Who Do You Think You Are?

Faked letter helps bring down the Government

A general election took place on 29 October 1924 as a result of a successful vote of no confidence in Ramsay MacDonald’s Labour government.

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Four days before polling day the Daily Mail published a letter purporting to be from Grigory Zinoviev of the Communist Internatio­nal saying that the minority Labour government’s policy towards Soviet Russia would help them foment revolution.

The letter was a forgery, as pointed out by Zinoviev himself; it even got his title and the name of his organisati­on wrong. Still, it helped to rally the anti-Labour vote to the Conservati­ves. They won decisively, with reduced seats for Labour and the Liberals.

 ??  ?? Ramsay MacDonald is clasping his right wrist in this photo of his government
Ramsay MacDonald is clasping his right wrist in this photo of his government

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