Mr Ramsay MacDonald returning to No 10 Downing Street after his interview with the King on 29 October 1931 - James Ramsay MacDonald (12 October 1866 - 9 November 1937) was a British politician and twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He rose from humble origins to become the first Labour Prime Minister in 1924. His second period as Prime Minister was during the crisis of the Great Depression when he formed a "National Government" in which a majority of MPs were from the Conservatives, and as a result he was expelled from the Labour Party. ?TopFoto