From Deputy Leader to Leader, 1931–5

Abstract

In domestic, imperial and foreign affairs Attlee had unquestionably worked hard for the party. Yet these were not the limits of the labours which were to win him the leadership of the Labour Party in 1935. Parliamentary leadership made further demands on Attlee. Furthermore the way he carried out his duties outside parliament, his successful defence of PLP independence, his leadership style and his performance in the 1935 election all contributed to his victory in the 1935 leadership ballot. It is shown here that despite the mistakes Attlee made, for example in his early involvement in the Socialist League and his attempts to rectify the Party’s financial problems, and despite his sometimes questionable performance as a national campaigner, Attlee earned the leadership. Moreover he earned it among the group which mattered most: the PLP. He defended the PLP from the domination of the NEC, protected its perogatives in the House, and tackled the most difficult subjects in debates. It was the PLP which chose the leader, and the MPs of the 1931–5 parliament saw his obvious reliability and the immense amount of hard work he performed far more clearly than did the party at large, who would, in all probability, have chosen a different leader.