Significance of 1923 Election (British Politics 1918-1929)(Britain 1900-1951)

Key issue of the election: free trade.

Conservatives: Pro-Tarriff Reform

Labour: Pro-free trade

Liberals: Pro-free trade.

Election was significant as it saw Labour rise as the 2nd largest party.

Labour established themselves as a possible party of government and as the new alternative to the Conservatives. 

This election also solidified the Liberal decline, as they had been overtaken.

• October 1922: Bonar law becomes Prime Minister after Lloyd George's resignation.
• November 1922: General election gives the Conservatives an overall majority.
  • Sees Labour increases its seats.
• May 1923: Bonar Law is too ill to continue, Baldwin chosen as his successor
• December 1923: Another election held.
  • Labour's seats rise to 191
  • Liberals win 158
  • Conservatives win 258
• January 1924: Baldwin defeated in the Commons, Labour takes office.

• No real need for Baldwin to call an election
• Baldwin wasn't elected in. He called an election to give the public a chance to confirm their approval of him as national leader.

Issue of Import Duties

• Felt the only way to tackle unemployment was to increase duties on imported goods.
• Could have been done under the 1921 Safeguarding of Industries Act
  • Controversial
• Labour and Liberals strongly against import duties.
• Conservatives divided
• Eection would give Baldwin the backing he needed

Labour

• Supported free trade.
• Keep imports cheap to help the workers and provide a strong home market.
• Provide cheap food for the working class.

Conservatives

• Conservatives saw import taxes as vital.
  • To protect British industry when there were falling exports and competition from abroad
• Would strengthen Britain's links with the empire.

• Free trade was associated with international peace.
• Free trade had become a moral issue.
  • Seemed selfish to restrict world trade for the good of British industry

• Baldwin and the Conservatives won the election
• Combined strength of their opponents could and did bring them down
• Liberals managed 158 seats despite damaging splits, campaigned vigorously for free trade.
• Surprise was the growth of Labour, confirmation of its emergence as the 2nd largest party

• Had adopted an explicit socialist constitution in 1918.
• MacDonald was far from wanting to implement this
• Has an alliance with the Liberals before WWI
• Shared their views on free trade and reform
• Had supported their policies before the war
• Able to gain their support for a coalition in 1924
• Had cabinet experience in 1916 Coalition

Had enormous consequences

• Gave Labour the means to take office
• Proved the undoing of the Liberals
  • Brought Labour down within months
• In the 1924 election the electorate faced more of a straight choice
• Voters seemed reluctant to offer the Liberals the chance for any more power broking.
• Labour established itself as as a possible party of government.
  • Made people see it as the real alternative to the Conservatives.
• 2 party system reasserted itself
• Liberals were marginalised.
• Issue of free trade was never again dominant.

This election saw Labour rise and establish themselves as a possible party of government and the new alternative to the Conservative party. 

This election solidified the Liberal decline, as they had now been overtaken.