the Labour Party’s development

Question 1

What stance did they take on the war

Answer 1

Divided the party- immediate stance of the ILP was to oppose the war. MacDonald- resigned when the party decided not to oppose the estimates giving the government money for war.

Question 2

Who led the pro-war party

Answer 2

Arthur Henderson

Question 3

What did Henderson do?

Answer 3

In 1915, Henderson joined the government against the wishes of the parliamentary party

Question 4

What did labour disapprove of?

Answer 4

Disapproved of conscription, but did not actively oppose it.

Question 5

Why did the war make the party more divided

Answer 5

The losses of the war and increasing industrial disputes and shortages made the movement more divided.

Question 6

Which faction of labour was against the war?

Answer 6

The ILP- and to prevent its influence, the trade unions at the annual Labour conference in Jan 1917 got a motion passed that election of the national executive committee should be by the vote of the whole conference.

Question 7

What was created in 1918

Answer 7

In 1918, Henderson produced a new constitution for the Labour Party, drafted by Sidney Webb.

Question 8

Describe the 1918 constitution

Answer 8

• adopted in February 1918
• opened the party to individual members and not just members of approved socialist societies/tu
• local parties guaranteed 5/21 seats on the governing committee of the party
• they would nominate candidates and the conference as a whole would vote.
• aims of the party were distinctly socialist - ‘common ownership of the means of production’ was explicitly stated in clause four.

Question 9

What was also produced/drafted by Webb

Answer 9

• June 1918
• ‘labour and the new social order’
• set out distinctly socialist aims
• full employment and minimum wage and maximum working hours of 48 hours.
• more democratic control oof industry- nationalisation and democratic administration fo industries
• a revolution in national finance- heavy taxation of the rich to pay for social welfare and the costs of the war
• expanding education and cultural facilities from the surplus to be taken from the rich.

Question 10

What was the impact of seats in the election

Answer 10

Labour put up 361 candidates, and won 57 seats. Most were from trade union MP’s, with only 5 from local labour parties and 3 from the ILP. MacDonald and Henderson DID NOT win seats- so leadership of labour had to go to the inadequate willie adamson.

Question 11

What were the longer term effects of the war

Answer 11

• its new electorate would be bale to appeal to a much more extended electorate
• its leaders achieved ministerial and even cabinet rank
• benefitted from big expansion of trade union membership
• had increased its popular vote
• liberals were divided, and labour was united behind its new constitution