The Labour Party

Question 1

what did it grow out of?

Answer 1

a range of socialist groups (e.g. Independent Labour, Fabians, + the Social Democrat Federation) + the TU movement (e.g. the TUC- Trade Union Congress)

Question 2

when was the Labour Representation Committee created?

Answer 2

in 1900- 94% of its members came from affiliated TUs
name was changed to the Labour Party (LP) in 1906

Question 3

who was the 1st Labour MP?

Answer 3

Keir Hardy
most MPs weren’t paid atp + most of working class didnt have vote

Question 4

what did they do in 1918?

Answer 4

wrote a Constitution (included): Clause IV (committed party to socialism- common ownership + redistribution of wealth)

Question 5

what did the Representation of the People Act (1918) mean?

Answer 5

changed electorate
the LP could start to compete in elections, under Ramsey MacDonald formed 2 minority govts., 1924 + 1929-31 (Great Depression)

Question 6

what did the Labour 1945-51 party bring in?

Answer 6

NHS
nationalisation of industry (coal/steel/powers/civilisation)
welfare state/system (Beveridge Report)

Question 7

what were Old Labour?

Answer 7

a moderate form of socialists- Social Democracy, did not seek to remove capitalism completely, but manage it through Keynesian economics- goal of full employment

Question 8

what did Old Labour focus on?

Answer 8

equality of opportunity- e.g. through comprehensive schools, not equality of outcomes

Question 9

when did the party move left?

Answer 9

after defeat in 1979, and under Michael Foot but lost 1983 (badly written left wing manifesto- referred to as ‘longest suicide note in history’

Question 10

what did Blair do as leader?

Answer 10

altered Clause IV- removing ownership to public ownership + redistribution of wealth, adopted the Third Way

Question 11

what did New Labour embrace?

Answer 11

capitalism
moved Labour’s focus away from being a working class party- sought a pragmatic approach for equality of opportunity + moved away from high taxes for rich

Question 12

what did New Labour start?

Answer 12

devolution
introduced minimum wage

Question 13

Peter Mandelson on taxes

Answer 13

‘I don’t care if people get filthy rich, as long as they pay their taxes’

Question 14

what did Miliband do?

Answer 14

-took charge after Labour’s 2010 defeat
-called ‘Red Ed’ by the right + the ‘wrong -Miliband’- he beat his brother in leadership election
-didn’t get public support, party lost in 2015

Question 15

what did Corbyn do?

Answer 15

-won after leadership contest
-moved party to the left + had strong Labour grassroots- esp. the Momentum movement + young members, but failed in 2017 + 2019

Question 16

what has Starmer done?

Answer 16

-is expected to move the party to center
-potential conflict w/ far left of party- brewing after sacking of Rebecca Long Bailey