David Torrance revisits what happened when the first socialist prime minister, Ramsay MacDonald, entered 10 Downing Street a century ago

By Spencer Mizen

Published: Wednesday, 13 March 2024 at 07:48 AM


In January 1924 Ramsay MacDonald, the son of a farm labourer, strode into 10 Downing Street as prime minister – and changed the nation’s political landscape for good. David Torrance tells Spencer Mizen about Britain’s first Labour government, revisiting successes, failures and a complex relationship with the establishment.

David Torrance is the author of The Wild Men: The Remarkable Story of Britain’s First Labour Government (Bloomsbury, 2024)