labour Flashcards
(26 cards)
What were the four main factors driving the British working class towards Labour Party representation?
Political ideology (socialism and liberalism), trade unions (model and new), socio-economic problems of the late 19th century, and hostility from the Conservative government and judiciary.
Why did socialism revive in the late 19th century?
Due to economic hardship, disillusionment with the Liberal Party, and the influence of thinkers like Marx and Henry George.
What was the significance of Henry George’s ideas?
He criticized landlordism and inequality, influencing both British socialists and modern liberals, despite not being a socialist himself.
Who led the Social Democratic Federation (SDF)?
Henry Hyndman.
Why was the SDF important despite its limitations?
It spread Marxist ideas, investigated labor conditions, and influenced union leaders like Tillett, Mann, and Burns.
What were Trades Councils?
Local bodies representing multiple unions that provided forums for socialist agitation before the TUC’s formation.
What characterized the Fabian Society?
Middle-class, intellectual, gradualist socialists who opposed capitalism through research and persuasion, not revolution.
What was the Fabian approach to socialism?
Gradual reform via democratic means, permeating elite opinion, not mass activism.
Who founded the ILP and when?
Keir Hardie in 1893.
Why did the ILP avoid the word ‘socialist’ in its name?
To attract support from trade unions that were wary of explicit socialism.
What were ‘model’ unions?
Skilled worker unions focused on social benefits and legal respectability, not strikes.
When was the TUC founded?
1868
What was the attitude of model union leaders by the 1880s?
Complacent, conservative, and aligned with the Liberal Party.
What changed with ‘new unionism’?
Militancy, inclusiveness (open to unskilled workers), and socialist orientation.
What strikes marked the rise of new unionism?
Match-girls (1887), Gasworkers (1889), and Dockers (1889).
What caused the retreat of new unionism in the 1890s?
Economic downturn, employer resistance, and failed strikes for closed shops.
What legal case restricted picketing in 1896?
Lyons v Wilkins.
What organisation was formed in response to legal threats to unions?
Labour Representation Committee (LRC) in 1900.
What was the impact of the Taff Vale case (1901)?
It threatened unions with financial ruin for strikes, spurring union support for the LRC.
What electoral agreement was made in 1903?
A secret pact between LRC and Liberals for mutual non-competition in certain seats.
When did the LRC become the Labour Party?
1906, after electing 29 MPs.
What was Labour’s focus between 1906-1914?
Trade union rights and legal protections, with limited influence beyond union issues.
What Act reversed the Taff Vale judgement?
Trade Disputes Act 1906.
What Act allowed unions to fund political activity?
Trade Union Act 1913 (reversed Osborne judgement).
