First Labour Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald

Available for over a year

Ramsay MacDonald, Labour's first Prime Minister, is chosen by Shaun Ley. In 1931 Ramsay MacDonald went to see the king in order to resign. George V persuaded him to stay, and a story of party betrayal began. Broadcaster Shaun Ley and journalist Anne Perkins pick through events that have a contemporary ring as the political class of the thirties struggled to cope with fast moving events. MacDonald's own story and background is remarkable too - illegitimate son, born in Lossiemouth in Scotland, he is remembered as one of the early founding fathers of the Labour party, and a man who bravely spoke out against the First World War. Presenter: Mathew Parris Producer: Miles Warde First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2019.