Changing party fortunes 1918-31

Question 1

Labour

Answer 1

Nov 1922 won 142 seats - supplanted Liberals as official opposition.

Question 2

Liberals

Answer 2

Dramatic decline (arguably pre WW1) - never again took power.
Never recovered from party splits - DLG or Asquith.

Question 3

Conservatives

Answer 3

Natural party of government - flexible, embraced all groups.
1920s ‘Safety First’ approach - Stanley Baldwin, 1926 General Strike.

Question 4

January - October 1924

Answer 4

Labour minority government.
Difficult to break from perception of representing the WC - TUC.
March 1924 transport workers’ strike - Ramsay MacDonald declared state of emergency, many trade unionists felt betrayed.

Question 5

1929-31

Answer 5

Labour minority government - dominated by economic crisis.
Unemployment doubled, foreign investors lost confidence.
1931 MacDonald entered Conservative coalition - split the party.