Scottish United Trades Councils Labour Party facts for kids

The Scottish United Trades Councils Labour Party was a political group in Scotland. It was also sometimes called the Scottish Trades Councils Independent Labour Party. This party was part of the wider "labour movement" in Scotland. The labour movement worked to improve conditions for working people.

How the Party Started

This party began at a meeting in Edinburgh on August 8, 1891. People from different trades councils and local labour groups attended. A trades council is a group of trade unions in a local area. Trade unions are organizations that protect workers' rights.

About 67 people came to the meeting. They said they represented 84,500 members. The group decided to support candidates for Parliament and local elections. These candidates would be independent. This meant they would not be part of the main Conservative Party or Liberal Party.

Keir Hardie, an important labour leader, convinced the group to also campaign. They wanted Members of Parliament (MPs) and local councillors to be paid. This would allow more people to become politicians, not just the wealthy.

The meeting set up a leadership group, called an executive. Each trades council had one person on this group. The Scottish Labour Party also had a member. R. Chisholm Robertson, a miner, became the Secretary.

What the Party Believed In

The party's leaders tried to create local groups. These groups were based on the members of the trades councils. This idea worked well enough to form a national movement. It was called the "Scottish United Trades Councils Labour Party."

Their main goals included:

• An eight-hour day: Workers would only work eight hours a day.
• Universal suffrage: Everyone would have the right to vote.
• Land nationalisation: The government would own the land.
• Limited industrial nationalisation: The government would own some industries.
• A local option on temperance: Local areas could decide if they wanted to control alcohol sales.

However, the new party had a rule. They would not support a candidate if it meant a Conservative might win. This was if a Liberal or a "radical" candidate had a chance to win instead. A "radical" was someone who wanted big changes.

Trying for Elections

In the 1892 general election, the party supported four candidates:

• John Wilson in Edinburgh Central
• Robert Brodie in Glasgow College
• Chisholm Robertson in Stirlingshire
• Henry Hyde Champion in Aberdeen South

Together, these candidates received 2,313 votes. The party also helped nine left-wing Liberal candidates. One of these was from the Crofters Party. Some candidates were also supported by the Scottish Socialist Federation.

Election Results

1892 UK General Election

The End of the Party

After the election, the party held another meeting. Cunninghame-Graham led this meeting. The party then supported two candidates for local elections in Glasgow.

In the same year, the Independent Labour Party was formed. This new party was also focused on workers' rights. In March 1893, the Scottish United Trades Councils Labour Party officially closed down. They told their members and local groups to join the new Independent Labour Party. Many of them did.

Later in 1893, Henry Hyde Champion tried to restart the party. This was because he had a disagreement with Keir Hardie. However, the Scottish Labour Party strongly disagreed with this idea. So, the attempt to restart the party completely failed.