The Labour Party Flashcards
in 1900 what percentage of the Labour Committee’s affiliated
- membership
- Party conference
- Income was from the unions ?
94%
- 80%
- similar percentage
What happened in 1918 which gave the Labour party an opportunity to launch a serious electoral challenge?
All men aged 21 and over right to vote
What was the most important part of the 1918 Labour constitution? what did this mean?
- Clause 1V
- Clear commitments to public ownership of key industries and the redistribution of wealth
What evidence of the 1970’s suggest ideological factions within the Labour Party?
PrimeMinister James Callaghan, right of the party, public sector demands had to be resisted
-Michael Foot&Tony Benn, left of the party, favoured greater wealth distribution
What happened in 1979 as a result of Labours defeat?
Following the Winter of Discontent, those on the left of the party took control, leadership of Michael Foot
What was the biggest negative of the leadership of Michael Foot in the 1983 general election ?
What did Conservatives say about this ?
He created the most left wing manifesto in history.
‘the longest suicide note in history’
What did the 1983 manifesto include? (5)
- commitment to state control of ALL major industries
- tighter regulations of business
- enhanced workers rights
- support for unilateral nuclear disarmament
- Withdrawal from NATO
Which 3 Labour leaders began the New Labour movement ?
1) Neil Kinnock
2) John Smith
3) Tony Blair
when was Clause 1V removed from the parties constitution ?
1995
Why did some people oppose Blair in the New Labour movement?
They believed that he was abandoning the socialist principles by which the party was founded
What are the role of Labour party members? (2)
- Selecting candidates for local elections
- Send delegates to the General Committee of the Constituency Labour Party (CLP)
What does the CLP do ?
-Plays a key role in organizing at constituency level
What is the National Exectutive Committee (NEC) for labour ?
What does it do?(3)
The main organ of the national party
- Oversees preparation of policy proposals
- Final say on parliamentary candidate selection
- Enforces party discipline
What is the power of the Constituency Associations and how does this differ in power to Labour ?
- Organise party at grass-roots level
- Planning election campaigns
- selecting parliamentary candidates
-Constituency Associations do not have the same free rein in selecting parliamentary candidates
How did labour conferences change from 1997?
Party adopted a 2 year policy making cycle