Michael Foot on the Labour Party post world war II

Labour after the Second World War - by a superb academic - and Labour Party Leader, Michael Foot

Monday Morning

Timing is everything in politics. My arrival at the entrance to the secure area around conference coincided with that of David Miliband. He went on to make a superb speech - not just a unifying speech from a closely defeated candidate for the party's top job - but but foreign policy and what can and should be achieved. I shall be reading the text carefully - it had great substance.

I've escaped from the conference for a couple of hours. I'm hoping to call in at the Labour History Museum - I used its archives for a paper I presented in the summer on the first Labour Group in the House of Lords (1924 - formed as Labour entered overnment for the first time). They have the original minutes of the PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party); copies of the conference reports (which always include a parliamentary report) and books of memoirs not generally available. I will be depositing a copy of the paper that the staff at the archives were so helpful in assisting me with. [If you are interested in a copy, drop me a line at info@washminster.com. I will email a copy as soon as I return home - where my PC's hard drive has the file.

Tonight I am attending a Law Society reception (which as a law lecturer at a couple of universities, I have a great interest in training which the Law Society oversees) - then Diversity Night at an Indian Restaurant. Finally I'll be going to the Guardian's late night reception.

Monday

A very full - and interesting day. Aftera two mile walk from my accommodation into the Conference Centre, I arrived just in time for the start of "European Question Time". Breakfast was provided. Chaired by Baroness Ashton, the Leader of the House of Lords, subjects ranged from campaigning, to social policy and to international security.

The plenary session had already begun by the time I'd got across to the conference hall itself. However my stay there was short - as I joined a small group of parliamentarians for a tour of the Labour History Archive and Study Centre of the People's History Museum. The building itself is of great historical significance for the Labour Movement - in 1868 the Trades Union Congress (TUC) had its first meeting there. The tour was fascinating and I saw the original handwritten minutes of the first meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (12th February 1906, letters from Eric Blair [George Orwell]; Charlie Chaplin - and a handwritten letter from a young Tony Blair to the Labour leader of the time, Michael Foot. There was a fantastic collection of political posters and some banners. The People's History Museum is currently closed for redevelopment - but it has so many items of interest, that I would strongly recommend a visit when it reopens. Details of the Museum and the archive are available at http://82.71.77.169/introduction.htm

I returned to the conference hall to hear the speech by Alistair Darling, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. At lunch time I went to a debate organised by the Guardian - on who was Labour's Greatest Hero. Keir Hardie; Clement Attlee; Nye Bevan and Barbara Castle were the four nominees. It was enjoyable and interesting. A full report is expected soon on http://www.guardian.co.uk/

In the afternoon session we heard speeches from Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Defence Secretry, Des Browne. I sought to participate in the debate - with a speech on the need for Britain to work with fellow EU members; the United States and other countries to advance both Britain's and the world's interests. However time ran out and I wasn't called. The afternoon concluded with tributes to, and speeches by two retiring Members of the European Parliament - EPLP Leader Gary Titley and Glenys Kinnock.

Tonight I briefly attended a reception put on by my union branch - the UNITE T&G Parliamentary Branch http://www.w4mp.org/html/personnel/tgwu/default.asp. I then went to a Hansard Society/Channel 4 event entitled "People Like Us: is British society fairly reflected in parliament? This was recorded and a podcast is planned which will appear on the Hansard Society website - http://www.hansard-society.org.uk/

I enjoyed a visit to the Labour Friends of India reception; then went to a packed meeting entitled "American Election Update". The level of interest was obvious - and we were treated to some useful insights into this enthralling election.

By the time I got back to my accommodation it was nearly midnight - and now I'm off to bed - and another busy day, which will include Gordon Brown's speech.

Late Night Update from Manchester

An interesting evening of conversations at the Greater Manchester Fabians event. Lots of discussion about what should happen over the next few days - and how Labour can get its message across to sceptical voters. Also I learnt about a system of electric cars using batteries which are recharged by overnight surplus wind power in Norway. The Fabian Society has always been a forum for ideas to be discussed - and has played a very influential role in Labour history. Today's event was an informal get together - the serious business begins tomorrow.

For a list of Fabian events at the Labour Party Conference visit http://fabians.org.uk/events/events/labour-conference-08-fringes

The Early Years - Labour in the House of Lords

When the Labour Representative Committee was created in 1900 its purpose was to ensure that representatives of the Labour movement were elected to Parliament. It concentrated wholly upon the House of Commons, the only elected part of the British Parliament. The House of Lords, which it described in its January 1910 manifesto as "an irresponsible body which represents nothing but its own class interests" had no Labour members.

With the collapse in the Liberal Party and the increase in the Labour vote (December 1910 - 7.1% to December 1918 22.2%, - helped by the extension of the franchise to all men over 21 and all women over 30) - Labour became one of the most important parties at Westminster. It was only in 1920 that the first "Labour Peer" was recognised. The 2nd Earl of Kimberley (John Wodehouse - son of a leading statesman in Gladstone's Governments) had entered the House of Lords in 1902, and like his father taken the Liberal Whip. In 1918 and 1920 he sent telegrams of support to the Labour parliamentary candidate in South Norfolk, and in 1922 was re-elected to Norfolk County Council, but this time after describing himself as the "Labour" candidate. For these activities he was nicknamed by the press as "the Labour Earl"

In February 1920 the Constitutional Year Book (cited in Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900-2000 by David and Gareth Butler) identifies the strength of the Labour Party in the House of Lords as One. But the Earl of Kimberley retained the Liberal Whip (despite his support for an opposing candidate in 1920). A seperate Labour Group only fomally existed after January 1924.

Other early members supporting Labour included the 2nd Earl Russell (elder brother of Bertrand Russell, who succeeded him as 3rd Earl) and Earl De La Warr - who was to become Labour Chief Whip (before joined the National Government, and subsequently the conservative Government of Winston Churchill).

It was the advent of the first Labour Government which caused the first formation of a proper Labour Group. Former Liberals such as Viscount Haldane; Lord Gorell; the 2nd Lord Acton (the first death in the group - June 1924); Lord Muir MacKenzie (the first Labour Chief Whip) joined the group and new Peers were created (Lord Olivier - uncle of the actor Laurence Olivier; Lord Thomson and Lord Arnold). Lord Parmoor - a former Tory MP who received a peerage in 1914 from the Liberals, and father of Stafford Cripps, also joined the group.