Reasons For Labour's Decline Flashcards
How did Labour’s lack of commitment to socialism impact their decline?
-having representation in parliament had not prevented the worker’s suffering as they thought it would
-many in the movement disliked Labour’s alliance with the Liberals and wanted a more overt socialist programme.
How did Labour have limited independent influence?
-Labour had to rely on the Liberals for a voice in parliament, allowing the liberals to take the initiative and restrict labour from establishing a form of independence.
What was the Osborne Judgement of 1909?
The Osborne Judgement which the House of Lords delivered on 21 December 1909, was a landmark legal ruling. It held that the law did not allow trade unions to collect a levy for political purposes, specifically, to fund the infant Labour Party’s organisational and electoral efforts.
How the Osborne Judgement of 1909 aid labour’s decline in parliament?
-Labour was threatened by the Osborne judgement as political contributions were made illegal, meaning trade unions could no longer fund the infant Labour party’s organisational and electoral efforts.
-The Labour party had to wait until 1913 for this judgement to be reversed in another Trade Unions act, restricting their development in this time.
-The lack of funding also reduced the number of candidates that would support/ become a part of Labour.
How did the Elections of 1910 evidence labour’s decline in parliament?
- January 1910; Labour put up number of MPs to 45 and 78 candidates. ‘Lib Lab’ pact meant the Liberals could not oppose 32.
- December 1910; Labour put up only 56 candidates of which 42 were elected.
-The Labour vote declined in the 1910 elections, highlighting a steady deterioration in their position.
-Labour were not moving in a position to win further seats.
How did troubled relations with Trade Unions aid labour’s decline in parliament?
The Triple Alliance put pressure on employers and government, however due to the Osborne Act and Labour’s reliance on the Liberals, there was not much they could do to help, and thus lost support.
What were the issues in TU and Labour’s relationship?
-Trade unions had turned to direct action with a wave of strikes between 1911-14.
-In 1911, 9% of the industrial population were involved in strikes, compared to 2.9% between 1902-11.
