In the general election of June 1929 the Labour Party won 288 seats, the Conservatives won 255 seats and the Liberals won 58 seats. So this was, again, another minority Labour government that was able to govern only with the consent of the Liberal Party. This government lasted 23 months.
In 1931 the global depression resulted in a crisis in national finances and bankers would only provide loans if the government would carry out a programme of austerity including, for example, cutting the dole by 10%. This resulted in a split in the Labour Party, including the Cabinet. Nine members of the Cabinet opposed the reduction of the dole and eleven supported it. And this led to the resignation of the government in August 1931.
- More homes The Housing Act of 1930 (Greenwood’s Housing Act) required local councils to clear all remaining slum housing and provided further subsidies to rehouse inhabitants[1]. The Act resulted in the demolition of almost a quarter of a million slums (245,000) and the construction of 700,000 new houses by 1939.
- Lowered taxes from those least able to pay Changed taxation system in ways that shifted the tax burden away from the poorest in society and towards the richest[2].
- Ended the Poor Law Replaced the Poor Law by ‘public assistance committees’ for relief of the poor and the destitute. The old Poor Law hospitals were transferred to local authorities[3].
- Workhouse abolition Abolished the workhouse system in the UK by ending the ‘workhouse test’ in 1929[4].
- More schools Approved twice as much capital expenditure on school-building in 1930-31 as in 1928-29 which was the last year of the previous (Conservative) government[5].
- More training for unemployed youths Provided for extension of instruction and training of unemployed boys and girls aged between 14-18[6].
- More old-age pensions Extended eligibility for an old age pension to hundreds of thousands of additional old people, including widows between the age of 55 and 77[7].
(We include only 6 achievements by this government as it was only in power for about 23 months, which is about 6% of the total time Labour has been in government since 1924)
[1] The Housing Act, 1930.
[2] “Philip Snowden: Biography”. Retrieved from http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/REsnowden.htm on 7 June 2024
[3] Poor Law Act,1930.
[4] Local Government Act, 1929.
[5] The Record of the Second Labour Government. The Labour Party. October 1935.
[6] The Record of the Second Labour Government. The Labour Party. October 1935.
[7] Amendment to the Widows, Orphans and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act, 1925.