British Politics 1918-1929 Timeline
Date Event
1918-1922 Conservative-Liberal coalition led by DLG
1918 Representation of the People Act is passed
December 1918 The Coupon Election
1918 Maternity and Child Welfare Act
1919 Old Age Pensions Act and National Insurance Act
1919 Housing Act, introduced by Addison – To meet the housing shortage of over half
a million homes, local authorities were to build houses with low rents at the rate
of 70,000 a year. These were the so-called council houses. Building was
subsidised by £260 a house and some 213,000 were built.
June 1919 Treaty of Versailles
1919 The Coal Mines Act – guaranteed a seven hour day for miners
1919 The Amritsar Massacre
1919 The National Union of Societies for equal Citizenship is founded and led by
Eleanor Rathbone.
1920 The Agriculture Act – guaranteed agricultural prices to help farmers and also
protected labourers’ wages by a special board.
December 1920 Unemployment Insurance – After 26 weeks of payments under the insurance
scheme established in 1911 and extended in 1920, there would be ‘transitional
payments’, or as they were known ‘the dole’, to keep unemployed workers from
going into the workhouses.
December 1920 Government of Ireland Act
December 1921 Treaty of London to decide the future of Britain and Ireland
1922 The BBC is established
February 1922 The Geddes Axe
October 1922 Conservatives win the 1922 election Bonar Law becomes PM after David Lloyd
George’s resignation
November 1922 General election gives the Conservatives an overall majority of 88 but sees
Labour increase its seats to 142
May 1923 Bonar Law is too ill to continue. Stanley Baldwin is chosen as his successor.
December 1923 Another election is held. Labour’s seats rise to 191, the Liberals win 158 and the
Conservatives 258. Labour wins the election.
January 1924 Baldwin is defeated in the Commons and Labour takes office.
January 1924 Labour forms a minority government with MacDonald becomes PM
October 1924 General election – won by conservatives; Baldwin becomes PM
April 1925 Restoration of the Gold Standard
December 1925 Locarno Pact
March 1928 ‘Flapper Act’ Representation of the People Act – Universal Suffrage
August – The Kellogg-Briand Pact – 65 countries outlawed war
February 1928
March 1929 Local Government Act
May 1929 General Election – Won by Labour and Ramsay Macdonald becomes PM
Date Event
1918-1922 Conservative-Liberal coalition led by DLG
1918 Representation of the People Act is passed
December 1918 The Coupon Election
1918 Maternity and Child Welfare Act
1919 Old Age Pensions Act and National Insurance Act
1919 Housing Act, introduced by Addison – To meet the housing shortage of over half
a million homes, local authorities were to build houses with low rents at the rate
of 70,000 a year. These were the so-called council houses. Building was
subsidised by £260 a house and some 213,000 were built.
June 1919 Treaty of Versailles
1919 The Coal Mines Act – guaranteed a seven hour day for miners
1919 The Amritsar Massacre
1919 The National Union of Societies for equal Citizenship is founded and led by
Eleanor Rathbone.
1920 The Agriculture Act – guaranteed agricultural prices to help farmers and also
protected labourers’ wages by a special board.
December 1920 Unemployment Insurance – After 26 weeks of payments under the insurance
scheme established in 1911 and extended in 1920, there would be ‘transitional
payments’, or as they were known ‘the dole’, to keep unemployed workers from
going into the workhouses.
December 1920 Government of Ireland Act
December 1921 Treaty of London to decide the future of Britain and Ireland
1922 The BBC is established
February 1922 The Geddes Axe
October 1922 Conservatives win the 1922 election Bonar Law becomes PM after David Lloyd
George’s resignation
November 1922 General election gives the Conservatives an overall majority of 88 but sees
Labour increase its seats to 142
May 1923 Bonar Law is too ill to continue. Stanley Baldwin is chosen as his successor.
December 1923 Another election is held. Labour’s seats rise to 191, the Liberals win 158 and the
Conservatives 258. Labour wins the election.
January 1924 Baldwin is defeated in the Commons and Labour takes office.
January 1924 Labour forms a minority government with MacDonald becomes PM
October 1924 General election – won by conservatives; Baldwin becomes PM
April 1925 Restoration of the Gold Standard
December 1925 Locarno Pact
March 1928 ‘Flapper Act’ Representation of the People Act – Universal Suffrage
August – The Kellogg-Briand Pact – 65 countries outlawed war
February 1928
March 1929 Local Government Act
May 1929 General Election – Won by Labour and Ramsay Macdonald becomes PM
