1929 MacDonald Labour

• Philip Snowden = Chancellor with Gladstonian ideas, JH Thomas, Oswald Moseley and George Lansbury = deal with unemployment, Margaret Banfield = First woman in cabinet.
• Coal Mines Act 1930


  Reduced the working day from 8 to 7.5 hours and employers had to set a minimum wage. They cannot nationalise the mines or remove the Trades Dispute Act so they establish a commission to phase out unproductive mines.
• Greenwood's Housing Act 1931


  Extends on previous acts and reintroduces the subsidy in order for council houses and building slums. This is successful to an extent.
• There is a plan to reform the education system however due to lack of Catholic support (due to faith schools not getting government funding). They wanted to raise the school leaving age to 15 and create continuation schools.
• London Transport Bill 1931


  They wanted to create a public corporation responsible for providing cheap and efficient bus and underground transport for London's population. This became law in 1933.
• In America, the Wall Street Crash and Great Depression leads to decreased international trade for Britain and the result is increased unemployment. Moseley suggests £42 million for public works programs but only a fraction is spent due to Snowden. The May Committee focused on low tax revenues rather than unemployment solutions so the suggestions are 30% unemployment benefit cuts and reduced pay for teachers, civil servants, etc. These cuts were unpopular and voted against in the cabinet. The cabinet votes 11-9 for the 10% unemployment benefit cuts. The Government decided to resign however McDonald became PM of a national government and the party saw him as a traitor.