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Ramsay MacDonald 1929

Labour Government
5 June 29 - 24 August 31

Although the 1929 election did not produce an outright majority for any party, the Labour Party won under Ramsay MacDonald for the second time. With 287 Labour MPs to the Conservative Party's 260 and the Liberal's 59, the second Labour government was again forced to rely on opposition parties. The government was elected just months before the Wall Street Crash and was therefore forced to cope with global depression. The pressure of keeping to the economic orthodoxy required by international financiers and other governments became too much, and the government disintegrated under the strain.

Cabinet members
Position Name Dates
Prime Minister R. MacDonald 5 Jun 29 - 24 Aug 31
Lord President of the Council Lord Parmoor 7 Jun 29 - 24 Aug 31
Lord Chancellor Lord Sankey 6 Nov 24 - 27 Mar 28
Lord Privy Seal J. Thomas 7 Jun 29 - 4 Jun 30
  V. Hartshorn 5 Jun 30 - 23 Mar 31
  T. Johnson 24 Mar 31 - 24 Aug 31
Chancellor of the Exchequer P. Snowden 7 Jun 29 - 24 Aug 31
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs A. Henderson 7 Jun 29 - 24 Aug 31
Secretary of State for Home Affairs J. Clynes 7 Jun 29 - 24 Aug 31
First Lord of the Admiralty A. Alexander 7 Jun 29 - 24 Aug 31
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries N. Buxton 7 Jun 29 - 4 Jun 30
  C. Addison 5 Jun 30 - 24 Aug 31
Secretary of State for Air Lord Thomson 7 Jun 29 - 13 Oct 30
  Lord Amulree 14 Oct 30 - 24 Aug 31
Secretary of State for the Colonies Lord Passfield 6 Nov 24 - 4 Jun 29
Dominions Lord Passfield 7 Jun 29 - 4 Jun 30
  J. Thomas 5 Jun 30 - 24 Aug 31
President of the Board of Education Sir C. Trevelyan 7 Jun 29 - 1 Mar 31
  H. Lees-Smith 2 Mar 31 - 24 Jun 31
Minister of Health A. Greenwood 7 Jun 29 - 24 Aug 31
Secretary of State for India W. Benn 7 Jun 29 - 24 Aug 31
Minister for Labour Miss M. Bondfield 7 Jun 29 - 24 Aug 31
Secretary for Scotland W. Adamson 7 Jun 29 - 24 Aug 31
President of the Board of Trade W. Graham 7 Jun 29 - 24 Aug 31
Minister for Transport H. Morrison 19 Mar 31 - 24 Aug 31
Secretary of State for War T. Shaw 7 Jun 29 - 24 Aug 31
First Commissioner of Works G. Lansbury 7 Jun 29 - 24 Aug 31

Notes:
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Postmaster-General were not Cabinet posts in this period. The post of Minister of Transport was only a Cabinet post between the dates shown