P8 - Development of Labour party pt1 - 1906-1914

Why wasn’t it formed before 1900? (6)

-Lib-labs - working-class men in the liberal party promote interest of working classes, so new party unnecessary

-most still couldn’t vote

-Finances - only till 1911 MPs were paid

-working classes already following other 2 parties + also voted on religious or Irish issues

-belief in self-help + 1873 prosperity, suggesting no need for workin class party

-fear of state intervention - laisser faire belief

Reasons for Labour party 

-1867 vote extension

-Social democratic forming -

changing attitudes of Trade unionism in the 1890s

-state of the economy

-role of Keir Hardie and ILP

Karl Marx writings

Why did it emerge: vote

1867 vote and 1884 parliamentary reforms

40% still couldn’t vote, so calls for growing electorate can’t be ignored

Why did it emerge: economic slumps

1870s gap between middle class and upper class was growing 

Why did it emerge: New Unions

-consisted of unskilled and low paid workers + more militant unions

wanted a distinct party to rep them

-1890s, influence minimal as employers minimised their impact, so 10% membership decreased 

Why did it emerge: Trade union attitudes

end of 1890s unhappy with liberal party - lack enthusiasm for such measures

-bosses using machines and longer hours + employing non-union workers

growing feeling needed a party to rep them solely, as middle class didn’t understand problems of the working class 

-also 1899 Lyon vs Wilkes showed TUs need for independent parliament rep

Tus willing to fund and provide bulk membership of future labour party

Why did it emerge: Cooperative societies

want poorer consumers to be protected by party + speak for them

Why did it emerge: socialist revival

formed dedicated groups to socialist ideas, from translated works of Karl Marx and Das Kapital in 1870s

-spoke of the existence of class struggle in history and how it would culminate socialism

1884 - 3 groups formed pushing for working class influence in politics. these were:

SDF - social democratic foundation

Founded by Hyndman, and promote hostility + revolution to take political power - Marxist

-attracted young activist, with their violent tactics

e.g. 1886 SDF protests turned into a riot

The Fabians

founded by Beatrice Webb, George Bernard, Shaw and Sydney

small middle class intellectual group, who worked towards socialisms through parliament - not revolution style

didn’t wany a new party but to spread its ideology in an existing one

wanted to use propaganda and education

Socialist League

offshoot of the SDF ran by William Morris

believed only way of achieving socialism was through revolution

Marxist tone

Independent Labour party - ILP

formed by Kier Hardie in 1893, when he felt working class need separate voice from libs

-1892 Hardie + John Burns and JH Wilson elected to parliament - showed slight signs of moving working class support 

-in 1893 Hardie made ILP - bringing socialist groups in alliance of the SDF, Fabians,  socialist from labour clubs aimed for collective ownership of economy but left out words of socialism in title to improve appeal 

-had 35,000 members by 1895, but had no rep in HOCs as all 28 candidates not elected

Influences of the party (3)

-Radical liberalism - believed traditional lib party to tame e.g. Ramsey MacDonald who joined ILP in 1894

-TUs

-Non-conformists - Hardie was one himself

Labour representation committee (LRC)

formed in 1900, and renamed to Labour Party in 1906

-group of Trade unionists and social organisations that made the party

TUs wanted a more political role:

-At Trades Union Congress, in 1899 Railwaymen union called for ways to get more working men into HOC, with 129 delegates meeting in a conference in 1900, with SDF, Fabian, ILP and 67 TUs reps at conference

-SDF left with Hardie rejecting their way of approach 

agreed that a committee made to create a labour group in HOC, birthing the LRC 

Labour party support + how ?

referred to themselves as socialistic - not too radical

collaborate with others e.g. lib-lab pact 1903 - won’t put candidates against each other, where split vote would aid conservatives to win 

boost from taff vale judgment in 1901, with more unions deciding to join LRC due to parliaments response - 127 joined - 847,000 members

Seating results

1900 - 2 MPs elected - Hardie and Robert Bell

1903 - Taff vale decision + won 3- by elections 

1906 - lib-lab pact led to 29 labour MPs, with 21 miners union MPs and 2 lib-labs 

total of 52 seats