First MacDonald ministry

First MacDonald ministry
January–November 1924
Ramsey MacDonald
Date formed	22 January 1924 (1924-01-22)
Date dissolved	4 November 1924 (1924-11-04)
People and organisations
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	Ramsay MacDonald
Deputy Prime Minister	[note 1]
Total no. of members	58 appointments
Member party	Labour Party
Status in legislature	Minority dependent on Liberal support 191 / 615 (31%)
Opposition party	Conservative Party
Opposition leaders	Stanley Baldwin in the House of Commons Lord Curzon of Kedleston in the House of Lords
History
Election(s)	1923 general election
Outgoing election	1924 general election
Legislature term(s)	33rd UK Parliament lost a vote of confidence
Predecessor	First Baldwin ministry
Successor	Second Baldwin ministry

The first MacDonald ministry of the United Kingdom lasted from January to November 1924. The Labour Party, under Ramsay MacDonald, had failed to win the general election of December 1923, with 191 seats, although the combined Opposition tally exceeded that of the Conservative government, creating a hung parliament. Stanley Baldwin remained in office until January 1924.

The Conservatives had won the previous general election held in 1922 shortly after the fall of the Lloyd George Coalition when along with their Unionist allies, they had won 344 seats. This seemed a significant enough majority to expect a full parliamentary term. Nevertheless, shortly after the election the Conservative leader Bonar Law died and was replaced by Baldwin, who reneged on his predecessor's electoral pledge not to introduce protective tariffs. Baldwin sought a fresh mandate from the electorate in 1923. The result was decisive, being against protectionism, and it was clear that the Conservatives had lost, despite remaining the largest party. Baldwin had little chance of remaining prime minister when the balance of power was held by the Liberal Party under H. H. Asquith, who had campaigned vigorously for free trade, to the point of healing the rift that existed between the Asquith and Lloyd George Liberal Party factions. Baldwin advised King George V to send for MacDonald, since the Labour Party held more seats in the Commons than the Liberals. MacDonald accepted the King's commission later that day, arriving with his Labour colleagues, to the amusement of many and dismay of others, in full court dress.^[1]

It is regarded as containing Britain's first working-class cabinet ministers.^[2]

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