Labour Party

• Origins of the Labour Party


  Within the trade union movement of the late 1800s

  • growth in trade unions coincided with the new socialist movement
  • trade unions saw the need for political representation and so sponsored some liberal MPs
  • in 1900 the Labour Representitive Committee was established to get working class people into parliament using trade union money
  • in 1906 they changed the name to the Labour party and within 18 years they were in government
• Old Clause 4 from 1918 - the original aim of the Labour Party


  To secure for the workers by hand or by brain, the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible upon the basis of common ownership of the means of production.
• New Clause 4 from 1995 - New aim of the Labour Party

  Changed to move away from old promises of mass nationalisation

  • The Labour Party is a democratic socialist party. It believes that the strength of our common endeavor we achieve more than we achieve alone, so as to create for each of us the means to realise true potential and for all of us a community in which power, wealth, and opportunity are in the hands of the many and not in the hands of the few.
• National Executive Committee (NEC)


  National heart of the Labour Party
• General Committee of Constituency Labour (CLP)


  Organises party at a constituency level
• Local branch of the Labour Party

  Local members of the Labour Party
• Local Branch of the Labour Party

  For new members, the local branch (BLP) is their connection to the party

  • Responsible for organising campaigning, choosing candidates, and sending their best representatives to the CLP
  • 'based on the ward boundaries for the election of councilors, labour members van take party in choosing local council candidates' Labour website
• Constituency Labour Party - CLP

  • made up of several branches
  • based on the electoral area for the election of MPs
  • Local party based on your constituency
  • CLP vets all labour candidates and if they have a local MP they report to their CLP every month
• Labour Nationally

  The National Executive Committee runs the Labour Party

  • contains members from all sections including MPs, MEPs, Councillors, Trade Unions and CLPs (elected annually)
  • Members vote on annual policies, at some times its the responsibility of the NEC to run the Labour Party
  • The NEC ensures that policy is followed nationally and that internally disputes are resolved
• How Labour chooses its Leader - NOMINATION

  Candidates seeking to enter the leadership ballot must be an MP

  • Must be nominated by 20% of fellow labour MPs
  • to progress candidates must also be nominated by either
  • 5% of CLPs
  • At least 3 affiliates of the Labour party (2 must be trade unions) where the combined membership of said affiliates should be at least 5% of affiliated membership
  • AFFILIATES are groups or organisations which have interests in line with the Labour Party (incl, trade unions, socialist societies)
• How Labour chooses its Leader - ELECTION


  Eligible members of the party and affiliates vote for the leader using a preferential voting system

  • OMOV system, must rank candidates numerically in order of preference
  • First candidate to secure over 50% of the vote, using rounds of transfers of preferences if required, wins
  • if a candidate wins over 50% on their first count no transfers are required
• How Labour chooses its Candidates

  1. NEC gives 'approved candidates' list to the CLP
  2. the CLP draws up a shortlist from the approved list
  3. CLP members vote for preferred candidate on shortlist (OMOV)
  4. NEC agrees with choice or imposes its own candidate
• Deselection of MPs

  Following Labours 2021 conference in Brighton, it was made more difficult to deselect MPs

  • deselection is when the Labour Party withdraws support for an MP in an upcoming election
  • Labour raised the Threshold for triggering a selection contest
  • now 50% of local branches in CLP and affiliated groups need to back such a move
  • Basically means more central control
• Old Labour 1945-1979

  • old clause 4, committed to collective ownership (nationalisation)
  • A mixed economy, state/privately owned
  • high tax for high earners and lower tax for low earners
  • high public spending
  • massive wealth redistribution, through high subsidies to nationalised industries
  • protection of public services
  • equality of opportunity
  • anti-privatisation
• New Labour 1995-2007

  • New clause 4 - 'for the many not the few' more rights and responsibilities
  • Mixed economy, mainly private
  • progressive tax system, its fine to be rich just pay tax
  • Facilitates capitalism as it pays for high public spending
  • Wealth redistribution through minimum wage/tax credits
  • reform public services to increase choice and competition
  • empowerment through opportunity
  • pro-privatisation
• New Labour


  Tony Blair amended clause 4 in 1995 to appeal to aspirational voters who had deserted Labour for Thatchers conservatives in the 1980s

  • Main focus was on opportunity progressive politics and Improving public services, but Blair didn't want to pay for it by raising taxes. Chancellor Brown increased spending using tax raised from a strong economy
  • in a way Capitalism paid for socialism
• New Labour - main achievements

  • National Minimum Wage
  • Devolution of UK
  • Reform to the HoL
  • Human Rights Act
  • Tax Credits - biggest redistribution of wealth since 1945
• After New Labour

  After losing power in 2010, Labour had an identity problem

  • Ed Milliband
  • focused on traditional core vote and trade union supporters
  • defeated in 2015 winning less seats than brown in 2010
  • Jeremy Corbyn
  • 'old' labour policies
  • support grew esp with young people in cities and uni towns
  • 2019 had worst result since 1930s
  • red wall collapse
  • Keir Starmer
  • critics argue Starmer is only popular currently because of Conservative failings rather than their own strengths
• Membership and Influence on Policy

  Policies agreed at the National Policy Forum voted on by delegates (from constituency parties)

  • Blair and Brown keen to keep members out of policy decisions due to unpopular policies such as leaving the Eu and Unilateral Nuclear Disarmament
  • Members more left wing than membership, £3 registered supporters brought in under Ed Miliband had a big influence in electing Corbyn, who being more left-wing aligned with their views
  • 552,000 in june 2017, fallen to 432,000 as of Dec 2021