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History

Labour’s Lost Leader: The Tragic Career of James Ramsay MacDonald

Course Times & Enrolment

This course is currently unavailable.

Course Summary

James Ramsay MacDonald was a key figure in the emergence of Labour as a party of government in Britain in the early twentieth century, but was later expelled from the party. This one-day course explores MacDonald’s life and career, his record as a politician and Prime Minister, and the events that led to his dramatic break with Labour in 1931.

This course takes place at Edinburgh Castle. Please bring your class receipt to gain entrance.

Course Details

Content of Course

Session 1:        Traitor! Changing perspectives on James Ramsay MacDonald.

 

Session 2:        From pressure group to government. Labour’s path to power from 1900 to 1924.  

Session 3:        Rise and fall. MacDonald’s life and career from 1886 to 1918.

Session 4:        Second Coming. MacDonald as Labour leader and Prime Minister, 1922 to 1931.

Session 5:        Split. The crisis of 1931 and its aftermath.

Teaching method(s)

  • Lecture and facilitated discussion

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

  • communicate an overview of the life and career of James Ramsay MacDonald;
  • assess the contribution made by MacDonald to the development of the Labour Party;
  • analyse the development of the Labour Party into a party of government in the early decades on the twentieth century;
  • understand the issues that led to the political crisis of 1931 and assess MacDonald’s role in it.

 

Transferable skills:

  • Participating in discussion.
  • Interpreting and analysing historical information.
  • Developing and articulating an argument.
  • Building the confidence to debate and argue a point.
  • Learning from others.

Sources

Core Readings

Bernard Barker (ed.), 1972. Ramsay MacDonald’s political writings edited and with an introduction by Bernard Barker. London: Allen Lane.

David Marquand, 1977. Ramsay MacDonald. London: Jonathan Cape.

Kevin Morgan, 2006. Ramsay MacDonald. London: Haus.

Duncan Watts, 1998. Ramsay MacDonald: a Labour Tragedy? London: Hodder and Stoughton.

Class Handouts

Class Hand-outs

  • Lecture notes for each session

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.