in a general election in November of that year, Labour crashed from 287 parliamentary seats to a mere 54, but MacDonald himself was returned to power with a resounding majority for his coalition. His new chancellor, the Conservative Neville Chamberlain, did manage to balance the budget by early 1934, though at huge cost to the poorest Britons. MacDonald had disagreed with his methods, but he remained dependent on Conservative support for his coalition.
