National Democratic and Labour Party

See also National Democratic Party (UK, 1966) for the far right party and National Democrats for similarly named groups.

The National Democratic and Labour Party, usually abbreviated to National Democratic Party (NDP), was a political party in the United Kingdom.

The party'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. They supported "the eternal idea of nationality" and aimed to promote "socialist measures in the war effort". This group, including H. G. Wells and Robert Blatchford, formed the Socialist National Defence Committee.^[1]

In 1916, the League worked with Alexander M. Thompson to form the British Workers League. Now avowedly anti-socialist, it described itself as a "patriotic labour" group and focused on support for the war. Rev. A. W. Gough, Prebendary of St. Paul's Cathedral, was Chairman of the British Workers League for London and the Home Counties.

In 1918 the British Workers League re-constituted itself as the National Democratic and Labour Party with the support of George Barnes, Member of Parliament for Glasgow Blackfriars and Hutchesontown, when he resigned from 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. It was primarily funded by Lloyd George Coalition Liberals and Conservatives and was dedicated to supporting Lloyd George in fighting the First World War.

In the 1918 general election, the party stood in eighteen seats on the Coalition coupon, winning nine seats, including Barnes in the Glasgow Gorbals seat. All the elected MPs had held a Coalition coupon, 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. The party was officially wound up in 1923.

Members of Parliament

Aberdare - Charles Stanton

Birmingham Duddeston - Eldred Hallas

Bradford East - Charles Edgar Loseby

Don Valley - James Walton

East Ham South - Allen Clement Edwards

Leicester West - Joseph Frederick Green

Stoke-on-Trent Hanley - James Andrew Seddon

Wallsend - Matthew Simm

Walthamstow West - Charles Jesson

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

References

1. ^ John Callaghan, Socialism in Britain (1990), p74.

• David Butler and Gareth Butler, British Political Facts 7th Ed, 1900-1994