{{Unreferenced, date=October 2007
Before World War I, there were at least two organizations in Winnipeg calling themselves the Independent Labour Party. The first of these was set up by British trade unionists in 1895, and collapsed soon thereafter.
The second was created in 1906, following a visit to the city from Ramsay MacDonald. The party received support from members of
Arthur Puttee
Arthur W. Puttee (August 25, 1868 – October 21, 1957) was a British-Canadian printer and politician. Puttee was the first Labour Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of Canada, sitting as Winnipeg MP from 1900 to 1904.
Puttee ...
's Winnipeg Labour Party, which had been moribund since 1904.
Like other groups of the same name, this Independent Labour Party was a reformist organization. It was opposed by members of the more radical
Socialist Party of Canada
The Socialist Party of Canada (SPC) was a political party that existed from 1904 to 1925, led by E. T. Kingsley. It published the socialist newspaper ''Western Clarion''.
History
Establishment
The founding of the Socialist Party of Canada bega ...
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The ILP nominated Kempton McKim to contest the riding of Winnipeg West in the provincial election of 1907. McKim called for labour standards legislation and the public ownership of utilities. He was defeated by Thomas Johnson, a popular figure from the left wing of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
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In 1908, some members agitated for the ILP to officially declare itself as socialist. They were opposed by another group, led by moderate reformer Fred Dixon (later a member of the provincial legislature). The controversy split the party, which ceased to exist as a viable organization after June 1908. The reformist faction of the ILP regrouped as the Manitoba Labour Party for the 1910 provincial election.
In 1914-15, candidates nominated by the Labour Representation Committee officially ran for the "Independent Labor Party", even though no formal organization of that name seems to have existed at the time.
J.S. Woodsworth helped launch a new Independent Labour Party in 1919. He would be elected as MP under that banner in 1921. This ILP went on to be one of the founding organizations of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation party, a predecessor to the New Democratic Party.