Second Premiership
Ward accepted the offer and became leader of the new United Party. His health, however, was still poor, and he found the task difficult. In the 1928 election campaign, Ward startled both his supporters and his audience by promising to borrow £70 million in the course of a year in order to revive the economy – this is believed to have been a mistake caused by Ward's failing eyesight. Despite the strong objections his party had to this "promise", it was sufficient to prompt a massive surge in support for United – in the election United gained the same number of seats as Reform. With the backing of the Labour Party, Ward became Prime Minister again, 22 years after his original appointment.
Ward's health continued to decline. He suffered a number of heart attacks, and soon it was Forbes who was effectively running the government. Ward was determined not to resign, and remained Prime Minister well after he had lost the ability to perform that role. On 28 May 1930, Ward succumbed to strong pressure from his colleagues and his family, and passed the premiership to Forbes.
Ward died shortly afterwards, on 8 July. He was given a state funeral with a requiem mass celebrated by Archbishop Redwood at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Hill St, Wellington. He was buried with considerable ceremony in Bluff. His son Vincent was elected to replace him as MP for Invercargill.
Read more about this topic: Joseph Ward