This is a remarkable book that will be read for years to come as the authoritative account of this part of our history. Impeccably researched and wonderfully told, it is a brilliant tale about an often ignored period.

This part of history was quite new to me and it was a fascinating read, well researched and informative.
It's not a dry political analysis but a book that looks at the human side and the people involved.
Well done, an intriguing read
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Wild Men covers the oft-forgotten and misaligned first Labour Government of 1923, led by Ramsay MacDonald. I enjoyed how Torrance structured the book by focusing on several key ministers to move fairly chronologically through the months although if , like me, you are not entirely familiar with political figures of the 1920s, you might be a little befuddled for a chapter or two as you try and keep straight all the names and roles that are introduced at once. I particularly enjoyed Torrance's liberal use of letters and other memorabilia to record how personal opinions, especially those of female relatives and close figures, were interpreting and remembering events. I felt that Torrance was able to very adeptly put across the level of uncertainty and trepidation felt on both an individual level but also throughout the government and monarchy at such an unprecedented series of events. Slightly more dense and fact-driven, this is definitely a book for the less casual reader or someone who has an interest in politics. If that is you, then I would recommend picking this up as a great introduction to a government that paved the way for the political development of the UK.

One hundred years ago, the news that the first ever Labour government had come to power, rather put the wind up some people. In fact, they needn't have worried. Whereas some feared the "wild men" of the new regime who they feared might lead Britain towards the same brand of Soviet-style Bolshevism which had engulfed Russia seven years before, in fact, the Labour administration of 1924, was a minority government reliant on the Liberal Party for support, which only held power for eight months. Even King George V found most of the new Labour cabinet to be reasonable chaps.
In this fascinating book, David Torrance subjects both the key members and events of 1924 to vigorous scrutiny. How did Ramsay MacDonald cope with being Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary simultaneously? Was Philip Snowdon's reputation as "Iron Chancellor" deserved? Ultimately, the success of the first ever Labour government may be judged by the fact Labour have returned to power five times in the century since. By the end of 2024, they may very well be back again.
The NHS, comprehensive schools, the Winter of Discontent, the Good Friday Agreement: it al started here.

interesting examination of the minority first ever Labour Government of Ramsay Mcdonald which was short lived january to november 1924 and looks at how radical it was for a general party after general suffrage in 1918 and how members of the parliamentary party were from the working classes. The author examines the backdrop and issues which plagued the Government and its downfall due to fake Russian leaflet and other issues.

David Torrance has written an excellent, excellent book: The Wild Men. The subtitle positions it perfectly; “The Remarkable Story of Britain’s First Labour Government.” I’ll be honest, I expected this to be fairly dry and I only read it because I have a general interest in the inter-war period. Because subsequent Labour politicians have vilified Ramsey Macdonald since the 1930s, I anticipated a trudge through inter-generational Labour bickering. I was so wrong! Torrance’s book is (and I don’t think I have ever described a political history book in these words) riveting. It is a joy to read; it is highly illuminating; it is – to me – a revelation.

The Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, called a general election for 6th December 1923 – primarily on the protectionist policy of Imperial Preference. He was far too complacent and the Conservatives lost their majority in the House of Commons. That is, although the Conservatives had more MPs than any other party, the combined non-Conservative MPs outnumbered the Conservatives. This unprecedented election result saw the Unionists (think Conservative – it’s a tad complicated!) with 258 MPs, Labour with 191 and the united Lloyd-George and Asquithian Liberals in third place with 158. Because Baldwin asked the country to support that specific issue by voting Unionist - and the country effectively turned him down, Baldwin resigned and advised the King to ask Labour to form a government. Torrance is very good at quoting contemporary diaries, correspondence and newspapers. At the time, Baldwin told the King’s Private Secretary, this “[…] has upset every calculation made by the experts on both the Conservative and Liberal sides.” One is tempted to reply, “No s**t, Sherlock!?”

It is really difficult for us, a century later, to imagine the reception that the mere possibility of a Labour government had upon British society. Even MacDonald himself was worried, anticipating that the new Labour MPs would “expect the Labour Government to do all sorts of impossible things.” Would these newly-elected “wild men” expect to remove the monarchy; destroy the Empire; nationalise all industries; and handover the county to the Russians? There was genuine concern that there would be virtually revolution. However, the UK’s first Labour Government was initially looked upon with forbearance by politicians from other parties. They expected Labour to totally muck up the opportunity and prove themselves unfit to govern, thus eliminating the Labour Party and returning Britain to the historic two-party system. How wrong they were!

Torrance gives several of the more colourful characters in that government a chapter each. Over and over again, we see how the new ministers were determined to master their brief and how they impressed civil servants by their dedication, unlike several of their Liberal and Conservative predecessors. Some of those civil servants had to adjust to new ways of working. When the previous Secretary of State for the Colonies, the Duke of Devonshire. wanted to see his private secretary, he rang a bell to summon him. His Labour successor, Jimmy Thomas, would put his head around the door and shout “Come ‘ere, you b****!!”

That first Labour government only lasted nine months and was terminated needlessly by Macdonald’s poor political judgement. However, the ‘wild men’ had shown that they were highly capable of governing and the see-saw of British politics saw Labour continue to rise as the Liberals continued their slide out of sight at a national level.

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