The Conservative Government under Baldwin, which succeeded the
breaking-up of the Coalition under Lloyd George, deliberately committed
suicide by appealing to the country for a mandate on Protection. Great
Britain would have nothing of it at a time of unemployment, heavy costs
of living, and diminishing trade. But the results of the election were
unforeseen. The Conservatives lost their great majority, the Liberals
were reduced to a minority, and Labour became the strongest single
party in the new Parliament and received its call to office.
It was the greatest social revolution that has happened in England in
modern history. The highest offices of state and of the very Court
itself were occupied by men who had begun life in factories, mines
and workshops, or who had gained political notoriety by attack upon
the privileges, traditions, social castes, and property rights of
the most conservative country in Europe outside Spain. They were the
leaders of that spirit of revolt which had surged below the surface
of English life among ex-soldiers who had not received reward for
service, unemployed men who were living on poor doles, and of all
those inarticulate millions who rallied to the Labour cause because
it stood solidly and squarely for anti-militarism and world peace, for
democratic liberties, and for ideals of a world state in which the
common folk should have security, more pay for less work, more joy in
life, and social equality levelled up to high standards of education
and home comfort. Those I am sure were the instincts and hopes—not yet
to be fulfilled!—which brought Labour into office.
They were there only on sufferance, and with guarantees of good
behaviour. A combined vote of the Liberals and Conservatives could
turn them out at any moment. But they played their cards cleverly, for
a time, not adventuring on any revolutionary policy, not trampling on
any old traditions, wearing Court uniform as though to the manner born,
pleased with their prestige and power, being very polite to everybody,
and keeping their hot-heads quiet by promises of future reward when
their majority would be substantial.
They were certainly lucky in having Ramsay MacDonald as their leader
and Prime Minister. A man of high education, though humble birth, with
a fine dignity and grace of manner, sincere in his ideals, believing
in evolution and not revolution, and with an intimate knowledge of
both foreign affairs and Parliamentary rules, he came as no shock to
the House of Commons, and inspired admiration even among his political
opponents. Unable to do much to remedy the state of economic life
in Great Britain—even to fulfil his promises regarding a remedy for
unemployment—he concentrated all his efforts, wisely as well as
tactfully, on the endeavour to solve the European problem between
France and Germany. He saw at once that it would never be solved as
long as hostility and suspicion embittered the relations of France and
England. The man whom all England had accused as Pro-German wrote the
most charming and conciliatory letters to Poincaré, full of sympathy
and understanding for France. Time worked on his side. Poincaré was
defeated when he went to the country for re-election, and contrary
to nearly all the prophets, his policy was rejected and Herriot,
corresponding to Ramsay MacDonald as a leader of the Left, became
Premier of France.