SOCIALISTS

State of socialism

Socialism does not disappear after Owen since it is adopted by the Chartists but not as popular as before.

Main idea they promoted at this time

internationalism: esp to prevent strike-breaking

The Fraternal Democrats

founded in 1855 in London

International Workmen’s Association

= AIT (la première internat) founded in 1864, Marx its spokesman. Most of its founders = leaders of the NMU.

end collab NUM/socialists

1871 with the Paris Commune (20 000 ppl killed in 1 week): some socialists welcomed the French activists, some against association with revolutionaries

After end of collab

NMU turns to the two parties to influence them: Lib-Lab alliance

Electoral reform

1867: double the size of the electorate —> 2M voters (more skilled workers)

Trade Union Act

1871: adopted by a Liberal gov —> more legal protection for TU esp for strikes

First time two trade unionists elected as MPs

1870s: Thomas Burt and Alexander Macdonald, miners elected as liberal MPs.

Henry Broadhurst

1886: trade unionist and lib-lab politician becomes an under-secretary of state in a labour gov.

pb with these moderate constitutional methods

skilled workers affected first and left unskilled workers behind + wages still very low and employment very irregular + women workers still left out very often, few female trade unionists.

With crisis 1873: alliance with libs questioned, even for moderate trade unionists: idea that workers need a working-class party.