The British Empire Citizens' and Workers' Home Rule Party, also known as the Butler Home Rule Party and more commonly as the Butler Party, were a series of political parties

Political Parties

Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...

 in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...

 organised by T.U.B. Butler

Tubal Uriah Butler

Tubal Uriah "Buzz" Butler , was a Grenadian-born Spiritual Baptist preacher and labour leader in Trinidad and Tobago...

.

History

Butler founded the party in 1936 after he split from the Trinidad Labour Party

Trinidad Labour Party

The Trinidad Labour Party was a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. Formed in in 1924 when the Trinidad Workingmen's Association changed its name, it was the country's first party.-History:...

. However, he spent most of the period between 1937 and 1945 in prison; he was arrested after the labour riots of 1937 and imprisoned until 1939. After being released, he was re-arrested in at the start of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 in 1939 because he was seen as a security threat to one of the British Empire

British Empire

The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...

's main supplies of petroleum

Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...

. After he was released from prison at the end of the war, Butler reformed the party to fight the 1946 general elections

Trinidad and Tobago general election, 1946

General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 28 October 1946. The British Empire Citizens' and Workers' Home Rule Party and the United Front won three seats each. Voter turnout was 83.9%.-Results:...

. It finished second in the vote, winning three seats. In the 1950 elections

Trinidad and Tobago general election, 1950

General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 18 September 1950. The result was a victory for the British Empire Citizens' and Workers' Home Rule Party, which won 6 of the 18 seats. Voter turnout was 70.1%.-Results:...

 it emerged as the largest party after the United Front

United Front (Trinidad and Tobago)

The United Front was a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. It received the largest share of the vote in the 1946 general elections and won three of the nine seats. However, the party did not contest any further elections....

 did not run. However, although it won six of the eighteen seats, but the government was formed by Albert Gomes

Albert Gomes

Albert Maria Gomes , a Trinidad and Tobago unionist, politician, and writer of Portuguese descent, was the first Chief Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. He was the founder of the Political Progress Groups and later led the Party of Political Progress Groups...

 of the Party of Political Progress Groups

Party of Political Progress Groups

The Party of Political Progress Groups was a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. It first contested national elections in 1950, when it received 3.4% of the vote and won two seats. After the elections its leader, Albert Gomes, was appointed Chief Minister despite the Butler Party winning six...

. In the 1956 elections

Trinidad and Tobago general election, 1956

General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 24 September 1956. The result was a victory for the People's National Movement, which won 13 of the 24 seats...

 the party was reduced to two seats. The 1961 elections

Trinidad and Tobago general election, 1961

General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 4 December 1961. The result was a victory for the People's National Movement, which won 20 of the 30 seats. Voter turnout was 88.1%.-Results:...

 saw its share of the vote drop to just 0.4% and it lost both seats. In 1966

Trinidad and Tobago general election, 1966

General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 7 November 1966. The result was a victory for the People's National Movement, which won 24 of the 36 seats. Voter turnout was 65.8%.-Results:...

it received just 704 votes, after which it never contested another election.