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The Conservative Party and the Formation of the National Government: August 1931

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

Stuart Ball
Stuart Ball
Affiliation:
University of Leicester
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Extract

On 24 August 1931 the prime minister, Ramsay MacDonald, tendered the resignation of the second Labour government. In its place he became the premier of an all-party ‘National’ cabinet. This included both the leader of the Conservative party, Stanley Baldwin, and the acting-leader of the Liberal party, Sir Herbert Samuel, together with a number of their senior colleagues. This temporary emergency administration went on to win a landslide majority in the general election of October 1931, and to govern for the ensuing decade. The crisis which created the National government has proved to be of enduring fascination, as a result of its intrinsic interest as the major political crisis of the inter-war period and its profound consequences for subsequent British history. However, historical attention has been principally focused upon the problems of the Labour government, the decisions of Ramsay MacDonald, and the contribution of King George V. As a result the role of the Conservative party – often portrayed as having been the sole benefactor from these events – has been either neglected for its supposed passivity or misunderstood in its mood and intention.

Type
Articles
Information
The Historical Journal , Volume 29 , Issue 1 , March 1986 , pp. 159 - 182
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

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References

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26 N. to I. Chamberlain, 23 Aug. 1931, NC 18/1/753. MacDonald noted that the Conservatives ‘evidently would not look at [increased] direct taxation’, MacDonald diary, 20 Aug. 1931, MacDonald MSS, Public Records Office, 30/69/1753/1.

27 N. Chamberlain to his wife [Anne], 21 Aug. 1931, NC 1/26/446.

28 N. Chamberlain diary, 22 Aug. 1931, NC 2/22.

29 N. Chamberlain to his wife, 21 Aug. 1931, NC 1/26/446.

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31 Memo by Samuel, , ‘Course of events, 20–23 August’, 23 08 1931Google Scholar, Samuel MSS, House of Lords Record Office, A/78/7/5.

32 N. Chamberlain diary, second entry of 22 Aug. 1931, NC 2/22.

33 N. Chamberlain to his wife, written at 3 00 p.m. 23 Aug. 1931, NC 1/26/447.

34 Memo by Dawson, , ‘Events of Sunday 23 August’, 24 08 1931Google Scholar Dawson MSS, Times Newspapers Archive, file /1931 [hereafter cited as Dawson's Memo].

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37 N. Chamberlain diary, 23 Aug. 1931, NC 2/22.

38 Wigram's memo.

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40 Baldwin to his wife, 24 Aug. 1931, quoted in Hyde, , Baldwin, p. 336Google Scholar; Cunliffe-Lister to his wife, 24 Aug. 1931, Swinton MSS, III (313)/1/5; Dawson to Astor, 25 Aug. 1931, Dawson MSS. According to his son, Malcolm, until the morning of 24 August MacDonald, ‘was convinced that Baldwin was going to form a ministry’, Lockhart diary, 21 08 1931Google Scholar, Young, K., ed., The diaries of Sir Robert Bruce Lockhart, 1 (London, 1973), p. 187Google Scholar.

41 Wigram's memo.

42 Draft in Samuel's, hand, and final typed version, ‘Memorandum written at the conference at Buckingham Palace 24th August 1931…after the king had withdrawn’, 24 08 1931Google Scholar, Samuel MSS, A/78/11.

43 N. Chamberlain diary, 24 Aug. 1931, NC 2/22; A. Chamberlain to his wife [Ivy], 24 Aug. 1931, AC 6/1/800; Cunliffe-Lister to his wife, 24 Aug. 1931, Swinton MSS, III (313)/1/5; speech by Croft, , The Times, 29 08 1931Google Scholar.

44 Davidson's draft memoirs, quoted in James, R. R., ed., Memoirs ofa conservative: J. C. C. Davidson's memoirs and papers (London, 1969), p. 373Google Scholar; Bridgeman journal, Aug. 1931, Bridgeman MSS, courtesy of Lord Bridgeman.

45 N. to H. Chamberlain, 16 Aug. 1931, NC 18/1/752.

46 Leader in The Times, 21 Aug. 1931. See also Davidson's account, in James, , Memoirs of a conservative, pp. 365–8Google Scholar.

47 A. Chamberlain to his wife, written at 3.00 p.m. 24 Aug. 1931, AC 6/1/800.

48 Home to Baldwin, 15 Aug. 1931, Baldwin MSS, 44/22–24.

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50 Peacock to Wigram, 23 Aug. 1931, Royal Archives, RA GV K 2330(1)/6; Sayers, R. S., The Bank of England, 1891–1944, II (Cambridge, 1976), 389–410Google Scholar.

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52 Lockhart diary, 31 Aug. 1931, p. 182.

53 N. Chamberlain diary, 27 Aug. and 3 Sept. 1931, NC 2/22.

54 Home to N. Chamberlain, 15 Aug. 1931, (copy), Baldwin MSS, 44/25–134; for the financial community's views, see ‘Memo of Joint Ctte. of the British Bankers Association and the Accepting Houses Ctte. to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer’, 6 Aug. 1931 (copy), Samuel MSS, A/78/2.

55 N. Chamberlain diary, 22 Aug. 1931, NC 2/22; speech of Ormsby-Gore, The Times, 21 Aug. 1931; Midleton to Salisbury, 19 Aug. 1931, Salisbury MSS, Hatfield House, S(4)/141/142; article by Home in Evening Standard, 17 Aug. 1931.

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57 Cunliffe-Lister to his wife, 24 Aug. 1931, Swinton MSS, III (313)/I/5; Dawson's memo.

58 Dawson to Salisbury, 5 Sept. 1931, Salisbury MSS, S(4)/141/64; A. Chamberlain to his wife, 24 Aug. 1931, AC 6/1/800; Bridgeman to Baldwin, 16 Aug. 1931, Baldwin MSS, 44/35/38.

59 Amery to Beaverbrook, 26 Aug. 1931, Beaverbrook MSS, C6; Beaverbrook to Elliott, ibid., C129; Headlam diary, 24 Aug. 1931, Headlam MSS, Durham Record Office.

60 Cunliffe-Lister to his wife, 21 Aug. 1931, Swinton MSS, III (313)/1/5.

61 N. Chamberlain to his wife, 21 Aug. 1931, NC1/26/446.

62 Fair, ‘Conservative basis’, p. 154.

63 Lloyd to Cunliffe-Lister, 14 Aug. 1931, Swinton MSS, I (174)/2/I/26–28

64 Amery diary, 25 and 29 Aug. 1931; The Times, 14 Aug. 1931.

65 N. Chamberlain diary, 22 Aug. 1931, NC 2/22.

66 N. to H. Chamberlain, 16 Aug. 1931, NC 18/1/752.

67 Lloyd to Cunliffe-Lister, 14 Aug. 1931, Swinton MSS, I (174)/2/26–28.

68 ‘Financial crisis’

69 N Chamberlain to his wife, 23 Aug 1931, NC I/26/447

70 N Chamberlain diary, 23 Aug 1931, NC 2/22

71 Baldwin's comment to Hankey, recalled in Hankey's diary 6 Sept 1931, quoted in Roskill, S., Hankey man of secrets, II (London, 1972), 548Google Scholar

72 Baldwin to his wife, 22 Aug 1931, quoted in Hyde, , Baldwin, p 333Google Scholar See also Baldwin's speech at the Kingsway Hall, 28 Aug 1931, in The Times, 29 Aug 1931

73 Baldwin to his wife, 23 Aug. and 24 Aug. 1931, quoted in Hyde, , Baldwin, pp. 334, 336Google Scholar

74 Maclean to his wife, 24 Aug. 1931, Maclean MSS, Bodleian Library, MSS Eng Hist. c. 468/127–128.

75 MacDonald diary, 23 Aug. 1931, MacDonald MSS.

76 Wigram's memo, Rose, , George V, pp. 108, 377Google Scholar.

77 Samuel's memo, ‘Course of events 20–23 August 1931’, Samuel MSS, A/78/7/8; Shaw to Samuel, 21 Aug. 1931, ibid., A/78/9; Samuel to MacDonald, 21 Aug. 1931, ibid., A/78/10; Maclean to his wife, 18 Aug., 21 Aug., and 24 Aug. 1931, Maclean MSS, c. 468/116–128.

78 Samuel's comment to the king during his audience of 23 August, quoted in Wigram's memo.

79 Note dated 25 Sept. 1931, attached to Wigram's memo.

80 Dare, ‘Labour…and the national interest’, passim.

81 West Midlands Area, Executive Cttee, 18 Sept. 1931, Area Office, Leamington Spa; Astor to Munday, 5 Sept. 1931, Astor MSS, Reading University Library, 1416/1/1/1040; Scottish Unionist Association, Western Division Council, 9 Sept. 1931, Scottish Conservative MSS, Scottish Conservative Central Office, Edinburgh.

82 Baldwin's comment, and Leader, The Times, 24 Aug. 1931.

83 N. Chamberlain to his wife, 23 Aug. 1931, NC 1/26/447.

84 N. to A. Chamberlain, 14 Aug. 1931, AC 39/3/26; Hailsham's speech, The Times. 17 Aug 1931; Bath Conservative Association, 9 Oct. 1931, Bath Record Office; Marquand ‘1924–1932’, in Butler, , Coalitions, pp. 61–2Google Scholar.

85 Baldwin's press statement, 24 Aug. 1931, The Times, 25 Aug. 1931.

86 Ormsby-Gore to Baldwin, 24 Aug. 1931, Baldwin MSS, 44/50; Home to N. Chamberlain, 15 Aug. 1931 (copy), ibid., 44/25–34; Bridgeman to Salisbury, 9 Oct. 1931, Salisbury MSS, S(4)/141/112; The Times, 21 Aug. 1931.

87 A. Chamberlain to his wife, 24 Aug. 1931, AC 6/1/801. The omission of certain Conservatives from the government was also influenced by agitation within the party in 1930–1 against the continued dominance of the so-called ‘Old Gang’ amongst the ex-cabinet.

88 Peel to Salisbury, 11 Sept. 1931, Salisbury MSS, S(4)/141/68; Bowyer to Fry, 27 Aug. 1931, Baldwin MSS, 105/63–67; The Times, 25 Aug. 1931.

89 Cunliffe-Lister to his wife, 21 Aug. 1931, Swinton MSS, III (313)/1/5: with acknowledgements to the Master, Fellows and Scholars of Churchill College, Cambridge; ‘Diary of events during crisis 1931’ by Steel-Maitland, Steel-Maitland MSS, GD/193/120/3/443–448; Gwynne to Beaverbrook, 4 Sept. 1931, Gwynne MSS, 14.

90 Croft to Baldwin, 25 Aug. 1931, Croft MSS, Churchill College, Cambridge, 1/2/Bag; Baldwin to Croft, 26 Aug. 1931, ibid. 1/2/Ba10; Croft, Lord, My life of strife (London, 1949). PP. 190–1Google Scholar

91 Ormsby-Gore to Baldwin, 24 Aug. 1931, Baldwin MSS, 44/50; Gretton to Baldwin, 27 Aug. 1931, ibid. 44/60–61.

92 In the constituency Conservative Associations there was ‘a strong current of popular opinion in favour of unquestioned support of the National Government’; McCurdy to Beaverbrook, 3 Sept 1931, Beaverbrook MSS, C229.

93 National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, Executive Gttee, 28 Aug. 1931, Conservative Party Archive, Bodleian Library. This paralleled the result of the meeting on 27 August of the E[mpire] I[ndustries] A[ssociation], a protectionist pressure-group of which most Conservative back-benchers were members; Amery diary, 27 Aug. 1931; Bowyer to Fry, 27 Aug. 1931, Baldwin MSS, 105/63–67; Steel-Maitland' ‘Diary of events’, Steel-Maitland MSS, GD/193/120/3/443–8; E. I. A. Council minutes, 27 Aug. 1931, Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick, 221/1/1/1.

94 Conway diary, 28 Aug. 1931, Conway MSS, Cambridge University Library, Add. 7676/463.

95 The Times, 29 Aug. 1931.

96 Ibid.

97 Headlam diary, 28 Aug. 1931, Headlam MSS; A. Chamberlain to his wife, 28 Aug. 1931, AC 6/1/806. However, Amery was less enthusiastic: Amery diary, 28 Aug. 1931.

98 Croft, , My life, p. 192Google Scholar.

99 Waterloo Conservative Association, Council minutes, 4 Sept. 1931, Lancashire Record Office. This conclusion is based upon an examination of all traceable local Conservative records; a surviving sample for this period of 120 associations, representative of different regions and types of constituency.