Ramsay MacDonald

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Ramsay MacDonald

Prime Meenister o the Unitit Kinrick
In office
5 Juin 1929 – 7 Juin 1935
MonarchGeorge V
Precedit biStanley Baldwin
Succeedit biStanley Baldwin
In office
22 January 1924 – 4 November 1924
MonarchGeorge V
Precedit biStanley Baldwin
Succeedit biStanley Baldwin
Leader o the Opposeetion
In office
4 November 1924 – 5 Juin 1929
MonarchGeorge V
Prime MeenisterStanley Baldwin
Precedit biStanley Baldwin
Succeedit biStanley Baldwin
In office
21 November 1922 – 22 January 1924
MonarchGeorge V
Prime MeenisterBonar Law
Stanley Baldwin
Precedit biH. H. Asquith
Succeedit biStanley Baldwin
Leader o the Labour Pairty
In office
22 November 1922 – 1 September 1931
DeputeJohn Robert Clynes
Precedit biJohn Robert Clynes
Succeedit biArthur Henderson
In office
6 Februar 1911 – 5 August 1914
Chief WhipGeorge Henry Roberts
Arthur Henderson
Precedit biGeorge Nicoll Barnes
Succeedit biArthur Henderson
Laird Preses o the Cooncil
In office
7 Juin 1935 – 28 May 1937
Prime MeenisterStanley Baldwin
Precedit biStanley Baldwin
Succeedit biThe Viscoont Halifax
Leader o the Hoose o Commons
In office
5 Juin 1929 – 7 Juin 1935
Precedit biStanley Baldwin
Succeedit biStanley Baldwin
In office
22 Januar 1924 – 3 November 1924
Precedit biStanley Baldwin
Succeedit biStanley Baldwin
Secretar o State for Furrin Affairs
In office
22 Januar 1924 – 3 November 1924
Precedit biThe Marquess Curzon
Succeedit biAusten Chamberlain
Member o Pairlament
for the Combined Scots Varsities
In office
31 Januar 1936 – 9 November 1937
Precedit biNoel Skelton
Succeedit biSir John Anderson
Member o Pairlament
for Seaham
In office
30 Mey 1929 – 14 November 1935
Precedit biSidney Webb
Succeedit biEmanuel Shinwell
Member o Pairlament
for Aberavon
In office
15 November 1922 – 30 May 1929
Precedit biJohn Edwards
Succeedit biWilliam Cove
Member o Pairlament
for Leicester
In office
8 Februar 1906 – 14 December 1918
Servin with Henry Broadhurst, Franklin Thomasson, Eliot Crawshay-Williams, Sir Gordon Hewart
Precedit biJohn Rolleston
Henry Broadhurst
Succeedit biConstituency abolished
Personal details
BornJames MacDonald Ramsay
12 October 1866(1866-10-12)
Lossie, Morayshire, Scotland, UK
Dee'd9 November 1937(1937-11-09) (aged 71)
Atlantic Ocean, (on haliday abuird the ocean liner Reina del Pacifico)
Restin placeSpynie Cemetery, Morayshire
NaitionalityBreetish
Poleetical pairtyLabour (till 1931)
Naitional Labour (from 1931)
Spoose(s)Margaret Gladstone
(m. 1896; her death 1911)
Bairns6
ParentsJohn MacDonald
Anne Ramsay
Alma materBirkbeck, Varsity o Lunnon
ProfessionPoliteecian
ReligionFree Kirk o Scotland
SignaturCursive signature in ink

James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS[1] (12 October 1866 in Lossie, Morayshire9 November 1937) wis a Breetish statesman wha wis the first iver Labour Prime Meenister o the Unitit Kinrick, leadin a Labour Govrenment in 1924, a Labour Govrenment frae 1929 tae 1931, an a Naitional Govrenment frae 1931 tae 1935.

MacDonald, alang wi Keir Hardie an Arthur Henderson, wis ane o the three preencipal foonders o the Labour Pairty. He wis chairman o the Labour MPs afore 1914 an, efter an eclipse in his career caused bi his opposeetion tae the First Warld War, he wis Leader o the Labour Pairty frae 1922. The seicont Labour Govrenment (1929–31) wis dominatit bi the Great Depression. He formed the Naitional Govrenment fur tae cairy oot spendin cuts fur tae defend the gowd staundart, but it haed tae be abandoned efter the Invergordon Mutiny, an he cried a general election in 1931 seekin a "doctor's mandate" tae fix the economy. The Naitional coaleetion wan an owerwhelmin laundslide an the Labour Pairty wis reduced tae a rump o aroond 50 seats in the Hoose o Commons. His heal gaed doun the brae an he stuid doun as Prime Meenister in 1935, remeenin as Laird Preses of the Cooncil till reteerin in 1937. He dee'd later that year.

MacDonald's speeches an beuks made him an important theoreteecian. Historian John Shepherd states that "MacDonald's naitural gifts o an imposin presence, eesome featurs an a perswasive oratory deleevert wi an arrestin Hielands accent made him the iconic Labour leader". After 1931, MacDonald wis repeatitly an bitterly denoonced bi the Labour muivement as a traitor tae thair cause. Syne the 1960s, historians hae defendit his reputation, emphasis in his earlier role in biggin up the Labour Pairty, dealin wi the Great Depression, an as a forerinner o the poleetical realignments o the 1990s an 2000s.[2]

Aerly life[eedit | eedit soorce]

Macdonald wis born tae a hoosemaid an ae ferm wirkir in Morayshire, on 12 October 1866. His parents wir niver mairrit.[3] He wis educatit at the Free Kirk schuil an Drainie pairish schuil afore leavin at feifteen year auld tae wirk on a ferm an as a pupil teacher at the schuil. Whan he wis echteen he wis taen tae Bristol bi a meenester Mordaunt Crofton tae help stert ae boy's an men's group at St Stephen's Kirk. In Bristol he learnt anent politics an jynt the Social Democratic Foundation.[3]

References[eedit | eedit soorce]

  1. Gregory, R. A. (1939). "James Ramsay MacDonald. 1866–1937". Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society. 2 (7): 475–426. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1939.0007.
  2. John Shepherd, "The Lad from Lossiemouth." History today 57#11 (2007): 31+
  3. a b "James Ramsay MacDonald made history as Labour's first prime minister". The National (in Inglis). 21 Januar 2024. Retrieved 22 Januar 2024.