Labour

  • Parliamentary fundamental socialist party
    • Goal of common ownership
  • The Labour party believes it can come to power by winning elections, not revolution
    • Change takes place through the existing structures
  • Founded in 1900s to working class
    • Trade unions
    • Socialist societies like the Fabian Society
    • Chartist movement
    • Independent pro-worker MPs
  • Policies to help the working people

Rise to majority

  • 1906: 29 seats
  • 1923: 191 seats (minority coalition PM) + 158 Lib
  • 1924: 151 seats
  • First Lab gov is 1929 (287)
  • 1945 landslide victory
    • Clement Attlee, 393 seats won
    • Common ownership and nationalisation
    • Created welfare state, e.g. NHS
    • Nationalised coal, rail, steel

Clause IV

  • 1918 by Beatrice Webb
  • Idea of common ownership
    • Fundamental socialism
  • 1995: Tony Blair changes Clause IV
    • Social liberalism/revisionist socialism
    • Social democracy
    • Rejects traditional socialism and nationalisation

Fundamental split

  • Two camps
    • Fundamental socialism + common ownership
      • Angela Rayner
    • Greater acceptance of capitalism
      • Keir Starmer
  • Support for trade unions vs a more stand-off approach

Structure

  • 333,325 members (end of 2024)
  • Each constituency has a Constituency Labour Party (CLP)
    • Ward level Branch Labour Party (BLP)
  • CLP takes lead in local + natinoal election campaigns
  • National HQ in Victoria Street, London
    • National Executive Committee (NEC)
    • NEC enforces party discipline, can expel members
    • Final say over parliamentary candidates
    • ~40 members, including MPs, trade union reps, CLP reps
      • 3 backbenchers elected by MPs
  • Policy decided by National Policy Forum (NPF)
    • Signs off on manifesto, formally passed in annual conference
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