The Labour Party

Question 1

in 1900 what percentage of the Labour Committee’s affiliated

• membership
• Party conference
• Income was from the unions ?

Answer 1

94%

• 80%
• similar percentage

Question 2

What happened in 1918 which gave the Labour party an opportunity to launch a serious electoral challenge?

Answer 2

All men aged 21 and over right to vote

Question 3

What was the most important part of the 1918 Labour constitution? what did this mean?

Answer 3

• Clause 1V

- Clear commitments to public ownership of key industries and the redistribution of wealth

Question 4

What evidence of the 1970’s suggest ideological factions within the Labour Party?

Answer 4

PrimeMinister James Callaghan, right of the party, public sector demands had to be resisted
-Michael Foot&Tony Benn, left of the party, favoured greater wealth distribution

Question 5

What happened in 1979 as a result of Labours defeat?

Answer 5

Following the Winter of Discontent, those on the left of the party took control, leadership of Michael Foot

Question 6

What was the biggest negative of the leadership of Michael Foot in the 1983 general election ?
What did Conservatives say about this ?

Answer 6

He created the most left wing manifesto in history.

‘the longest suicide note in history’

Question 7

What did the 1983 manifesto include? (5)

Answer 7

• commitment to state control of ALL major industries
• tighter regulations of business
• enhanced workers rights
• support for unilateral nuclear disarmament
• Withdrawal from NATO

Question 8

Which 3 Labour leaders began the New Labour movement ?

Answer 8

1) Neil Kinnock
2) John Smith
3) Tony Blair

Question 9

when was Clause 1V removed from the parties constitution ?

Answer 9

1995

Question 10

Why did some people oppose Blair in the New Labour movement?

Answer 10

They believed that he was abandoning the socialist principles by which the party was founded

Question 11

What are the role of Labour party members? (2)

Answer 11

• Selecting candidates for local elections

- Send delegates to the General Committee of the Constituency Labour Party (CLP)

Question 12

What does the CLP do ?

Answer 12

-Plays a key role in organizing at constituency level

Question 13

What is the National Exectutive Committee (NEC) for labour ?
What does it do?(3)

Answer 13

The main organ of the national party

• Oversees preparation of policy proposals
• Final say on parliamentary candidate selection
• Enforces party discipline

Question 14

What is the power of the Constituency Associations and how does this differ in power to Labour ?

Answer 14

• Organise party at grass-roots level
• Planning election campaigns
• selecting parliamentary candidates

-Constituency Associations do not have the same free rein in selecting parliamentary candidates

Question 15

How did labour conferences change from 1997?

Answer 15

Party adopted a 2 year policy making cycle

Question 16

What was the system in place under the 2 year cycle?

Answer 16

The National Policy Forum appointed policy commissions to make proposals, then formalised in National Executive Committee before passing to party conference for approval

Question 17

How is the 2 year cycle change better for the Labour party?

Answer 17

• Party leader more control

- Avoids surprise conflicts which make party appear internally divided

Question 18

How does Labour select a labour leader?

Answer 18

1/3rd votes held by parliamentary party (MEP’s)
1/3rd votes held by affiliated organisations (unions)
1/3rd votes cast by members of constituency members (OMOV)

Question 19

When was the Labour party created?

Answer 19

at the start of the 20th century