History of the Labour Party (UK) facts for kids

A graph showing the percentage of the popular vote received by major parties in general elections (1832–2005), with the rapid rise of the Labour Party after its founding during the late 19th century being clear as it became one of the two major forces in politics

The British Labour Party grew out of the trade union movement of the late 19th century and surpassed the Liberal Party as the main opposition to the Conservatives in the early 1920s. In the 1930s and 1940s, it stressed national planning, using nationalisation of industry as a tool, in line with Clause IV of the original constitution of the Labour Party which called for the "common ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange, and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service" (this clause was eventually revised in 1994).

Labour has had several spells in government, first as minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929–1931. MacDonald and half his cabinet split with the mainstream of the party and were denounced as traitors. Labour was a junior partner in the wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945. Following the 1945 general election landslide under Clement Attlee (1945–1951) it set up the welfare state with the National Health Service, nationalised a fifth of the economy, joined NATO and opposed the Soviet Union in the Cold War. Under Harold Wilson in 1964–1970 it promoted economic modernisation. Labour was in government again in 1974–1979 under Wilson and then James Callaghan. Escalating economic crises (the "Winter of Discontent") and a split with David Owen and others forming the Social Democratic Party, resulted in opposition status during the Thatcher years from 1979 to 1990.

Labour returned with a 179-seat majority in the 1997 general election under the leadership of Tony Blair. The party's large majority in the House of Commons was slightly reduced to 167 in the 2001 general election and more substantially reduced to 66 in the 2005 general election. Under Gordon Brown, it was defeated in the 2010 general election, becoming the opposition to a Conservative/Liberal-Democrat coalition. After further losses in the 2015 general election, party leader Ed Miliband resigned with the party in opposition to a Conservative majority government under David Cameron. The Conservatives would lose their majority in 2017 but Labour would remain in opposition against a Second May ministry with a Confidence and supply agreement. The 2019 general election would be Labour's fourth defeat since power resulting in the First Johnson ministry majority followed by the end of the Labour Party leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.

Images for kids

• 

  Keir Hardie, one of the Labour Party's founders and its first leader

• 

  Labour Party plaque from Caroone House, 14 Farringdon Street

• 

  Ramsay MacDonald, the first Labour Prime Minister, 1924, 1929–35 (National from 1931 to 1935)

• 

  A graph showing Labour Party individual membership which showcase a large increase in membership after the war

• 

  Clement Attlee, Labour Prime Minister (1945–51)

• 

  Harold Wilson, Labour Prime Minister (1964–70 and 1974–76)

• 

  James Callaghan, Labour Prime Minister (1976–79)

• 

  Michael Foot, leader of the party in opposition (1980–83)

• 

  Neil Kinnock, leader of the party in opposition (1983–92)

• 

  Tony Blair

• 

  Gordon Brown, Labour Prime Minister (2007–2010)

• 

  Ed Miliband, leader of the party in opposition (2010–2015)

• 

  Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the party in opposition (2015–2020)

• 

  Keir Starmer, leader of the party in opposition (2020–present)

See also

• History of the Conservative Party (UK)
• History of trade unions in the United Kingdom
• Liberal Democrats (UK) § History