#ramsay macdonald

Recently I was skimming through PM ranking polls and found a gem in the footnotes. I stumbled upon a PDF of Facts about the British Prime Ministers — perhaps the ultimate compilation of stories and statistics about every Prime Minister up to John Major — who happened to write the book's foreword in 1995 as then-current Prime Minister.

These hefty reference books seem to have become a lost art with the proliferation of the internet since the century's turn — but its value as a research tool remains strong for those interested in both the personal and political lives of Prime Ministers.

Even the most overlooked Prime Ministers take on new dimensions in the book. Yes, names and dates remain central, but so do their own quotes and others' anecdotes about them — engaging a perspective blending both the office and the people holding it.

As an example, I've gathered a few excerpts on David Lloyd George:

Phew! That was a lot. Isn't it great we have Prime Ministerial profiles that show behind the office they were perhaps just little guys? Blorbo-esque, even?

By far the best section of each profile is the anecdotes list for every PM. Some are longer and more substantial than others, but very surprisingly, some of the best stories come from the most overlooked PMs — particularly Campbell-Bannerman ("CB") —

and Bonar Law —

but also John Major —

and some of the biggest names in British political history, too —

Aside from the very detailed personal and political histories of every PM until Major, what I appreciate most about this book is its versatile utility. It suits the research needs of both the RPF writer and the serious history enthusiast, but is rigorous enough to be cited in serious academic work, such as this journal article comparing various rankings of PMs in popular memory.

One major weakness, though, is that personal aspects like the anecdotes, quotes, and hobbies sections rely on the assumption that the secondary descriptor is being truthful, which doesn't always hold. For example, Philip Snowden cited this supposed quote by Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald in his autobiography, which appears in MacDonald's quotes section—

—although multiple MacDonald historians debate whether he actually said this and cannot agree on the exact wording:

Walter Reid, The Cancelled Prime Minister, ch. 13.

David Marquand, Ramsay MacDonald, p. 782. Marquand does not identify any direct MacDonald or Snowden quote of this sort, only that it was employed by MacDonald's enemies against him.

However, every Prime Minister has a further reading section in addition to many precise quotes from other works within the anecdotes and quotes sections:

Occasionally, I'll find multiple PMs in one quote, as with the Baldwin and Churchill excerpt earlier, but also with Wilson and Douglas-Home as well as Heath and Thatcher. It's great to see the connections between different PMs, especially before and/or after they attained the role.

But overall... I'd say despite being a chance find, this book has been a great discovery bridging the gravitas of formal political history with the whimsy of lolitics and historical RPF.

Do you have a favorite Prime Minister between Walpole and Major — or want specific information about a certain figure? Do let me know, and I'll dive back in to find whatever I can about your PM(s) of choice — some of these facts are shocking even to the seasoned PM enthusiast!

“In February 1938 the Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden, resigned over the Prime Minister's appeasement policy. It must have been about then that Attlee sat down and wrote two versions of a verse about Chamberlain's crumbling government; this extract includes the leaking of the Hoare-Laval Pact, the disgrace of Jimmy Thomas (who was forced to resign after leaking budget secrets to stock exchange friends), the ennobling of Baldwin, the death of MacDonald and the resignation of Eden over his opposition to appeasement:

Ten little Neville boys sitting in a line

Hoare met with Laval and then there were nine.

Nine little Neville boys governing the state

Jimmy proved a leaky tub and then there were eight.

Eight little Neville boys with a Liberal leaven

Baldwin was sent upstairs and then there were seven.

Seven little Neville boys journeying to the Styx

JRM crossed it and then there were six.

Six little Neville boys still were left alive

A unironic masterpiece of a fanart ft. Ramsay MacDonald and Pierre-Étienne Flandin , said fanart made by @drcaviar <33

+photo references

Saturday. We spent such a queer week-end at Chequers. Arriving for lunch we were told that the Duke and Duchess of York were lunching informally, and very informal it was. I sat next the Duke at lunch, and he was allowed to open the door for us. [...] He is to unveil my bust of Adam Lindsay Gordon in the Abbey. The Prime Minister [Ramsay MacDonald] told long stories.

MARCH 11

This evening Ramsay MacDonald took Oliver Cromwell’s sword from its place over the chimney piece to show it to the Duke and the sword slipped from the scabbard, point towards the Duke, and fell on the ground at his feet, I can vouch for so much; the Prime Minister is responsible for the rest. He declared to me that the sword ‘took charge’ and moved of its own accord. I think that he has a fine Scottish imagination.

Excerpts from the diaries of Lady Kennet (Kathleen Scott)

Secret Santa for: @sinewyinnards

Happy Christmas. I drawing Stanley Baldwin and Ramsay MacDonald