The rise of the Labour Party Flashcards
When did a distinct organisation to elect men sympathetic to the labour movement emerge?
1900
When did the term โLabour Partyโ emerge?
1880s, and it was in that decade that significant developments began.
How did ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ help the Labour Party grow?
- provided financial sponsorship that was necessary in allowing working men to enter Parliament (the cost of running a campaign and managing a constituency were well beyond the means of a working man as MPs were not paid)
- ๐ญ๐ต๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ง๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
What was the 1901 Taff Vale Judgement?
Said trades unions were financially responsible for the money lost by firms during a strike i.e allows unions to be sued for damage from striking
TUs were terrified by this, but it led to increasing support for working peopleโs parties in light of Liberal/Conservative failure to support union rights.
What were the limits/restrictions of Trades Unions?
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) meant that TUs resisted demands to support the return of working men to parliament until the late 1880s, as they could influence politicians of existing parties; there was no need to secure the election of their own candidates.
How did the ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ help the Labour Party grow?
- split over IHR meant Conservatives were now dominating parliament and in ascendancy
- the Liberals were mortally wounded by divide over IHR
- many Labour MPs were converts from the Liberal party, disillusioned with its resistance to the candidacy of working men
- ๐๐ถ๐ฏ-๐๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ put Labour MPS in parliament for the first time
When was the Lib-Lab pact?
1903
What was the Lib-Lab pact?
Agreed that Liberals would not contest agreed seats, and those elected under the LRC banner would support an elected Liberal government.
Essentially, LIb
Was the Lib-Lab pact successful?
Yes, it was mutually beneficial for both parties. It resulted in a very successful return at the 1906 election, giving the people a Liberal govt and Labour MPs in parliament for the first time.
What two men reached the 1903 Lib-Lab pact in secret?
Herbert Gladstone (son of WEG) and Ramsay MacDonald
Why could the Lib-Lab pact also be considered a restriction to the Labour Party?
Emphasised the power of the LIBERALS. Even in decline, the Liberals dominated opposition in the pre-war period. The Lib-Lab pact reinforced this, ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐.
How did ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ help the Labour Party grow?
โข the ideological origins of the Labour Party began with Karl Marx. As Marx neared the end of his life, various groups were influenced by his ideas and applying them in British politics.
โข activist groups e.g ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
and the ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐ were formed, neither sought election but ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐บ which included recruiting supporters, developing leadership skills and organising protests and campaigns.
What were the limits/restrictions of new ideological groups?
- neither (Social Democratic Federation and the Fabian Society) sought election, which may have limited potential membership
- may have appeared as purely socialist
How did ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป (increasing political literacy) help the Labour Party grow?
Increased accessibility of new writing, including newspapers such as ๐ป๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐.
Promoted cause of social change.
How did ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ help the Labour Party grow?
- sustained poor social conditions and poverty of the latter 19th century
- agricultural and industrial depressions resulted in increasing unemployment and lowering wages
- continued w/c drive for reform
- helped to convince TUs to support working men
- failure of WEGโs second ministry after 1880 to deliver more social reform meant that many of the newly enfranchised voters after the Third Reform Act felt a strong sense of DISSATISFACTION WITH THE EXISTING POLITICAL PARTIES
How did ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ help the Labour Party grow?
- helped to accelerate changes in political behaviour
- provided Labour MPs with the opportunity to serve in the coalition cabinet. This enhanced their profile and gave them vital experience (taste of political power!)
- by 1917, Labour leaders could foresee the significant changes that the end of the war would bring, prompting them to establish a constitution and a new policy statement.
