Labor Party of Great Britain. Party leaders, ideology

In the elections, the British Labor Party has repeatedly won convincingly, this once again confirms the smooth functioning and stability of the work of the bipartisan system. Lawmaking and reforms carried out earlier showed this powerful political party as a worthy choice for the British. The history of Great Britain demonstrates the modern model of state governance, formed during the last century, when the powerful liberal party in the past ceded to the young Labor. But at all times Great Britain was truly ruled by conservatives.

Anti-Conservative Party

The Laborites were able to fully manifest themselves only when the First World War ended, with the arrival of a strong and bright leader, K. Attlee. In the twenties the Labor Party of Great Britain declared itself truly, having twice formed the government with R. McDonald at the head.

It was in the twenties that party strength and strength emerged that prevented the Labor Party from losing the already won status of the first and main anti-conservative party with firm intentions to defend the interests of the nation at the helm of power in the next unsettling years.

National interests

The Labor Party of Great Britain had a strong leadership, and although radical members of the party tried to resist, Labor's priority was in striving to become not just an influential movement, but a party of power. There was a period when the Laborites were in opposition - from 1924 to 1929, when their first cabinet fell. At this time, and formed the principles that to this day defend not the group Labor, and national interests.

It was at the end of the twenties that a profound transformation of the entire party political system was completed, and therefore the constant and justified interest in this period of the Party's existence is very great, because at this short stretch of time it is possible to trace the entire evolution of political ideas that the British Labor Party preaches.

Analysis of program and theoretical settings

For the full disclosure of the topic of the article, it is necessary to study all the characteristic features of the organizational and political development that the party underwent in the second half of the twenties, the principles of working with voters, party propaganda work, and also to analyze the theoretical programs of the period of work in the opposition.

At the end of the twentieth century, national parties were formed in many states. The Labor Party of Great Britain will be able to serve as an example for studying the process of formation of an opposition, leftist party under a democratic political system, since the issue of the emergence of new parties in various countries is topical.

In opposition

Usually the period of the greatest activity of the community is considered, and the period of maturation of party ideas does not receive sufficient study and coverage in historiography. Let's try to correct this omission, because the experience of becoming one of the main parties of the country is interesting not only as a history of Great Britain.

After 1929, while at the helm, in the fight against the crisis of 1931, the Labor Party only applied what it had accumulated in the quiet period of its stay in the opposition. In the shadow, the Laborites did not sit idle while other political parties in Great Britain ruled: they eliminated internal problems, developed a strategy for further policy, learned lessons from the recent past and made plans for the future.

Party of protest

No need to believe that the formation of the first Labor government in 1924 boldly on its way all the obstacles, and the victory in the elections of 1929 was predetermined. Yes, the British Labor Party won a majority in the parliament, but this was not the result of the miscalculation of the previous one - a conservative cabinet, or some kind of unshakable success laid down in previous elections.

Indeed, the conservatives did not live up to the hopes of the people, but Labor was at that time just a party of protest, whose views the people could sympathize with, but hardly trust. The first test of power put all the points above and, obviously, the Labor would not have had time to seriously consider the situation and search for its role in it. Therefore, the period of calm was good for the party.

Social Democrats against liberals and conservatives

The history of Great Britain did not yet know such a test of durability, which fell Labor in the defense of socialist convictions against the background of expanding the base of the political spectrum. Socialism since the nineteenth century began to spread in many states, but far from immediately it was able to stand on a par with the same level as the conservatives and liberals.

There were various ways of asserting socialist ideology, more often - as in Germany or Russia - through revolution, wars and blood. The Labor Party in Britain won bloodlessly, without any shocks, organically fit into the system of democracy that existed in the country. She already had a small practice of governing the state, and now the prospect of repeating and consolidating success has become extremely tempting. Therefore, new intonations and new approaches to the propagation of socialist views were required.

Opponents

Other political parties in Britain have not yet given in to surrender. The languid liberal party suddenly got a very dangerous leader for Labor - D. Lloyd George, who tried to show the country the possibility of a radical, principally different from the ruling conservative course, aimed at the development of the country with the implementation of very serious and progressive reforms. This was proposed by a party far from the socialist worldview.

The Labor Party of Great Britain was created precisely for such a struggle, therefore it won. But most likely, the liberals were just a little late: a little earlier such a clash would have been fatal for the Labor Party, but now they used the time of calm to accumulate political forces. There was an assessment and reassessment of the party's character in the new, dramatically changed conditions, the world outlook was strengthened, the realization of the achieved goals and the definition of new ones had already taken place.

History of creation

The Labor Party of England was founded as a workers' representative committee in 1900. At first, its ranks were predominantly workers, and leadership was guided by the right course of social reformers. In 1906 the name was confirmed: the Labor Party of Great Britain. It could emerge because the proletariat was active and sought a political role in governing the state.

During the First World War, the leadership of the party was at one with the British government - everyone was waiting for victory over Germany and its allies, the Labor leaders were in a coalition with the government. In 1918, the party proclaimed the building of socialism in Britain. Socialism in the British sense was not at all what we know: at the core of the policy were the main concepts of the Fabian society, when socialism was built slowly, according to plan, without any upheavals in society, and the Labor Party played an important role in the Labor Party program , Which was the wing of the Labor.

Theory of Labor

The class struggle was not included in the program that was suffered during the time of opposition, the Laborites advocated the gradual reform of capitalism through the state, and all classes had to be involved in this work. In 1929, McDonald became the head of the second Labor government and carried out reforms, combating unemployment, improving social insurance.

Then, in 1931, a crisis broke out. The reforms were, naturally, curtailed, the Laborites reduced all social security spending. Therefore, the party began to collapse rapidly. The government resigned, some of the leaders - McDonald, JG Thomas, F. Snowden - again joined the coalition with the government and changed the name of the party - it has now become national-Labor. In 1932, the left group left the Labor Party in the person of the Independent Labor Party, and the remaining Laborites shared on simply the Labor Party and the Socialist League.

Prewar and postwar years

When World War II was already at the doorstep, the ruling conservatives pursued a policy of pacifying Germany, and some British Labor supported the course of the government. When this policy collapsed, and Britain itself was threatened with defeat in the war, Labor leaders finally began to stir. In 1940 they entered the government of W. Churchill, which had just been formed.

The election of the leader of the Labor Party in the UK turned out to be the right thing, a wave of leftist sentiments in the country has risen. And the Labor Party, which proposed a program of social reforms, in 1945 won the elections confidently. The government led by K. R. Attlee carried out a number of reforms, nationalized the Bank of England, several industries, paying full compensation to the owners.

Foreign policy

The Labor government of Great Britain supported the aggravation of US relations with the Soviet Union. And it was only under tremendous pressure that the independence of India, completely robbed by the British, was granted in 1947, where in the middle of the twentieth century less than one percent of the literate population (not educated, but just knowing letters) turned out to be. The national liberation movement also forced freedom to Burma and Ceylon in 1948.

And already in 1951 the Labor Party suffered a crushing defeat in the parliamentary elections. The ideas of socialism ceased to be of interest to English society, moreover, they were compromised. In the end, I had to invent something new, abandoning the idea of building socialism. The leader of the British Labor Party of the time H. Gaitskell took the course toward democratic socialism, a state of universal prosperity with a mixed economy and revolutionary incomes. Here, unshakable fidelity to the doctrines of NATO was proclaimed.

Sixties and Seventies

In 1964, the Labor Party again won and formed a government with G. Wilson at the head. At that time, wages increased, pension reform was carried out, then the "income policy" began again, with the previous restrictions on spending on social needs, as a result, in 1970 the Labor Party lost and went into opposition. In 1974, they expected a new victory. The state of emergency that the conservatives imposed because of frequent strikes was canceled, a normal working week was restored, and a conflict with the miners was settled.

Trade unions signed a contract with the government on stabilizing prices, increasing social assistance to the population in exchange for the fact that the unions will not demand an increase in wages. The next period in the history of Britain was truly fatal. It is connected with the appearance at the head of the power of Margaret Thatcher.

"The Iron Lady"

Conservative to the bone, this powerful and strong-willed woman carried out such reforms, from which the return to socialist ideas can never be expected, even in an exceptionally mild form. The Labor Party adopted reforms in order not to lose the electorate. They supported the privatization of enterprises, once them nationalized, free market economy, reduction of social obligations. They were forced to do this.

The Labor Party has begun a process of modernization, which has not stopped even now, since the movement has become irreversible. The calls for nationalization were struck from the program, "new Laborites" appeared. The party became center-left. And only after that, in 1997, they managed to win a difficult election victory. Party programs have become much more vague and aimed at preserving the stability of British society.

Today

The new leader of the British Labor Party, Jeremy Corbin, was elected after the party lost 17 seats in parliament after the last election. He is an ardent socialist, he stands for the abolition of austerity and stands for Britain's withdrawal from NATO. Many analysts predict the split of the party with such a leader. His programs are unacceptable for either the ruling conservatives, or for the bulk of the "new Laborites."

The Party is now very far from its working class. She has a very modern European face. For example, a member of the British Labor Party Simon Parks seriously argues that the Russian president is brought up by aliens, Nordic aliens. They supply it with an "extraterrestrial" weapon, which is almost as complete as the American one, and insist on confronting the United States. This person does not consider himself inadequate at all. And his party companions, by all accounts, too.