The National Democratic and Labour Party, usually abbreviated to National Democratic Party (NDP), was a short-lived

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Its predecessors were the British Workers' National League, and the Socialist National Defence Committee.

History

The party's origins lay in a split by the right wing of the

British Socialist Party The British Socialist Party (BSP) was a Marxist political organisation established in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Great Britain in 1911. Following a protracted period of political faction, factional struggle, in 1916 the party's ...

, primarily over issues raised by the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. In 1915,

Victor Fisher Frederick Victor Fisher (10 July 1870 – 30 January 1954) was a British political activist. Fisher was born in London; his mother was English, and his father was Hungarian. He was privately educated in London and Paris, then worked in journalis ...

formed the Socialist National Defence Committee along with Alexander M. Thompson and

Robert Blatchford Robert Peel Glanville Blatchford (17 March 1851 – 17 December 1943) was an English socialist campaigner, journalist, and author in the United Kingdom. He was also noted as a prominent atheist, nationalist, and opponent of eugenics. In the early ...

. They supported "the eternal idea of nationality" and aimed to promote "

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

measures in the war effort". The Committee was supported by John Hodge,

George Henry Roberts George Henry Roberts (27 July 1868 – 25 April 1928) was a Labour Party politician who switched parties twice. Biography He was born on 27 July 1868. At the 1906 general election, he was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Norwich. H ...

, and for a time by

Henry Hyndman Henry Mayers Hyndman (; 7 March 1842 – 22 November 1921) was an English writer, politician and socialist. Originally a conservative, he was converted to socialism by Karl Marx's ''Communist Manifesto'' and launched Britain's first socialist p ...

who subsequently formed his own party, the National Socialist Party. In 1916, this committee formed the British Workers League. It described itself as a "patriotic labour" group, and focused on support for the war and the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

and opposition to

Little Englander The Little Englanders were a British political movement who opposed empire-building and advocated complete independence for Britain's existing colonies. The ideas of Little Englandism first began to gain popularity in the late 18th century after ...

and Cobdenite

laissez-faire economics ''Laissez-faire'' ( , from , ) is a type of economic system in which transactions between private groups of people are free from any form of economic interventionism (such as subsidies or regulations). As a system of thought, ''laissez-faire'' ...

. The League was subsidised by

Waldorf Astor Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor, Deputy Lieutenant, DL (19 May 1879 – 30 September 1952) was an American-born English politician and newspaper proprietor. He was a member of the Astor family. He was active in minor political roles. He was d ...

through

Lord Milner Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner, (23 March 1854 – 13 May 1925) was a British statesman and colonial administrator who played a very important role in the formulation of British foreign and domestic policy between the mid-1890s and ear ...

, who consulted with Fisher during the war. The League was supported by Labour MPs such as

James O'Grady Sir James O'Grady, (6 May 1866 – 10 December 1934) was a trade unionist and Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was the first colonial governor appointed by the Labour Party from within its own ranks. Early life O'Grady was ...

, Stephen Walsh and William Abraham. The League sought to challenge

pacificist Pacificism is the general term for ethical opposition to violence or war unless force is deemed necessary. Together with pacifism, it is born from the Western tradition or attitude that calls for peace. The latter involves the unconditional refus ...

Parliamentary candidates; this caused a rupture with the Labour Party. Eleven out of thirty-eight of the Labour Parliamentary MPs showed support for the British Workers League; however, many later returned to the Labour Party.Pugh, p. 116. The British Workers League reconstituted itself in 1918 as the National Democratic and Labour Party, with the support of George Barnes, MP for Glasgow Blackfriars and Hutchesontown, when he resigned from the Labour Party (Barnes, however, never stood for election under the NDP banner, and was re-elected in 1918 as a

Coalition Labour Coalition Labour was a description used by candidates in the 1918 United Kingdom general election who identified with trade unionism and supported the outgoing coalition government, which retained power at the election. The Labour Party had left ...

MP). The NDP policy was described as follows, 'Support of the Coalition Government and the war effort. Broadly socialist in outlook and claimed to represent "the patriotic working class." It was bitterly opposed to the pacifist elements within the Labour Party.' The group gained the support of the Musicians' Union and parts of other unions, including some sections of the

Miners' Federation of Great Britain The Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) was established after a meeting of local mining trade unions in Newport, Wales, Newport, Wales in 1888. The federation was formed to represent and co-ordinate the affairs of local and regional miners' ...

. It was primarily funded by

Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...

Coalition Liberals. At its high water mark, the party fielded twenty-eight candidates in the 1918 general election—twenty of them on the

Coalition Coupon The Coalition Coupon was a letter sent to parliamentary candidates at the 1918 United Kingdom general election, endorsing them as official representatives of the Coalition Government. The 1918 election took place soon after British victory in the ...

—and won ten seats.Barberis, McHugh and Tyldesley, p. 274. After the election, Clement Edwards was elected chairman of the NDP in parliament. The National Democratic and Labour's remaining MPs joined the National Liberal Party and stood under that label in the 1922 general election. The National Democratic and Labour Party was wound up in 1923, but a grouping continued as the ''Empire Citizens' League'' from 1925 until the late 1920s. Its journal was renamed the ''Empire Citizen'', which ceased publication in September 1927. Victor Fisher stood, unsuccessfully, for the Conservative Party.Crick, p. 304.

Election results

1918 UK general election

Some prominent members such as George Barnes were elected as

. Taylor ran as a joint NDP-Liberal candidate, and sat as a Coalition Liberal MP after election.

By-elections, 1918-1922

Turnour ran as a joint NDP-Conservative candidate.

Footnotes

{{reflist

References

* Crick, Martin, "History of the Socialist-Democratic Federation", Keele, UK: Keele University Press, 1994 * Callaghan, John, "Socialism in Britain", Hoboken, NJ (USA): Blackwell, 1990 * Pugh, Martin, "Speak for Britain! A New History of the Labour Party", London: The Bodley Head, 2010 * Lockwood, P.A.
''The Historical Journal, Vol VII''
"Milner's Entry into the War Cabinet, December 1916", Cambridge: University Press, 1964 * Barberis, Peter, John McHugh and Mike Tyldesley: Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations, "British Workers League", London: Continuum, 2005 * Marlowe, John
''Milner, Apostle of Empire''
London: Hamish Hamilton, 1976 * Thompson, J. Lee, "Forgotten Patriot: a life of Alfred, Viscount Milner of St. James's and Cape Town, 1854-1925", Cranbury, NJ (USA): Rosemont, 2007 * Roy, Douglas
''The Historical Journal, Vol. XV''
"The National Democratic Party and the British Worker's League", Cambridge: University Press, 1972 * Craig, F. W. S., "Minor Parties in British By-Elections, 1885-1974", London: MacMillan, 1975

History

Election results

1918 UK general election

By-elections, 1918-1922

Footnotes

References

Other Reading