See also National Democratic Party (UK, 1966)

National Democratic Party (UK, 1966)

The National Democratic Party was a right wing political party that operated in the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s. The NDP sought to poisition itself as an early rival to the National Front although ultimately it failed to challenege the position of this group.-Background:The NDP had...

 for the far right party and National Democrats

National Democrats

There are a number of political parties operating in various countries with the name National Democrats.* National Democrats * National Democrats * National Democrats * National Democrats...

 for similarly named groups.

The National Democratic and Labour Party, usually abbreviated to National Democratic Party (NDP), was a political party

Political party

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

 in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

.

The party's origins lay in the 1915 split by the right-wing of the British Socialist Party

British Socialist Party

The British Socialist Party was a Marxist political organisation established in Great Britain in 1911. Following a protracted period of factional struggle, in 1916 the party's anti-war forces gained decisive control of the party and saw the defection of its pro-war Right Wing...

, primarily over issues raised by the First World War

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. They supported "the eternal idea of nationality

Nationality

Nationality is membership of a nation or sovereign state, usually determined by their citizenship, but sometimes by ethnicity or place of residence, or based on their sense of national identity....

" and aimed to promote "socialist measures in the war effort". This group, including H. G. Wells

H. G. Wells

Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...

 and Robert Blatchford

Robert Blatchford

Robert Peel Glanville Blatchford was a socialist campaigner, journalist and author in the United Kingdom. He was a prominent atheist and opponent of eugenics. He was also an English patriot...

, formed the Socialist National Defence Committee

Socialist National Defence Committee

The Socialist National Defence Committee also known as the Socialist National Defence League was a pro First World War socialist faction....

.

In 1916, the League worked with Alexander M. Thompson

Alexander M. Thompson

Alexander Mattock Thompson , sometimes credited as A. M. Thompson, was a German-born English journalist and dramatist. From the 1880s, Thompson wrote for socialist newspapers and journals, co-founding The Clarion in 1891...

 to form the British Workers League

British Workers League

The British Workers League was a 'patriotic labour' group which was anti-socialist and pro-war.The league's origins lay in the 1915 split by the right-wing of the British Socialist Party, primarily over issues raised by the First World War...

. Now avowedly anti-socialist, it described itself as a "patriotic

Patriotism

Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...

 labour" group and focused on support for the war. Rev. A. W. Gough, Prebendary

Prebendary

A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...

 of St. Paul's Cathedral, was Chairman of the British Workers League for London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 and the Home Counties

Home Counties

The home counties is a term which refers to the counties of South East England and the East of England which border London, but do not include the capital city itself...

.

In 1918 the British Workers League re-constituted itself as the National Democratic and Labour Party with the support of George Barnes

George Nicoll Barnes

George Nicoll Barnes CH PC was a Scottish politician and a leader of the Labour Party.Barnes was born in Lochee, Dundee, the second of five sons of James Barnes, a skilled engineer and mill manager from Yorkshire, and his wife, Catherine Adam Langlands...

, Member of Parliament

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 for Glasgow Blackfriars and Hutchesontown

Glasgow Blackfriars and Hutchesontown (UK Parliament constituency)

Glasgow Blackfriars and Hutchesontown, representing parts of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1918....

, when he resigned from the Labour Party

Labour Party (UK)

The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

.

The group gained the support of the Musicians' Union

Musicians' Union

Organizations calling themselves the Musicians' Union include:*Musicians' Union *Musicians' Union *Several locals of the American Federation of Musicians, e.g. Musicians' Union Local No. 6 San Francisco*Musicians Union of South Africa...

 and parts of other unions, including some sections of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain. It was primarily funded by Lloyd George

David Lloyd George

David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...

 Coalition Liberals

Liberal Party (UK)

The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...

 and Conservatives

Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

 and was dedicated to supporting Lloyd George in fighting the First World War.

In the 1918 general election

United Kingdom general election, 1918

The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...

, the party stood in eighteen seats on the Coalition coupon, winning nine seats, including Barnes in the Glasgow Gorbals

Glasgow Gorbals (UK Parliament constituency)

Glasgow Gorbals was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Glasgow. From 1918 until 1974, it returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post system.-Boundaries:...

 seat. All the elected MPs had held a Coalition coupon

Coalition Coupon

The ‘Coalition Coupon’, often referred to as ‘the coupon’, refers to the letter sent to parliamentary candidates at the United Kingdom general election, 1918 endorsing them as official representatives of the Coalition Government. The 1918 election took place in the heady atmosphere of victory in...

, although nine candidates stood against official Coalition candidates, none of who secured a seat. Barnes took a seat in the coalition government's cabinet until 1920.

In 1922, Barnes retired from Parliament, and the group's remaining MPs joined the National Liberal Party

National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)

The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...

. The party was officially wound up in 1923.

Members of Parliament

Aberdare

Aberdare (UK Parliament constituency)

Aberdare was a constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 1918 general election and returned one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system until it was abolished for the 1983 general election....

 - Charles Stanton

Charles Stanton

Charles Butt Stanton was a British politician. He served as an Independent Labour Member of Parliament from 1915 to 1922.Stanton began his political career as a miners' leader at Aberdare...

Birmingham Duddeston

Birmingham Duddeston (UK Parliament constituency)

Birmingham Duddeston was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1950. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.- Boundaries :...

 - Eldred Hallas

Bradford East

Bradford East (UK Parliament constituency)

Bradford East is the name of a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The constituency originally existed from 1885 to 1974 and was recreated for the 2010 general election, electing one Member of Parliament by the first past the post...

 - Charles Edgar Loseby

Charles Edgar Loseby

Charles Edgar Loseby was a captain, lawyer and British politician being Member of Parliament for Bradford East.Before World War I, he was a teacher at St Cyprian's School, Eastbourne. He joined the army in September 1914 and went to serve in France...

Don Valley

Don Valley (UK Parliament constituency)

Don Valley is a parliamentary constituency which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.Created in 1918, Don Valley is a former coal mining area which has elected only Labour MPs since 1922...

 - James Walton

James Walton (MP)

James Walton was a British miner and politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Don Valley in Yorkshire from 1918 to 1922....

East Ham South

East Ham South (UK Parliament constituency)

East Ham South was a parliamentary constituency centred on the East Ham district of London, which was in Essex until 1965. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.- History :The...

 - Allen Clement Edwards

Leicester West

Leicester West (UK Parliament constituency)

Leicester West is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...

 - Joseph Frederick Green

Stoke-on-Trent Hanley

Hanley (UK Parliament constituency)

Hanley was a borough constituency in Staffordshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1885 and 1950. Elections were held using the first past the post voting system.- History :...

 - James Andrew Seddon

James Andrew Seddon

James Andrew Seddon was a British trades unionist and politician. Originally a member of the Labour Party, he subsequently moved to the National Democratic and Labour Party....

Wallsend

Wallsend (UK Parliament constituency)

Wallsend was a parliamentary constituency centred on Wallsend, a town on the north bank of the River Tyne in North Tyneside.It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until it was abolished for the 1997 general election.It was...

 - Matthew Simm

Walthamstow West

Walthamstow West (UK Parliament constituency)

Walthamstow West was a borough constituency in what is now the London Borough of Waltham Forest, but was until 1965 the Walthamstow Urban District of Essex...

 - Charles Jesson

Some prominent members such as George Barnes were elected as Coalition Labour

Coalition Labour

Coalition Labour was a description used by previously Labour Party supporting candidates in the 1918 General Election who supported the ruling coalition. Only two actually received a Coalition Coupon: J. R...

.