Margaret's death in 1911[3] – a year after their son David had died – left Ramsay a single father to his remaining five children.

When, in 1924 he came to power as Prime Minister of the country's first Labour Government, it was Ishbel, as the eldest daughter, who her father decided should be his hostess at 10 Downing Street.

[3] Due to his meagre earnings and poor background, Ramsay MacDonald knew he would be unable to replicate the Downing Street lifestyle that previous premiers had been wealthy enough to enjoy.

Ishbel imagined that her role would be purely temporary and that when her father's minority government fell she would return to the simple life she had known.

After her father retired as Prime Minister in 1935, she bought a country pub (The Old Plow, at Speen near High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire)[8]: 2  and ran it for 17 years.