Describe The Growth Of The Labour Party

1. Describe the growth of the Labour Party from 1900 to 1914

In 1900, there was a meeting in Farringdon Street, London. They meeting had people from trade unions, and the Independent Labour Party, the Social Democratic Federation and the Fabian Society - they created the Labour Party.

Labour was set up for the working class. Only twenty years later Labour became the main opposition party, replacing the Liberals, and four years later had formed was in government.

The Labour Representation Committee, (Labour Party) was set up by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in 1900. It was meant to get the trades unions represented in Parliament. This was after twenty years of the trades unions successfully organising unskilled workers. Trades unions were now involved in organising strikes and pickets. So the TUC was under pressure to break their alliance with the Liberal Party. The vote had been extended to working class people, so that the two main parties - the Liberals and Tories - had to try and attract working class voters for the first time.

The economy was in a bad state by 1900. The unskilled workers were particularly vulnerable, as so many people needed jobs. Scottish miners were threatened that union members would be replaced by the Glasgow unemployed. One miner who was recruited to socialism was called Keir Hardie. The first independent Labour MPs, like Keir Hardie were elected to Parliament.

In 1899 the TUC voted to set up the Labour Representation Committee. With little support from the Liberal Party they felt strongly about taking things into their own hands. Middle class reformers did not give their support to the LRC yet. They still hoped that the Liberal Party would carry out social reforms.

The first leaflet published by the Labour Representation Committee was written by Ramsay MacDonald.

The use of the law against the Society of Railway Servants

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