Interwar Politics: The Conservative State - The way the Conservative Party caught the centre ground. - Experienced of poverty - Whats was the impact economic depression on Britain? - Why were opposition parties unable to take advantage of this? - Can we identify a prevailing climate or idea of Englishness in this period? Interwar Conservative Governments - 1922-3: Conservative Government under Stanley - 1924-29: Conservative government under Baldwin - Wall Street Crash - causes coalition government - dominated by the Tories despite Labour leader being in charge - 1931-35: National Government led by Ramsay MacDonald (Baldwin Deputy Leader) Housing Act - opposition and grassroots supporters get critical over unemployment (ma- jor feature of economic landscape) - 1935-1940: National Government led by Baldwin until 1937, then by Neville Chamber- lain, even more so than before, the Tories are dominant Stanley Baldwin - Leader of Tories 1923-37 - Dominant f i gure in the National Government too Economic Policy - Historian Ross Mckibbin: argues the Tories protected and promoted the interests of the middle and upper-middle classes -Deflationaryeconomicpolitics-protectmiddle-classinterests - Gold Standard: national pride (not economic expediency - about being a part of the gold standard) value of currencies tied to the value of gold - in existence but not able to func- tion during WWI. - British trade was not at pre-WWI levels - make Births products sold abroad more expen- sive, so conservatives did return to Gold Standard until 1925, it overvalues loud, leading to reduction in manufacturing exports, then leads to unemployment. Growth is slowed because cost of British good increases, wages drop, less employment. General Strike - 4th-12th May 1926 (nationwide) - 1.5 and 1.75 million - Origins in strike of coal miners against wage cuts and longer working hours and poor conditions - Railway, dock, iron and steel workers - Initially f i rst line workers (heavy industry) - Army brought in, heavy policing where there was violence, to protect food convoys. Mili- taries element to regulation and control of the strike
-Middle-classvolunteersbroughtin-bus-drivers,transport,classtensionandconflict,to keep the country running. - 'Self i sh' socialism - 1927 Trades Disputes Act - Victory for Baldwin, outlaws general strikes - longer term, benef i cial for Labour, infringement on their right to strike. Drives support for Labour at local grassroots level in council elections. - Failure - no demand are met - Government perceives the strikers as revolutionary to the constitutional authority of the government - Conservatives expected a victory in 1929 - Labour was successful infection campaign - Baldwin ran campaign in 927 about 'Safety First' - wasn't successful at the time, but long term it becomes important - loses 1929 election - Interests in new pressure groups - Empire Crusade Party who wins by-elections in 1931 - add pressure for right=wing agenda - October 1929 - Wall Street Crash - accuse sense of catastrophic impact on British econ- omy and political structures - which led to coalition government. - Conservatives in favour of a national government, protection of not being in