Scottish United Trades Councils Labour Party
Encyclopedia
The Scottish United Trades Councils Labour Party, also known as the Scottish Trades Councils Independent Labour Party, was a Scottish
labour party.
The party originated in a meeting held in Edinburgh on 8 August 1891 with representatives of various trades councils and local labour organisations. 67 delegates attended, claiming to represent 84,500 members. The meeting agreed to sponsor the Parliamentary and local candidacies of labour movement activists who were independent of both the Conservative Party
and of the Liberal Party
. Keir Hardie
convinced the meeting to also campaign for the payment of MPs and councillors. The meeting established an executive, with one representative of each trades council, plus a member of the Scottish Labour Party. R. Chisholm Robertson, a miner from Stirlingshire
and a rival of Hardie, was appointed as Secretary.
The executive attempted to form local labour representation committees, based on the membership of the trades councils. This was sufficiently successful that a national movement known as the "Scottish United Trades Councils Labour Party" was established. Its platform included calls for an eight-hour day
, universal suffrage, land nationalisation and limited industrial nationalisation, and a local option
on temperance. However, the new party agreed not to sponsor any candidates where there was a chance that a Conservative might beat a Liberal or a radical.
At the 1892 general election
, the party sponsored four candidates: John Wilson
in Edinburgh Central
, Robert Brodie in Glasgow College
, Chisholm Robertson in Stirlingshire
and Robert Cunninghame-Graham
in Glasgow Camlachie
. Between them, the candidates won 2,313 votes. The party also actively supported nine left-wing Liberal candidates, including one Crofter. Some of the candidates were also sponsored by the Scottish Socialist Federation
.
The party organised a further conference after the election, presided over by Cunninghame-Graham. It sponsored two candidates for local elections in Glasgow
. That year, the Independent Labour Party
was formed, and in March the party dissolved, advising members and branches to affiliate to the new organisation, which many did.
In late 1893, Champion attempted to reform the party as part of a disagreement with Hardie, but the Scottish Labour Party firmly opposed this, and the venture was a complete failure.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
labour party.
The party originated in a meeting held in Edinburgh on 8 August 1891 with representatives of various trades councils and local labour organisations. 67 delegates attended, claiming to represent 84,500 members. The meeting agreed to sponsor the Parliamentary and local candidacies of labour movement activists who were independent of both the Conservative Party
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 of the Liberal Party
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...
. Keir Hardie
Keir Hardie
James Keir Hardie, Sr. , was a Scottish socialist and labour leader, and was the first Independent Labour Member of Parliament elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
convinced the meeting to also campaign for the payment of MPs and councillors. The meeting established an executive, with one representative of each trades council, plus a member of the Scottish Labour Party. R. Chisholm Robertson, a miner from Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling is a registration county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the former county town. It borders Perthshire to the north, Clackmannanshire and West Lothian to the east, Lanarkshire to the south, and Dunbartonshire to the south-west.Until 1975 it was a county...
and a rival of Hardie, was appointed as Secretary.
The executive attempted to form local labour representation committees, based on the membership of the trades councils. This was sufficiently successful that a national movement known as the "Scottish United Trades Councils Labour Party" was established. Its platform included calls for an eight-hour day
Eight-hour day
The eight-hour day movement or 40-hour week movement, also known as the short-time movement, had its origins in the Industrial Revolution in Britain, where industrial production in large factories transformed working life and imposed long hours and poor working conditions. With working conditions...
, universal suffrage, land nationalisation and limited industrial nationalisation, and a local option
Local Option
Local Option is a term used to describe the freedom whereby local political jurisdictions, typically counties or municipalities, can decide by popular vote certain controversial issues within their borders. In practice, it usually relates to the issue of alcoholic beverage sales...
on temperance. However, the new party agreed not to sponsor any candidates where there was a chance that a Conservative might beat a Liberal or a radical.
At the 1892 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
, the party sponsored four candidates: John Wilson
John Wilson (Edinburgh MP)
John Wilson was a politician in Scotland. He was Member of Parliament for Edinburgh Central from 1885 to 1886, having been elected as an "Independent Liberal".- External links :...
in Edinburgh Central
Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Central was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, Robert Brodie in Glasgow College
Glasgow College (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow College was a parliamentary constituency in Glasgow. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the plurality voting system.-History:...
, Chisholm Robertson in Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Stirlingshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain and later of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 until 1918...
and Robert Cunninghame-Graham
Robert Cunninghame-Graham
Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham was a Scottish politician, writer, journalist and adventurer...
in Glasgow Camlachie
Glasgow Camlachie (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Camlachie was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1955.It elected one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system.-Boundaries:...
. Between them, the candidates won 2,313 votes. The party also actively supported nine left-wing Liberal candidates, including one Crofter. Some of the candidates were also sponsored by the Scottish Socialist Federation
Scottish Socialist Federation
The Scottish Socialist Federation was a Scottish political party founded by supporters of the Social Democratic Federation in Edinburgh in December 1888....
.
The party organised a further conference after the election, presided over by Cunninghame-Graham. It sponsored two candidates for local elections in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. That year, the Independent Labour Party
Independent Labour Party
The Independent Labour Party was a socialist political party in Britain established in 1893. The ILP was affiliated to the Labour Party from 1906 to 1932, when it voted to leave...
was formed, and in March the party dissolved, advising members and branches to affiliate to the new organisation, which many did.
In late 1893, Champion attempted to reform the party as part of a disagreement with Hardie, but the Scottish Labour Party firmly opposed this, and the venture was a complete failure.