born Oct. 12, 1866, Lossiemouth, Moray, Scot.
died Nov. 9, 1937, at sea en route to South America
British politician, first Labour Party prime minister of Britain (1924, 192931, 193135).
He joined the precursor of the Labour Party in 1894 and was its secretary from 1900 to 1911. He was a member of the House of Commons (190618), where he served as leader of the Labour Party (191114), before he was forced to resign after opposing Britain's participation in World War I. Reelected to Parliament in 1922, he led the Labour opposition. He became prime minister in 1924 with Liberal Party support, but he was forced to resign later that year when Conservatives regained a majority. In 1929 Labour won a majority and he returned as prime minister. In 1931 he offered his resignation during the Great Depression but decided instead to remain in office as head of a national coalition until 1935, when Stanley Baldwin became prime minister. MacDonald remained in the government as lord president of the council until 1937.