- The information in this article is part of an upcoming rework, and may not be reflected in other articles.
The 1923 Labour Government of the United Kingdom, formally known as the MacDonald Ministry was formed on the 6th February 1923 and dissolved on the 2nd January 1924. The Labour Party, under Ramsay MacDonald, had failed to win the general election of January 1923, having won 191 seats, although the combined Opposition tally exceeded that of the Conservative government's own seat count of 240, creating a hung parliament. Law briefly remained in office until February following the events of the Curzon Crisis and resigned following MacDonald's announcement he could form a government with the backing of the Liberal Party.
MacDonald had become Labour's first proper leader in 1922 after prior experience in leadership, and was now faced with the challenge of putting together a cabinet comprised of men who had little or no experience in government. Only three members had previously been ministers and two only briefly: Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane, Arthur Henderson and J. R. Clynes; though others had been under-secretaries. Likewise, MacDonald had to balance the growing factionalism within Labour and decide whether to make concessions to the increasingly strong left-wing of the party. Traditionally on the left of the already radical Independent Labour Party, MacDonald had gradually become more moderate and sought to build a cabinet that would reflect this, ultimately being characterised by a moderate trade union feel with support from the avowed left-wing and some dissident Liberals that sought to endorse the new government. Labour also had few Lords - a central issue of the Curzon Crisis - and was forced to rely on clever navigation of the upper chamber to ever secure smooth passage of its bills.
Constantly in the throes of crisis and hostility from the Conservative dominated opposition, the government was repeatedly faced with the threat of collapse. What eventually helped to bring down the Labour government was red-baiting; the fear surrounding an alleged Syndicalist threat. Conservatives were quick to point out any Communard influence in Britain, one example being the Campbell Case, though ultimately the fallout of MacDonald's attempts to normalise relations with Communard France and the release of the Cachin Letter proved potentially too much of a scandal for the government. Talks of a vote of no confidence began though H. H. Asquith, the Leader of the Liberal Party, called for the appointment of a committee of enquiry, as this would allow Labour time to survive the scandal. MacDonald refused and warned said that if MPs voted in favour of the enquiry, then the government would treat this as a vote of no confidence. Right-wing Liberals joined with the Conservatives to push the enquiry and the government resigned. Snap elections were held in the following January.
Cabinet[]
6th February 1923 - 2nd January 1924[]
- Ramsay MacDonald – Prime Minister and Leader of the House of Commons
- The Viscount Haldane – Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain and joint Leader of the House of Lords
- The Lord Parmoor – Lord President of the Council and joint Leader of the House of Lords
- John Robert Clynes - Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal and Deputy Leader of the House of Commons
- Philip Snowden - Chancellor of the Exchequer
- Arthur Henderson – Secretary of State for the Home Department
- E.D. Morel – Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
- Jimmy Thomas – Secretary of State for the Colonies
- The Lord Olivier – Secretary of State for India
- William Adamson - Secretary of State for Scotland
- Josiah Wedgwood – Secretary of State for War
- The Lord Thomson - Secretary of State for Air
- The Viscount Chelmsford – First Lord of the Admiralty
- George Lansbury - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
- Sidney Webb - President of the Board of Trade
- Charles Philips Trevelyan – President of the Board of Education
- Noel Buxton – President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries
- John Wheatley – President of the Local Government Board
- Vernon Hartshorn – Postmaster-General
- Frederick William Jowett – First Commissioner of Works
- Thomas Shaw – Minister of Labour
- Stephen Walsh - Minister of Pensions
List of Ministers[]
| Office | Name | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister First Lord of the Treasury Leader of the House of Commons |
Ramsay MacDonald | 6th February 1923 |
| Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain Leader of the House of Lords |
The Viscount Haldane | 6th February 1923 |
| Lord President of the Council | The The Lord Parmoor | 6th February 1923 |
| Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal Deputy Leader of the House of Commons |
J. R. Clynes | 6th February 1923 |
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | Philip Snowden | 6th February 1923 |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury | Ben Spoor | 7th February 1923 |
| Financial Secretary to the Treasury | William Graham | 7th February 1923 |
| Junior Lords of the Treasury | Fred Hall | 10th February 1923 |
| Tom Kennedy | 10th February 1923 | |
| John Robertson | 10th February 1923 | |
| George Henry Warne | 10th February 1923 | |
| Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs | E. D. Morel | 6th February 1923 |
| Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs | Arthur Posonby | 7th February 1923 |
| Secretary of State for the Home Department | Arthur Henderson | 6th February 1923 |
| Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department | Rhys Davies | 7th February 1923 |
| First Lord of the Admiralty | The Viscount Chelmsford | 6th February 1923 |
| Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty | Charles Ammon | 7th February 1923 |
| Civil Lord of the Admiralty | Fred Montague | 7th February 1923 |
| Secretary of State for War | Josiah Wedgwood | 6th February 1923 |
| Under-Secretary of State for War | Clement Attlee | 7th February 1923 |
| Financial Secretary to the War Office | Jack Lawson | 7th February 1923 |
| Secretary of State for Air | The Lord Thomson | 6th February 1923 |
| Under-Secretary of State for Air | William Leach | 7th February 1923 |
| Secretary of State for the Colonies | J. H. Thomas | 6th February 1923 |
| Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies | The Lord Arnold | 7th February 1923 |
| Secretary of State for India | Sir Sydney Olivier | 6th February 1923 |
| Under-Secretary of State for India | Robert Richards | 7th February 1923 |
| President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries | Noel Buxton | 6th February 1923 - 28th May 1923 |
| Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries | 28th May 1923 | |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries | Walter Robert Smith | 7th February 1923 - 28th May 1923 |
| President of the Board of Education | Charles Trevelyan | 6th February 1923 |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education | Morgan Jones | 7th February 1923 |
| President of the Local Government Board | John Wheatley | 6th February 1923 - 2nd April 1923 |
| Minister of Health | 2nd April 1923 | |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board | Arthur Greenwood | 7th February 1923 - 2nd April 1923 |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health | 2nd April 1923 | |
| Minister of Labour | Tom Shaw | 6th February 1923 |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour | Margaret Bondfield | 7th February 1923 |
| Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | George Lansbury | 6th February 1923 |
| Postmaster General | Vernon Hartshorn | 6th February 1923 |
| Secretary for Scotland | William Adamson | 6th February 1923 |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Local Government Board for Scotland | James Stewart | 7th February 1923 - 2nd April 1923 |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Ministry of Health for Scotland | 2nd April 1923 | |
| President of the Board of Trade | Sidney Webb | 6th February 1923 |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade | A. V. Alexander | 7th February 1923 |
| Secretary for Overseas Trade | William Lunn | 7th February 1923 |
| Secretary for Mines | Emanuel Shinnwell | 7th February 1923 |
| First Commissioner of Works | Fred Jowett | 6th February 1923 |
| Paymaster General | Harry Gosling | 5th June 1923 |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Office of the Paymaster-General | John William Muir | 10th February 1923 |
| Minister of Pensions | Stephen Walsh | 6th February 1923 |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions | Frederick Roberts | 7th February 1923 |
| Minister for Transport | Harry Gosling | 7th February 1923 |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport | Ernest Thurtle | 7th February 1923 |
| Attorney General | Sir Patrick Hastings | 6th February 1923 |
| Solicitor General | Sir Henry Slesser | 6th February 1923 |
| Lord Advocate | Hugh Macmillan | 7th February 1923 |
| Solicitor General for Scotland | John Charles Fenton | 16th February 1923 |
| Vice-Chamberlain of the Household | John Emanuel Davison | 14th March 1923 |
| Treasurer of the Household | Thomas Griffiths | 14th March 1923 |
| Comptroller of the Household | John Allen Parkinson | 14th March 1923 |
| Lords in Waiting | The Earl De La Warr | 20th March 1923 |
| The Lord Muir Mackenzie | 20th March 1923 |