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Labor Party (BRITISH a political party)

BRITISH, a political party in Great Britain which has for its objects the formulation of reforms to benefit the working class and the election of members to Parliament to enact those measures into law. The origin of the party dates from February 1899 when the Trade Union Congress appointed a Labor Representation Committee to secure the election to Parliament of men favorable to labor. J. Ramsay Macdonald was chairman of the committee and he has never ceased to be an active worker in the ranks of labor.

The success of the work of this committee led other organizations such as the Fabian society and the Independent Labor Party to unite with it under the title of the British Labor Party. This was effected in 1906 and in that year 30 out of the 50 candidates endorsed were elected. When the elections of 1910 were announced the Labor Party group was seen to hold the balance of power in the House of Commons, since Liberals Conservatives were SO nearly equal in numbers. When the war was declared the majority of the Labor party supported the government, although a number of the Independents refused. When the Coalition ministry of Mr.

Lloyd- George came into power in 1916 Mr.

Arthur Henderson, a prominent member of the Labor Party, became one of the inner circle of the new government .

About a year later, due to his opposition to Lloyd-George's Russian policy and his approval of the Stockholm Conference , Henderson resigned and with his resignation the Labor Party became more and more hostile to the Coalition. The party published a pamphlet dealing with war aims and reconstruction which while pleasing to many liberals seemed to many to lack patriotism and to favor extreme Socialist ideas. Finally at a congress of the Labor party in 1918 it was decided to end the truce with the Government and to enter the general elections to be held Dec. 14, 1918, as a separate political party. The elections resulted in an overwhelming majority in the House of Commons for Lloyd-George and the Coalition government, the Labor party electing but 65 members against the government's 461. The encouraging feature was that Labor had displaced the Liberals as the main opposition party.

Further encouraging signs soon began to appear. The by-elections held during 1919 and 1920 showed a great reversal of opinion among the electorate, the electorate , resulting in three-fourths of these elections going against the government and in favor of Labor. Arthur Henderson, defeated in the election of December, 1918, was returned in one of these byelections. Thus strengthened by effective leadership in the House of Commons Labor group exerted a considerable influ- P of 1910 were ed member he one of the his opposition oley and his Conference, became more raging fea Bettion party. soon begaU held dur vernment and Henderson, Decembe LABOUCHÉRE ence on the government in favor of peace with Russia and a mitigation of the terms of the treaty of Versailles with Germany.

HENRY LABOUCHÉRE, shar'), an English journalist and poli- (lä-bötician; born in London, 1831. He was in the diplomatic service, part of the time at Washington, in the United States, and a member of Parliament.

An advanced republican, he used "Truth," the journal established by him in 1876 as a society and political organ, for the promulgation of his ideas. He wrote "Diary of a Besieged Resident in Paris" (1871). Sat in Parliament for Middlesex 1867-1868. Northampton 1880- 1906. Died in Florence, 1912.

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