4 MAY 1923
The French Cabinet unanimously rejected the German’s amended war reparations offer.
The Report stage of the Rent Restrictions Bill was read in the House of Commons.
It was confirmed that Hilton Philipson had lost his Berwick seat for election irregularities.
A State visit took place to the city of Londonderry by the Duke of Abercorn, the Governor of Northern Ireland.
3 MAY 1923
A court declared the result at the Berwick-upon-Tweed constituency as void due to corruption of Hilton Philipson MP’s parliamentary agent.
The German Ambassador handed to Lord Curzon, the Foreign Secretary, a note embodying the German position on the matter of war reparations. The Government accepted the need for reparations and were prepared to offer the entire economic resources of Germany as a guarantee.
The press reported that the French Government were threatening to abandon the Lausanne Conference unless the Turkish troops massing on the Syrian frontier ceased.
The financial resolution of the Housing Bill was passed in the House of Commons.
2 MAY 1923
A large scheme to develop Singapore as a British naval base was announced in the House of Commons. [This project was completed in 1938 at a cost of £60 million, equivalent to around £3 billion today. It was abandoned by the British in 1942 but regained after the Second World War]
Sir Samuel Hoare, the Secretary of State for Air, speaking at the Constitutional Club in London emphasised the need for a national Air policy as a basic condition of Imperial defence.
Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach was arrested by the French Government and confined in a military prison.
The Caledonian Railway Bill passed the Second Reading in the House of Commons by 163 votes to 40 votes.
1 MAY 1923
Questions were asked in the House of Commons following the scenes at the English Football cup final at Wembley where 300,000 people had tried to gain entrance to the stadium despite a capacity of 125,000. The debate considered future safety measures that could prevent the situation from happening again.
The envoys of Éamon de Valera were arrested in Australia following warnings given by the New South Wales Government.
The lock-out of boilermakers employed in the shipyards took effect with over 10,000 men left idle.
30 APRIL 1923
The Prince of Wales unveiled the statue erected in Brussels as a memorial of Belgian aid given to the British during the First World War.
David Lloyd George, the former Prime Minister, said at a meeting of Young Liberals in Manchester that there were thousands of working men who were supporting socialist candidates who would support Liberal candidates should that choice be offered to them. He added that voters weren’t interested in the domestic quarrels of any political party.
Despite the suppression of most of the activity of the Irregulars in Ireland, there were two terrorist incidents reported in the press. One was the destruction of a signal cabin in Dublin which injured 17 train passengers when the bomb went off, whilst the other was the blowing up of the premises of Edward Lee & Co drapers in Rathmines.
28 APRIL 1923
An order for the general suspension of hostilities was announced by the Irish Republican Army Headquarters in Dublin.
The Labour Party’s Prevention of Unemployment Bill was rejected in the House of Commons by 166 votes to 142 votes on its Second Reading.
Downing Street announced that Andrew Bonar Law, the Prime Minister, was to leave immediately on a short sea voyage.
27 APRIL 1923
The media reported on the marriage of the Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon at Westminster Abbey. It was announced that the King had bestowed upon the Duchess the dignity of becoming a Princess.
The shipbuilding dispute continued with boilermakers locked out of the docks, but the joiners and plumbers had agreed to return to work.
A meeting took place between the Miners’ Federation and the coalmine owners, with the operators of the mines stating they couldn’t afford any pay increase.
26 APRIL 1923
Viscount Astor stated in the House of Lords that there needed to attention to the lack of proper housing, the need for slum clearance and for better town planning.
The Government secured a 200 majority in the House of Commons for the Housing Bill.
The Irish Free State announced that certain citizens of Dublin would be allowed to own firearms.
Three members of the Irregulars involved at the incident at Kerry Cave were executed.
25 APRIL 1923
Warren Harding, the President of the United States, announced that he thought the United States should participate in the Court of International Justice.
Neville Chamberlain, the Minister of Health, spoke in the House of Commons to support the Government’s Housing Bill. He said that it was the “starting apparatus” for letting private enterprise build properties for the working class and help people of moderate means to own their own homes.
23 APRIL 1923
The Lausanne Conference met again following its dissolution earlier on in the year.
In the presence of Belgian and British representatives, the foundation stone was laid at the Zeebrugge Memorial.
The Norfolk farm strike was settled.