As many as half a million workers may have been caught up in a strike wave which linked demands for the Charter and an end to pay cuts. This page tells the story and names the leaders.
The History of the Labour Party
Keith Laybourn traces the emergence of the Labour Party, its highs and lows and wonders if its forward march is now halted.
Ever since the Labour Party was formed as the Labour Representation Committee in 1900 it has been at the centre of intellectual and political debate. Writings on the Labour Party have been driven by two central questions: first, why did the Labour Party emerge in the early 20th century to replace the Liberal Party as the progressive party in British politics? Second, has the forward march of Labour been halted? The second of these has particular relevance since the recent election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour’s leader, which has rekindled divisive conflicts between Old and New Labour.