Labour Party

Question 1

what are the origins of the labour party?

Answer 1

• created at the start of the 20 century
• it was formed to represent the working class as at the time they did not have the right
• the party’s origins in the unions and socialist societies of the late 19th and 20th centuries meant that it originally pursued an agenda based on socialism
• it was founded by Keir Hardie

Question 2

Explore the significance of the 1918 vote to men

Answer 2

lead to the development of clause IV in the labour constitution which was basically the nationalisation of industries in order for workers to receive the fruits of their labour

Question 3

Explore labour factions:

Answer 3

• i.e James callagham and those on the right of the party believed that public sector pay demands had to be resisted whereas those on the left (Michael foot and Tony Benn) still favoured greater wealth distribution
  labour’s defeat during the winter of discontent saw those on the left gain control and this led to the most left wing manifestos in labour history
• it included commitments to state control all major industries, tighter regulations on businesses, withdrawal from NATO

Question 4

what is old labour

Answer 4

a term that characterises the labour party prior to the modernisation programme begun by Neil Kinnock in 1983 and completed by Tony Blair. It refers to the party’s historic commitment to socialism and its links with socialist societies, trade unions and the old working class