Origins and development of the Labour Party

Question 1

Who were the working classes represented by before the 20th century?

Answer 1

A collection of MPs and peers from the liberal and conservative parties

Question 2

When did the majority of the working class gain the right to vote?

Answer 2

1884

Question 3

What gave the working class a boost towards the end of the 19th century?

Answer 3

The legalisation of trade unions, as they now had organisations to represent their interests

Question 4

What did unions begin doing after being legalised?

Answer 4

Putting candidates up for election

Question 5

When was the main labour party created?

Answer 5

In 1900, as an offshoot of the trade union movement

Question 6

What agreement did the main labour party and the independent labour party come to in 1906?

Answer 6

They agreed not to put parliamentary candidates up against each other in the same constituencies. However, this agreement was short lived and the two parties soon began to go their separate ways

Question 7

Who were the Independent Labour party (ILP)?

Answer 7

Founded in 1893, they were a genuinely socialist party committed to the overthrow of capitalism and its replacement with a worker’s state; albeit through peaceful, democratic means

Question 8

How did the main labour party differ from the ILP?

Answer 8

It was a more moderate socialist party that did not propose a worker’s state, but simply wished to improve the living standards of the working class and remove the excesses of capitalism

Question 9

What did the labour party envisage the state as doing?

Answer 9

Reconciling the conflicting interests of the working class with their employers

Question 10

What type of socialism was the labour party known for?

Answer 10

Democratic socialism; a type of socialism that worked within a democratic framework

Question 11

When did the ILP cease to exist?

Answer 11

1970, since then acting as more of a faction within the labour party

Question 12

What about the labour party today is still incredibly similar about its early years?

Answer 12

The party continues to be largely funded by trade unions, and trade union leaders play an influential role in deciding party direction

Question 13

Why was the 1945 general election a turning point for labour?

Answer 13

Because it achieved a commons majority fir the frist time

Question 14

What was the result of two major defeats to margaret Thatcher in the 80s?

Answer 14

Some left to form a new social democratic party (SDP).

Question 15

When did Blair become labour party leader?

Answer 15

1994; he would go on to lead the party to victory in 1997, 2001 and 2005

Question 16

When did the differneces between trade unions and the labour party begin to grow?

Answer 16

The 1960s

Question 17

What caused the split between the labour party and trade unions in the 1960s?

Answer 17

Until then, both had supported full employment and protections for industrial workers. However, during the 1960s a process of deindustrialisation occured as the UK moved away from heavy industry, making full employment much harder for politicians to achieve. Inflation also made it difficult for labour to meet the trade union demands for increased pay

Question 18

What was the main reason the labour party remained so far left and committed to nationalisation in the 1980s?

Answer 18

Because trade unions would have a block vote and so were able to dominate when it came to decisions about party leaders and policy decisions. This prevented the breakout of any real social democratic ideas within the labour party

Question 19

What increased the inluence of trade unions in the labour party in 1981?

Answer 19

An electoral college system was introduced to elect the labour party leader

Question 20

Why did the influence of unions wane over the 1980s?

Answer 20

• The power and reputation of traditional unions declined
• The conservative government introduced tighter controls and restrictions on trade unions, which meant their membership and funds began to decline

Question 21

What did the labour party do following their humiliating ddefeat in 1983?

Answer 21

New leader Kinnock publicly chastised the worst excesses of union behaviour. Kinnock’s successor, John Smith, removed the block vote to dilute trade union influence

Question 22

What did Tony Blair persuade the labour party membership to do?

Answer 22

Remove clause IV from the labour party constitution

Question 23

Where did Blair begin to seek donations from?

Answer 23

Businesses and other non-union sources

Question 24

What did Miliband replace the electoral college with in 2010?

Answer 24

A simple one person, one vote system

Question 25

Define old labour

Answer 25

Also referred to as social democracy. Their principles include nationlisation, the redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor and the provision of continually improving welfare and state services.

Question 26

Define new labour

Answer 26

Also referred to as the third way. A revision of the traditional values and ideas associated with old labour. Saw the emphasis shift from the working class to a wider base, and a less robust alliance with the trade unions