After 117 years, Labour still affected by the party's foundation
The last week hasn't been the best for the Labour Party. On Friday, the party lost it's seat in the Copeland by-election, a seat that it had dominated for 82 years. On Saturday, former foreign secretary and brother to former Labour leader Ed Miliband, David Miliband criticised the direction of the party. It seems like Labour is in the thrall of a crisis.
Ironically, today marks the 117th anniversary of Labour, a party created by several trade unions and left-wing organisations. It was the idea of Thomas R. Steels, a union member, that the Trade Union Congress should invite these unions and organisations to a conference. It took place at Congregational Memorial Hall on Farringdon Street in the City of London, a space now taken over by a modern office building.
At the end of the two-day conference, it was decided that a group should be established, with the aim to challenge the Conservatives in Parliament. It was, however, not a political party yet, but was called the Labour Representation Committee and it had no leader. It had, however, a secretary, Ramsay MacDonald, who was tasked with keeping the different interests and opinions of the committee aligned.
In the 1906 election, the Labour Representation Committee won 29 seats and changed its name to the Labour Party and at the same time, the members voted for Keir Hair to become the first chairman. The following years were unstable for the party, as the many parties-within-the party made it hard to have one political focus. 24 years after its foundation, the Labour Party became the majority party and Ramsay MacDonald became the first Labour Prime Minister in 1924.
Out if its first 100 years, Labour has only been in government for 23 years. The party created to unite different groups of left-wing organisations has battled with the internal diversion and disagreement borne of this construction.
