1924-29 Baldwin Conservative

• Baldwin had an image of being 'lazy' and this was crafted so that he appeared traditional and comforting rather than a dictator like Lloyd George. After the 1923 election, he took on free trade policies in order to appeal to the public.
• Within the Government there was: Austen Chamberlain = Foreign secretary, Winston Churchill = Chancellor, Neville Chamberlain = Minister of Health.
• In 1925 Churchill made the return to the Gold Standard meaning that the pound was worth a fixed value in gold in order to slow inflation by causing a deflationary cycle. There are old fashioned views that the gold standard will improve the economy and improve the standard of living back to its pre-war levels. It was fixed at $4.86 when before the Gold Standard it was $3.40 making exports more expensive as the pound was worth 20% more. Overall this led to budget cuts as international trade decreased (but empire exports increased).
• Local Government Act 1929


  Gave local authorities extra duties such as power over roads, public health, maternity, child welfare, etc. It gets rid of the Poor Law (including workhouses) into municipal and council hospitals. As a result of the lost income from the poor law, the government paid the authorities £40 million in order to cover extra duties. This meant that councils became overly dependent on the government.
• Central Electricity Board 1926


  A quango organisation (connected to the government but not controlled by them) that encourages the building of power stations and power grids in order to speed up electricity in homes and the modernisation of industry.
• The BBC

  Established in 1922 by radio manufacturers and households had to pay a radio licence. In 1926 the BBC was given a Royal Charter making it a public corporation rather than a company. It had a monopoly on broadcasting.
• Unemployment support


  Could now be claimed indefinitely proving they were alternatively seeking employment rather than for the 2-16 week period
• Old Age Pension 1925


  Could now be claimed from 65 rather than 70 and became claimable for workers and their widows who contributed to the scheme.
• Representation of the People Act 1928


  Made it so that everyone over 21 could now vote. It was discovered that women weren't voting radically so by giving women the vote, conservatives gained voters and solidified this pattern of voting. This generation of women were the 'surplus women' as many were unmarried and had careers/education instead.
• Following the decline of the coal industry trade unions expanded. This involved the construction of craft unions (skilled workers) and general unions (unskilled workers) and trade unions becoming more established. MFGB = Miners Federation of GB, NUR = National Union of Railwaymen, NTWF = National Transport Workers Federation, TGWU = Transport and General Workers Union.
• The General Strike of 1926


  1. Following the lack of results from the Sankey Commission, there was the establishment of the Samuel Commission while Baldwin maintained existing wage levels through a subsidy. The result of the commission was: better working conditions, lengthening of the working day, and wage restrictions.

  2. TUC coordinated a general strike with the motto "not a minute on the day, not a penny off the pay".

  3. During the strike, the TUC spent £4 million compared to the Government's £433 million. There was the OMS (Organisation for Management of Supply coordinated middle-class workers to help maintain essential services.

  4. A deal is made so that strikers get their jobs back, however, miner's continue to strike by themselves. After the failure, union membership declined and moderate union leaders emerged (e.g. Bevin).
• The Trade Disputes Act 1927 prevented sympathetic strikes, banned secondary picketing and reforms the political levy so that union members have to 'contract in' to the political levy to the labour party.
• Due to high unemployment Labour is voted in as the Conservatives base their campaign on preventing socialism rather than conquering unemployment. There is a different 'hung parliament' than 1923 as Labour have more seats than the conservatives yet Labour relies on Liberal support.