NEW LEADER OF THE LABOUR PARTY.
MR. MACDONALD ELECTED.
VICTORY FOR LEFT WING.
Mr. Ramsay Macdonald was yesterday elected leader of the Parliamentary Labour party. It was a surprise decision, and was accepted in the Lobby as a victory for the Independent Labour party, or, in other words, for the left wing. The meeting of the party took place at the House of Commons, and the attendance was so numerous as practically to fill one of the largo committee rooms. Last evening the following statement was issued:
The Parliamentary Labour party held its first meeting at noon for the purpose of electing officers and considering the party’s position in the House. It was decided that the officers to be elected should serve during this session and the session beginning in the New Year.
Mr. J. Ramsay Macdonald was elected chairman or leader, and Mr. J. R. Clynes deputy. Mr. Stephen Walsh was elected senior vicechairman and Colonel Wedgwood second vice-chairman. Mr. Arthur Henderson was elected Chief Whip and Mr. Ben Spoor was elected acting Chief Whip until such time as Mr. Henderson secures a seat in Parliament. Messrs. F. Hall, C. G. Ammon, W. Lunn, Neal Maclean, J. Robertson, T. Griffiths, and Morgan Jones were elected Junior Whips.
Being by far the strongest body of members in opposition to the Government, the party has entered its claim to be recognised as the official Opposition, with all the rights and privileges accorded to it.
It is possible to add somewhat to this rather bald account of the proceedings. The meeting lasted about two hours, and while there is a definite denial that any heat was imparted into the discussions, some of the speeches are stated to have been marked by great vigour.
It is evident that the Scottish section intends to do its best to force the pace. The members from beyond the Tweed held a preliminary conference yesterday, and subsequently at the full party meeting they pressed strongly Labour’s right to claim all the privileges of the official Opposition. They also demanded that there should be no delay in raising the questions of unemployment and housing.
NEW LEADER’S RECORD.
Mr. Ramsay Macdonald, who is 56 years of age, is a native of Lossiemouth. Educated at a board school, he was in early life a pupil teacher, then a clerk in a warehouse, and afterwards private secretary to the late Right Hon. Thomas Lough, M.P. He entered Parliament, after an unsuccessful attempt in 1900, as Labour member for Leicester in 1906, as the colleague of Mr. Henry Broadhurst, a trade unionist of the old school of Labour leaders.
He continued to represent the constituency till 1918, when he was badly beaten by Mr. J. F. Green. At the recent election he was returned for the Aberavon Division of Glamorganshire. In 1900 he became secretary of the Labour party, a post he held till 1911, and during the years 1906 to 1909 he also acted as chairman of the Independent Labour party. From 1911 to 1914 he was Leader of the Labour party. He has also served as a member of the London County Council and a member of the Royal Commission on Indian Public Services.
Mr. Ramsay Macdonald is considered to be not only one of the ablest but also one of the most astute men of his party. Widely read, he is a good though dogmatic speaker of the cultured type. His attitude and some of his publications, particularly in the earlier period of the war, met with wide and vehement denunciation.