Britain's Second Labour Government, 1929-31: A Reappraisal

Britain's second Labour government 1929-31: a reappraisal is a timely collection of essays on Labour's second period in office beset by the international financial crisis of 1929-1931. Contributions from leading historians and younger academics provide fresh insights into a range of topics: the 1929 general election, Labour's economic policy, consumerism, agricultural questions, the Parliamentary Labour Party's role and Tory reaction to the 1929-1931 Labour government. Particular attention is also given to relations with the Soviet Union, socialism after 1931, the disaffiliation of the Independent Labour Party, and myths surrounding '1931' in Labour history. This important reassessment offers new and, at times, more positive views of Ramsay MacDonald's hapless administration during a major turning point in twentieth-century British history. The second Labour government: a reappraisal makes available new scholarship that will appeal to students and teachers of British political and social history. It is essential reading for sixth forms and university courses.