The British Empire Citizens' and Workers' Home Rule Party, also known as the Butler Home Rule Party and more commonly as the Butler Party, Nohlen, D (2005) ''Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I'', p628 were a series of

political parties 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 ideological or p ...

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

organised by

Tubal Uriah Butler Tubal Uriah "Buzz" Butler (21 January 1897 – 20 February 1977), was a Grenadian-born Spiritual Baptist preacher and labour leader in Trinidad and Tobago. He is best known for leading a series of labour riots between 19 June and 6 July 1937 and ...

History

Butler founded the party in 1936 after he split from the

Trinidad Labour Party The Trinidad Labour Party was a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. Formed in 1934 when the Trinidad Workingmen's Association changed its name, it was the country's first party. History The party was originally a trade union named the Trinid ...

. 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 or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in 1939 because he was seen as a security threat to one of 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 ...

's main supplies of

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...

. After he was released from prison at the end of the war, Butler reformed the party to fight the 1946 general elections. It finished second in the vote, winning three seats.Nohlen, pp639-642 In the 1950 elections it emerged as the largest party after the

United Front A united front is an alliance of groups against their common enemies, figuratively evoking unification of previously separate geographic fronts or unification of previously separate armies into a front. The name often refers to a political and/ ...

did not run. However, although it won six of the eighteen seats, the government was formed by Albert Gomes of the Party of Political Progress Groups. In the

1956 elections The following elections occurred in the year 1956. Africa * 1956 Gold Coast legislative election * 1956 Italian Somaliland parliamentary election * 1956–1957 Kenyan legislative election * 1956 Nyasaland general election Asia * 1956 Burmese gene ...

the party was reduced to two seats. The 1961 elections saw its share of the vote drop to just 0.4% and it lost both seats. In

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

it received just 704 votes, after which it never contested another election.Nohlen, p637

References

{{Trinidad and Tobago political parties Defunct political parties in Trinidad and Tobago Political parties established in 1936