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Ramsay MacDonald 1931

Labour Government
24 August 1931 - 7  June 1935

After the collapse of the Labour government, King George V asked Ramsay MacDonald to form a new National Government. Following an election held in October 1931 to provide the new government with a mandate, the vote returned 554 MPs under this coalition, drawn from the Conservatives, Labour and various Liberal factions. MacDonald's Cabinet was made up of a large number of Conservative MPs and a smaller number of Labour and Liberal MPS. It responded to the desperate financial situation by making massive cuts in government expenditure.

Cabinet members
Position Name Dates
Prime Minister R. MacDonald 24 Aug 31 - 7 Jun 35
Lord President of the Council S. Baldwin 25 Aug 31 - 7 Jun 35
Lord Chancellor Lord Sankey 25 Aug 31 - 7 Jun 35
Lord Privy Seal Viscount Snowden 5 Nov 31 - 29 Sep 32
Chancellor of the Exchequer P. Snowden 25 Aug 31 - 5 Nov 31
  N. Chamberlain 5 Nov 31 - 7 Jun 35
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Marquis of Reading 25 Aug 31 - 5 Nov 31
  Sir J. Simon 25 Aug 31 - 5 Nov 31
Secretary of State for Home Affairs Sir H. Samuel 25 Aug 31 - 28 Sep 32
  Sir J. Gilmour 28 Sep 32 - 7 Jun 35
First Lord of the Admiralty Sir B. Eyres-Monsell 5 Nov 31 - 7 Jun 35
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Sir J.Gilmour 5 Nov 31 - 28 Sep 32
  W. Elliott 28 Sep 32 - 7 Jun 35
Secretary of State for Air Marquis of Londonderry 5 Nov 31 - 7 Jun 35
Secretary of State for the Colonies J. Thomas 25 Aug 31 - 5 Nov 31
  Sir P. Cunliffe-Lister 5 Nov 31 - 7 Jun 35
Dominions J. Thomas 25 Aug 31 - 7 Jun 35
President of the Board of Education Sir D. Maclean 5 Nov 31 - 15 Jun 32
  Lord Irwin 15 Jun 32 - 7 Jun 35
Minister of Health N. Chamberlain 25 Aug 31 - 5 Nov 31
  Sir E. Young 5 Nov 31 - 7 Jun 35
Secretary of State for India Sir S. Hoare 25 Aug 31 - 7 Jun 35
Minister for Labour Sir H. Betterton 25 Aug 31 - 29 Jun 34
  O. Stanley 29 Jun 34 - 7 Jun 35
Postmaster-General Sir K. Wood 20 Dec 33 - 7 Jun 35
Secretary for Scotland Sir A. Sinclair 5 Nov 31 - 7 Jun 35
Prseident of the Board of Trade Sir P. Cunliffe-Lister 25 Aug 31 - 7 Jun 35
  W. Runciman 5 Nov 31 - 7 Jun 35
Secretary of State for War Viscount Hailsham  5 Nov 31 - 7 Jun 35
First Commissioner of Works W. Ormsby-Gore 5 Nov 31 - 7 Jun 35

Notes: 
From 29 Sep 32 until 7 Jun 35 the Lord Privy Seal did not have a place in Cabinet.