Formation of the Labour Party

Who were the working class?

• Workers who earned living through manual labour.
• Earned wages through working for others.
• 1918 75% - 80% of population in Britain working class.
• In this period working class became aware of solidarity with other working classes, regardless of occupation.
• Identified with workers nationwide, not just in own town or region.
• Became aware of class conflict, exploited by employers and employers were now opponents.
• Real wages failing to meet rise in living costs and Britain’s wealth.

Trade unions

• Formed by workers to get better deals from employers.
• Better pay, shorter hours and 19^th century unions, also working conditions and who could and could not do work.
• Before 1850 trade ‘model’ unions small groups of skilled workers existing to help members and run saving schemes.
• By 1914 4 million workers in trade unions.
• Organised mass strike, commanded attention of employers, newspapers and government.

New Unionism

• These aimed at recruiting members of less skilled trades
• Many had not previously been in unions
• Charge lower subscription fee than ‘model’ unions to entice more members and from lower paid jobs
• More militant than the ‘model’ unions, possibly because led by active socialists
• However, also because less skilled workers were thought easier to lay off than skilled
• Employers were unwilling to negotiate with unskilled, consequently actions by unskilled workers became more aggressive and troublesome

Why did the new unions become more militant?

Economic reasons

• Real wages failing to rise on equal terms to inflation
• Trade boom increased unions bargaining power before World War I
• Unemployment fell to just 2.1% in 1908-13

Social reasons

• Education acts in 1870,1876 and 1880 had introduced compulsory education
• Workers were now better educated and aware of rights and ability to bargain
• Many factories were getting larger, fewer workers now knew their employer
• Easier to ask for a rise from someone you know little about than a life long employer

Political reasons

• Taff Vale case was replaced by 1906 Trade Disputes Act
• Picketing could now include trying to persuade others to strike
• Trade unions could now not be challenged in courts
• 30 Labour Members of Parliament in Parliament after 1906 election, however, many workers were displeased with what they had achieved since gaining their seats
• Argued that strikes were needed to bring about a socialist society

Employers’ reaction to new trade unions

• Formed associations to give support to one another
• Used the law to their advantage
• Invariably won court battles against unions
• Confirmed belief amongst trade unions that they needed representation in politics
• This party would represent the working class and trade unions
• They would be in a position to change laws to benefit the workers

TAFF VALE 1901- huge turning point

The emergence of the Labour party

• The question should not be how did the Labour Party come to being in 1906, but why did it take so long?
• The working class had been involved in politics since the earliest expansion of the franchise to include working class in 1815
• The 1867 and 1884 Reform acts had extended the vote to large numbers of working class men
• Both Liberals and Conservatives sought to win over the votes of the working class
• However, neither were willing to allow the working class extended political power
• As Members of Parliament had to fund their own position it was impossible for many working class to stand as Members
• The Liberals were still committed to free trade, allowing only minimum of government interference in the market
• The unions therefore found it difficult to believe that the Liberals were the party of the people as they would want them to believe
• The Liberals accepted working class men as parliamentary candidates in certain areas
• However, there were only 11 Lib-Lab Members of Parliament by 1900

Why was the Labour party so slow to develop?

• The existing parties were popular with the voters
• Both Conservatives and Liberals had large working class support
• Many people voted on religion rather than class
• Non-Conformists Liberal and Anglican Conservative
• Many workers were not interested in politics or socialism
• Many workers were more interested in their pastimes rather than getting involved in politics
• Many were respectful of the existing system and accepted it rather than rebelling against it
• British governments treated trade unions well and respectfully compared to their foreign counterparts
• Labour candidates worked through existing parties
• Many early labour representation league candidates ran as Liberal Members of Parliament

From 1888 this situation began to change

• Disappointed with Liberals
• Increasing success for trade union movement
• The emergence of charismatic working class leaders
• Led to the foundation of the Independent Labour Party

The Independent Labour Party

The Bradford Conference 1893

• In 1890-91 there had been a strike in the Bradford area in the silk and textiles industries
• Employers had worked together to defeat the strike
• The unions worked together to help the strikers
• The workers lost
• However, the experience had created strong support for political action
• Many saw the need for a strong and independent Labour Party
• The Bradford conference drew together various socialist factions
• The Scottish Labour Party (Keir Hardie), Trade Union representatives, Social Democratic federation (SDF), Fabians and labour club representatives
• The main aim of the delegates was to create a party where socialists and trade unions could work together and get Labour candidates into parliament
• They deliberately called themselves a Labour party rather than a socialist party to draw as much support as possible from trade unions

What did the ILP achieve?

• Provided a social life for people, set up Sunday schools and clubs
• Its Leader, Keir Hardie, was a charismatic dominant figure
• Preached of a better life under socialism
• Members worked tirelessly in trade unions
• Achieved more influence in the unions
• Co-operated with Liberals in local areas
• Many members were elected onto local councils, school boards
• Overall grew in size, began to get elected at local level
• Most importantly gained authority with trade unions

The Labour Representation Committee 1900

• ILP leaders knew trade unions were of great importance to them
• The trade unions were now more aware of a need for political representation
• The unions wanted laws introducing 8 hour working days and extension of picketing rights
• This meant getting Members elected into Parliament
• The Trade Union Congress (TUC), ILP, SDF and Fabians met at a conference arranged by Hardie and Ramsay MacDonald
• They all had differing views but concentrated on organisation not policy details
• They drew up an agreement for ‘a distinct Labour Group who shall have their own officials and agree upon policy’
• They would cooperate with any party willing to promote legislation in the direct interests of Labour

What did the LRC achieve?

• The group was a federation of different groups, not yet a single party
• Trade unions provided money to fund LRC candidates
• Only 2 Members got into Parliament after the 1900 election
• To be more effective the LRC needed funds and election workers, the trade unions were the only organisation large enough to provide both
• In 1901 the LRC had 353,000 affiliated members through trade unions
• After Taff Vale this had risen to 850,000
• Taff Vale helped gain members through the decision to make trade unions liable for damages after strike action

Lib-Lab Pact 1906 election

• Semi-secret agreement between Labour and Liberals
• Candidates from both parties would stand down in opposition to one another if the other candidate was more likely to win
• This would help gain victory over Conservatives as the voters would be more likely to vote Liberal or Labour
• 29 LRC candidates were elected, 24 of them had no opposition from Liberals
• Impossible to know if LRC candidates would have been elected without pact
• However, undoubtedly helped gain support

What did the Labour Party achieve 1906-14

• Labour Party title adopted in 1906, after general election all those sitting specifically to represent working class interests agreed to act as single party
• Miners did not merge until 1908, when the party’s political power shifted to greater
• Trade disputes act 1906, shows Labour influence over Liberals
• Changed law to protect trade unions and strikers in reversal of Taff vale decision
• Education provision of meals act 1906
• Brought forward by newly elected Labour Member of Parliament and adopted by Liberals

Labour party 1906-14

• Broadly based organisation
• No clear commitment to full programme of socialism
• Divisions in the Labour party ran deep
• The ILP still remained separate identity within the party
• Dispute over female suffrage caused divisions
• Working class men were generally amongst the least sympathetic to the idea
• More committed socialist (Keir Hardie) were in favour of female votes

1910 election

• Fielded only 70 candidates through fear of financial problems resulting from Osborne judgement
• 40 labour Members of Parliament elected, all from areas where no Liberal stood
• After 1910 elections the Irish Nationals became the focus of Liberal legislations
• Before became dependent of Irish, New Liberals had been sympathetic to those seen as natural allies against Conservatives
• Now as Liberals lost majority moved away from natural concerns of Labour party and moved towards Irish question

Osborne Judgement 1909

• Set back for Labour party
• House of Lords judges decide trade unions have no legal right to use its funds for political purposes
• Undermined Labour party funding
• Seen by working class as attack on Labour movement

Trade Union Act 1913

• Major boost
• Asquith’s government pass bill which gave unions right to use subscriptions to fund political parties

Overall...Was Labour making progress before 1914?

Yes

• Liberals needed Lib-Lab Pact as much as Labour in order to control growing threat of Labour movement
• Powerful trade unions were abandoning Liberals and turning to Labour
• Liberals introduced some reforms under pressure from Labour, School meal and pensions
• Payment of Members of Parliament Act 1911 gave working class opportunity to stand for parliament
• Membership had risen from 375,000 in 1900 to 1.5 million in 1910
• Organisation and funding had risen dramatically along with trade union involvement in party

No

• Labour only got 42 Members of Parliament in 1910 through Lib-Lab pact
• Only gained seats where Liberals did not stand
• Labour too closely linked with Liberals, had no single identity
• Labour not pursuing policies to help working class
• Supported Home Rule rather than campaigning for improved living standards
• Liberals established as party of social reforms