National Government (1931)

National Government
1st National Government of the United Kingdom
August–October 1931
Ramsay MacDonald
Date formed	24 August 1931 (1931-08-24)
Date dissolved	27 October 1931 (1931-10-27)
People and organisations
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	Ramsay MacDonald
Prime Minister's history	1929–1935
Deputy Prime Minister	Stanley Baldwin[note 1]
Total no. of members	59 appointments
Member parties	Conservative Party Liberal Party National Labour Liberal National Party
Status in legislature	Majority (coalition) 333 / 615 (54%)
Opposition party	Labour Party
Opposition leaders	Arthur Henderson in the House of Commons Lord Parmoor in the House of Lords
History
Outgoing election	1931 general election
Legislature terms	35th UK Parliament
Predecessor	Second MacDonald ministry
Successor	Second National Government

The National Government of August–October 1931, also known as the First National Government, was the first of a series of national governments formed during the Great Depression in the United Kingdom. It was formed by Ramsay MacDonald as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following the collapse of the previous minority government, led by the Labour Party, known as the Second MacDonald ministry.^[1]

As a National Government, it was dominated by members of the Conservative Party, and also included a few from Liberals and National Labour, as well as individuals who belonged to no political party. The breakaway Liberal Nationals supported the National Government after their formation in September 1931 but none received posts in the new administration. Subsequently, two Liberal ministers, Alec Glassey and John Pybus, defected to the Liberal Nationals. It did not contain members of the Labour Party as MacDonald had been expelled from it. The Labour Party led the opposition.^[2]

Denounced as a traitor, MacDonald was expelled from the Labour Party, and remained a hated figure within the Labour Party, despite his great services to his party earlier in his life.^[3]

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