in Toronto and Kingston. His commendable efforts as a lawyer were well recognized by many and he became extensively popular and was regarded as a positive leader that could make a difference. By 1844, he was elected to represent Kingston in the Legislative Assembly of Canada. In 1854, he helped create the Conservative party and on July 1, 1867, the day of Confederation, he became Canada’s first prime minister. Sir John A. Macdonald contributed to Canadian history in a significant way as his actions had a positive impact on Canada, which helped it develop and prosper.
England has produced some of the most well-known men of history. One of these men, William Gladstone, was a leading figure in England’s most influential century. The “Grand Old Man” served in Parliament for sixty years, holding positions such as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Prime Minister multiple times each. One of several ways Gladstone influenced Victorian England was economically and financially through his support in repealing the Corn laws in 1846, his successful budgets as Chancellor of the Exchequer, and through his first term as Prime Minister.
It was always very difficult for people to agree about politics in the 1900s. Many people wanted to make changes or improvements in the government to promote a stronger d...
The redistribution of 143 seats resulted in industrial boroughs such as Manchester and Sheffield gaining an MP for the very first time and subsequently, there was a rise in the number of urban middle class voters who were now recognised and admitted into the political system. In contrast, the monarch’s influence in politics decreased due to the Reform Act, as there were fewer s...