? starter activity

1
? starter activity
The Red Flag is the traditional anthem of the
Labour movement. Listen to the song and watch
this history of the development of the Labour
Party in the UK. What were key reasons why the
Labour Party grew in popularity and achieved
electoral success?
2
Electoral reform in the nineteenth century meant
that more and more working class men were winning
the right to vote. This encouraged parties to
tailor their policies towards the needs of these
new voters.
3
The breakthrough came when Keir Hardie (above) a
former miner, became the first working class MP
to be elected for the Independent Labour Party
(ILP) in 1892.
4
To begin with the few socialist groups that
existed enjoyed little success. In 1900, 70 of
men and no women had the right to vote. Real
socialists had little chance of being elected. To
make matters worse, only those with a private
income could afford to become MPs as they were
paid relatively little.
5
However, the trade union movement was growing in
numbers. By 1900, several million workers had
joined unions and the TUC (Trades Union Congress
the national body for all trades unions) had
been formed.
6
Employers tried to limit the power of the Labour
movement. When workers at the Taff Vale railway
went on in 1901 strike their employers
successfully sued them. It seemed as if belonging
to a union and protesting for better conditions
was being made a crime by the establishment.
7
In the end, the Taff Vale case lent further
strength to the Labour movement. It gave them a
clear issue to campaign on and membership of
socialist parties like the Labour Representation
Committee (LRC) grew in numbers
8
The LRC was renamed the Labour Party with Keir
Hardie as their leader. They won 29 seats in the
1906 general election
9
By 1924, just 21 years after the first 2 MPs
were elected the Labour Party were in a position
to form a government, albeit a minority one which
relied on Liberal support for survival. At its
head was the first Labour PM and son of a
domestic servant Ramsay McDonald.
10
Clement Attlee (Labour PM, 1945-51)
The Labour Party won its first majority in 1945,
beating Churchills Conservatives. They came to
power on a ticket of reform, promising to
introduce the NHS and social welfare for a
society recovering from the effects of World War
Two.
11
Harold Wilson (Labour PM, 1964-70 1974-6)
Between 1945 and 1979 the Labour and Conservative
Parties were each in power for 17 years. In an
era of consensus politics there often was very
little clear political ground between the parties
on key issues of education, health and housing.
12
Jim Callaghan (Labour PM, 1976-9)
13
The success of Margaret Thatchers Conservative
Party in the 1980s sent Labour into a tail spin
as they struggled to identify policies that would
win electoral support. Their policies on nuclear
disarmament and a return to nationalisation were
out of step with the times.
14
Neil Kinnock (leader 1983-92) began the process
of modernising the party. Reducing the dominance
of trade unions over Party policy decisions and
creating a more open and democratic structure for
the party
15
The modernisation of the Labour Party was
completed with Tony Blairs New Labour project
(leader 1994-2007) and his Third Way approach
to politics, combining the best elements of
Thatcherite free market economics with a
continued commitment to social justice
16
? Your task

• Create a timeline highlighting the changing
  fortunes of the Labour Party from its origins to
  the present day.

Keir Hardie becomes first working-class MP to be
elected in 1892
Labour lose to Margaret Thatchers Conservatives
in 1979 general election
17
Key events

• Early C20th - Labour Party emerged from Labour
  Representation Committee (LRC), Independent
  Labour Party (ILP) Fabians helped by growth of
  trade union movement
• 1906 Labour Party founded
• 1918-39 Labour Party formed 2 minority
  governments
• 1945 Labour won a landslide victory under Clement
  Attlee

18
Key events

• 1945-79 was the era of consensus politics
• 1980s the party moved to the left it seemed out
  of touch with the electorate
• 1983-92 Neil Kinnock (leader of Labour Party)
  modernised party, abandoning unpopular policies,
  e.g. wide-scale nationalisation, unilateral
  disarmament, withdrawal from EEC)

19
Key events

• 1994-2007 Tony Blair modernised party - New
  Labour, Third Way, hand up rather than
  hand-out, public-private partnerships, equality
  of opportunity not income AND ALSO minimum
  wage, NHS, constitutional reform
• 1997 landslide victory, 43.2 (179 seat majority)
• 2005 GE victory 35 (66 seat majority)

20
What do we mean by the terms Old and New
Labour? Read the extract your teacher gives
you and highlight evidence of Old or New Labour
values
?
21
This house believes that New Labour is no
longer a socialist party. Discuss
22
? Plenary

• What is meant by Old and New Labour
• To what extent could you describe the current
  Labour Party as a socialist party?

23
? Extension task

• Visit the Labour website and research the current
  policies of New Labour on Health, Education and
  Law Order

24
? Homework

• As you did for the Labour Party create a timeline
  detailing key events, individuals and policies in
  the development of the Conservative Party from
  its origins to the present day. Use Watts, p.83-7

Burke
Cameron