Ramsay MacDonald

**James Ramsay MacDonald**  (; 12 October 18669 November 1937) was a British politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times. He helped to build the Labour Party and became its first Prime Minister in 1924. His third period as Prime Minister was during the crisis of the Great Depression, when he formed a "National Government" in which a majority of MPs were from the British Conservative Party. He was expelled from the Labour Party.

MacDonald was an illegitimate child. He was born in Lossiemouth, Scotland. He graduated from elementary school and then high school.

Later he worked as a teacher for some time in his high school. In 1885, MacDonald became a member of the Social Democratic Federation.

In 1886, he moved to London, where he became an accountant. On November 13, 1887, MacDonald witnessed Bloody Sunday, after which he published a pamphlet. For some time, MacDonald was also interested in Scottish politics among Scots in London and spoke in support of Scotland for Scotland. At the same time, MacDonald received an evening education at the Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution, but shortly before the exams he had to give up his education due to nervous exhaustion.

## As Prime Minister

The main achievement of the first MacDonald government was the realization by the British that Labour did not intend to carry out radical changes, but was ready to act for the common good. At the same time, due to lack of public support and a lack of seats in the House of Commons, Labour had not been able to do much of what it had said it would do - in particular, there was no widespread nationalization and community service.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: The Right Honourable
- **name**: Ramsay MacDonald
- **image**: J. Ramsay MacDonald LCCN2014715885 (cropped).jpg
- **order**: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- **term start**: 5 June 1929
- **term end**: 7 June 1935
- **monarch**: George V
- **predecessor**: Stanley Baldwin
- **successor**: Stanley Baldwin
- **term start1**: 22 January 1924
- **term end1**: 4 November 1924
- **monarch1**: George V
- **predecessor1**: Stanley Baldwin
- **successor1**: Stanley Baldwin
- **order2**: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom), Leader of the Opposition
- **term start2**: 4 November 1924
- **term end2**: 5 June 1929
- **monarch2**: George V
- **primeminister2**: Stanley Baldwin
- **predecessor2**: Stanley Baldwin
- **successor2**: Stanley Baldwin
- **term start3**: 21 November 1922
- **term end3**: 22 January 1924
- **monarch3**: George V
- **primeminister3**: Bonar Law
 Stanley Baldwin
- **predecessor3**: H. H. Asquith
- **successor3**: Stanley Baldwin
- **office4**: Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party
- **deputy4**: John Robert Clynes
- **term start4**: 22 November 1922
- **term end4**: 1 September 1931
- **predecessor4**: John Robert Clynes
- **successor4**: Arthur Henderson
- **3blankname5**: Chief Whip
- **3namedata5**: George Henry Roberts
Arthur Henderson
- **term start5**: 6 February 1911
- **term end5**: 5 August 1914
- **predecessor5**: George Barnes (British politician), George Barnes
- **successor5**: Arthur Henderson
- **office9**: Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
- **term start9**: 22 January 1924
- **term end9**: 3 November 1924
- **predecessor9**: George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, The Marquess Curzon
- **successor9**: Austen Chamberlain
- **office7**: Leader of the House of Commons
- **term start7**: 5 June 1929
- **term end7**: 7 June 1935
- **predecessor7**: Stanley Baldwin
- **successor7**: Stanley Baldwin
- **term start8**: 22 January 1924
- **term end8**: 3 November 1924
- **predecessor8**: Stanley Baldwin
- **successor8**: Stanley Baldwin
- **office6**: Lord President of the Council
- **term start6**: 7 June 1935
- **term end6**: 28 May 1937
- **primeminister6**: Stanley Baldwin
- **predecessor6**: Stanley Baldwin
- **successor6**: E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, The Viscount Halifax
- **office10**: Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament
for the Combined Scottish Universities (UK Parliament constituency), Combined Scottish Universities
- **term start10**: 31 January 1936
- **term end10**: 9 November 1937
- **predecessor10**: Noel Skelton
- **successor10**: John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley, Sir John Anderson
- **office11**: Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament
for Seaham (UK Parliament constituency), Seaham
- **term start11**: 30 May 1929
- **term end11**: 14 November 1935
- **predecessor11**: Sidney Webb
- **successor11**: Emanuel Shinwell
- **office12**: Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament
for Aberavon (UK Parliament constituency), Aberavon
- **term start12**: 15 November 1922
- **term end12**: 30 May 1929
- **predecessor12**: John Edwards (Welsh politician), John Edwards
- **successor12**: William Cove
- **office13**: Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament
for Leicester (UK Parliament constituency), Leicester
- **alongside13**: Henry Broadhurst, Franklin Thomasson, Eliot Crawshay-Williams, Gordon Hewart, 1st Viscount Hewart, Sir Gordon Hewart
- **term start13**: 8 February 1906
- **term end13**: 14 December 1918
- **predecessor13**: John Rolleston
Henry Broadhurst
- **successor13**: Boundary Commissions (United Kingdom), _Constituency abolished_
- **birth name**: James MacDonald Ramsay
- **birth place**: Lossiemouth, Morayshire, Scotland, UK
- **death place**: Atlantic Ocean (on holiday aboard the ocean liner _Reina del Pacifico_)
- **resting place**: Spynie Cemetery, Morayshire
- **nationality**: British people, British
- **party**: Labour Party (UK), Labour (until 1931)
National Labour Organisation, National Labour (from 1931)
- **alma mater**: Birkbeck, University of London
- **profession**: Politician
- **signature**: Ramsay Macdonald Signature.svg
- **signature alt**: Cursive signature in ink