‘Given the temporary and emergency character of the arrangement’ (N.Chamberlain), why did the National Government formed in 1931 last so long?

The nine year premiership of the National Government of 1931 was an unprecedented and unique phenomenon in twentieth century peacetime British politics. Although it is now looked upon less than favourably by historians and political scientists alike, it was an enduring government which could well have continued into another term had World War Two and the rise of Churchill been avoided by the National Government; although whether another term in office would have been beneficial to Britain is another matter. It is a common conception amongst historians that a coalition government with such a large majority as the National Government should be doomed to failure, as it is often cited that the only coalitions with any real hope of longevity are those who are placed in the circumstances of ‘minimal winning’. Surely then, a National Government which was at its core a coalition with a majority of 550 could not prosper in Britain. On the contrary however, it would produce another election win, and incorporate the office three prime ministers.

The first aspect of the National Government which contributed to its nine year term in office would be the way in which it was portrayed, rather than as a coalition, as a party in its own right under one party name. The National Government was presented to the electorate as such, and not a result of a hung parliament, which immediately gave it credibility, in that it was elected for outright by the people, and not the politicians themselves as in today’s Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition. It is an idea sometimes presented that ‘once it is clear a country is electorally fragmented’ it makes sense to ‘institutionalise this’. It was clear at the time of the government’s formation that opinion was divided, and it made sense for the party’s at the time to incorporate this into their election campaign.

In merging large segments of the main political parties, the National Government also significantly weakened it’s opposition in terms of the remaining Liberal and Labour parties, both of which were depleted and, with Labour being on the back of a ‘disastrous exit from office’ and ‘in deep difficulty’ following their short unsuccessful term in office, as the Liberal party ‘disintegrated’, as Lloyd George at one point even refused to sign a Liberal manifesto. Mosley was probably the most substantial threat to the National Government, as dictatorships fascist and otherwise gripped mainland Europe, but his fascist party never really took off in Britain as suspicion and dislike towards communism and dictators grew. Mosley created t...

-40 1 10 11 12 13 1906 1931 1932 1935 1936 1986 1992 1999 2 20 2005 2010 2011 3 33 4 46 5 52 550 6 7 8 9 abl acclaim accur achiev across adjust administr advantag affair agre agreement alik alloc allow also although alway amongst andrew anoth anyon anyway appeal appear appeas arduous argu arrang aspect avail avoid back backward balanc baldwin ball.s bask bay bbc behind bench benefici bent best bibliographi boat bodi bombard bone break britain british broad broadcast brought build built cabinet cabl cambridg campaign cannot case caus ceas central centuri chanc charact choic churchil circular circumst cite clear clever clung co co-depend coalit coalition combin command common communism compar comparison complet compon compromis concept concess confid conflict confront consensus conserv conservative-domin conservative/liberal consid constitu continu contrari contribut convinc core could countri creat credibl crisi crumbl crush cynic date decis deep defenc delay demand democraci democrat depend deplet design desir desper despit dictat dictatorship differ difficulti dilemma dilut direct disastr discuss disintegr dislik dispar display disproportion distribut divid divis domin doom doubl drop dynam earli econom effect effort eight either elect elector element emerg endur enemi england ensur enter ep.5 equal essenti establish euro euro-scept europ even evid exist exit extent extrem facad fact failur fascism fascist favour fear felt find firm first follow forc form format fornat forsyth forsyth.j fought found four fragment gain gave general georg germani give given glover.j go goven govern grew grip guardian hand hanzard hast hastili heavili herald high histor histori historian hold hope hous howev hung idea immedi implement incompet incorpor inde indebt indic inevit influenc inform initi insinu instanc instil institutionalis intend interest involv iron ironi isn issu jan journal keep kill knowledg labour lack larg last later laver.m lay layout lead leader leagu lean led left less level liber lloyd long longev look lose love low loyalti macdonald macmillan made main mainland maintain major make mani manifesto marr massiv matter mean meant media menac merg might milit mind minim minist minor modern mosley move mps much n.chamberlain name nation nazi nazism need never new newspap nine none note number offic often one opinion oppos opposit otherwis outbreak outright over owe oxford p p.446 p.450 p.48 p.49 p.73 p.84 parliament parliamentari part parti particular peacetim peopl perhap perman phenomenon pinpoint place play poignant point polar polici polit politician popular portray posit possibl power premiership presenc present preserv press preval prime prior prioriti probabl problem produc prolong prosper public pulzer.p push put quot radio ralli rarer rather real realli reap reason rebellion refer reform refus reign relat remain remov represent requir resign respons result right rise rock run sacrif safeti said saw scapegoat sceptic scientist scrutini seat second secur seen segment self sens serv set shape short shuffl side sign signific similar simpli sincer singl size smaller smart.n social socialist societi sometim sought spectat split stabl stagnanc stagnat stanc stand starv stead steadfast stifl stir stood strangl street strength strong submiss substanti success support sure suspicion tabl take temporari ten tension term territori therefor third threat threaten three time today togeth took top toward tri turn twentieth two two-party-polit ultim umbrella uncommon underestim unfamiliar unifi union uniqu univers unpreced unrival unsuccess upon us utilis vast view vote wane war way weaken weigh well westminst whatev whether whilst williamson.p win winston wish wit withdraw within without world would year