Socialist Conscience

Abstract

Abstract The 1929 General Election was in formal terms a success for the Independent Labour Party (ILP). Of the fifty-six candidates sponsored by the party, thirty-seven were successful, more than doubling the previous number of sponsored Members. Many other MPs claimed to hold ILP cards and overall the potential membership of the ILP Parliamentary Group exceeded 200. The new Cabinet included neither John Wheatley nor Fred Jowett. Although both had sat in the 1924 Cabinet, they had been identified with the ILP's shift to the left. In contrast, Thomas Johnston and Emmanuel Shinwell, both active in the ILP and both critical of James Maxton, were appointed to posts outside the Cabinet. Although the Labour Party had not achieved a parliamentary majority, its advance since 1924 was impressive. For the first time, it was the largest party in the House of Commons. The Tory Opposition seemed demoralized; world recession had not yet hit the British economy.