The position of Labour and the Conservatives Flashcards
How many seats did the LRC have?
30
Who were the chairman and the secretary? (2)
Chairman- Keir Hardie
Secretary- Ramsay Macdonald
Why were the LRC MPs unable to have a significant impact? (6)
- large majority of the Liberals
- programme of social reforms introduced by the Liberals
- they were working men with limited formal education and administrative experience
- intimidated by the other parties and the complex procedures of parliament
- They did not have a strong cohesive body
- Hardie did not necessarily have the skills to hold the party together and form an effective force.
What did the LRC consist of? (3)
- ILP
- Socialists
- Trade union officials
What challenge happened in 1909 for the LRC?
Osborne Judgement
What was the Osborne Judgement? (3)
- W.V. Osborne challenged the right of his union to demand the political levy
- These compulsory levies which were charged by trade unions went towards paying the Labour MPs salaries
- House of Lords ruled in favour of Osborne
How did the Osborne judgement affect the Labour party? (3)
- Made it difficult for it to operate as an effective political force
- They faced a financial crisis when it had to fight the 1910 election
- Made it more dependent on the Liberal party
How much did trade union membership grow? (2)
1906-900,000
1914-1.5 million
How much did the membership of socialist societies grow? (2)
17,000 to 33,000
How much did Labour societies grow? (2)
1906-83
1914-158
What did the Conservative party rename themselves in 1909?
The Conservative and Unionist Party
What did the Conservatives do in May 1912?
Merge with the Liberal Unionists
Why were the Conservatives powerless in the Commons after the 1906 election?
Had less than 1/4 d
of the seats
What did the Conservative leaders decide to do?
Use the permanent Conservative majority in the Lords to block the policies of the new Liberal government
What did the House of Lords jokingly become?
Mr Balfour’s poodle
