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'An Insane Miracle': 100 years since the first Labour government

When: Monday, January 22, 2024, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Skeel Lecture Theatre, The People's Palace, Mile End

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At this Mile End Institute event, a stellar panel of historians and politicians will mark the centenary of the formation of the first Labour government in January 1924

On 22 January 1924, the United Kingdom experienced what The Annual Register described as ‘a revolution as profound as that associated with the Reform Act of 1832’ – the formation of the first Labour government. After an inconclusive general election in December 1923, the King invited Ramsay MacDonald to become Prime Minister. For the leader of the so-called ‘Wild Men’ – who had helped to found the Labour Representation Committee in 1900 and been the fledgling party’s leader for a little over a year – the formation of his minority administration was ‘an insane miracle’. While the government was defeated just over nine months later, at a general election in October 1924, it proved to the country and the wider movement that the Labour Party was willing and able to govern.

To mark the centenary of MacDonald’s appointment, the Mile End Institute has assembled a stellar panel of experts on Labour politics, the constitution, and interwar Britain. We are delighted to be welcoming Jon Cruddas MP and Dr David Torrance (whose new books, A Century of Labour and The Wild Men, will be published in January) as well as Professor Jane Ridley (the author of George V: Never a Dull Moment) and Dr Richard Johnson (whose new book, Keeping the Red Flag Flying, will be published in April 2024).

In this fascinating discussion chaired by the journalist and former host of Radio 4’s Westminster Hour, Carolyn Quinn, we will be reflecting on the King’s decision to call for MacDonald rather than the governing Conservative or Liberal parties, the Labour Party’s relationship with the Crown, and the government’s political and legislative achievements. With a general election approaching, we will also be exploring the lessons that MacDonald’s minority administration offered to future Labour governments.

This event will be held in the Skeel Lecture Theatre in the People's Palace, which is number 16 on this map of Queen Mary's campus in Mile End. Doors will open at 6.10pm and we aim to start at 6.30pm sharp. The discussion will be followed by a drinks reception to which all are welcome and where Jon Cruddas and David Torrance will be signing copies of their new books.

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