The Labour Independent Group was an organisation of five former Labour Party Members of Parliament (MPs) in the United Kingdom. In April 1948, the MP

John Platts-Mills John Faithful Fortescue Platts-Mills, (4 October 1906 – 26 October 2001) was a British barrister and left-wing politician. He was the Labour Party Member of Parliament for Finsbury from 1945 to 1948, when he was expelled from the party effect ...

organised a petition in support of Pietro Nenni and the Italian Socialist Party, who were in alliance with the Italian Communist Party, counter to Labour Party policy. He was expelled from the party. In May 1949, six Labour MPs voted against signing the North Atlantic Treaty, and of them,

Lester Hutchinson Hugh Lester Hutchinson (13 December 1904 – February 1983) was a Labour politician who was elected to represent Manchester Rusholme in the 1945 General Election, winning the seat by ten votes. Early life and background Hutchinson was born in ...

Leslie Solley Leslie Judah Solley (15 December 1905 – 9 January 1968) was a British politician and barrister. Solley was born in London and educated at Davenant Foundation School then the University of London. He worked as a scientist and then a barrister. ...

and Konni Zilliacus were expelled.Spartacus: Konni Zilliacus
All these MPs were known for their

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

sympathies, and the four joined with another independent MP,

Denis Pritt Denis Nowell Pritt, QC (22 September 1887 – 23 May 1972) was a British barrister and left-wing Labour Party politician. Born in Harlesden, Middlesex, he was educated at Winchester College and the University of London. A member of the Labou ...

, who had been expelled from the Labour Party in 1940 for supporting the Soviet Union in the Winter War, to form the Labour Independent Group. Pritt was appointed the group's Chairman. F. W. S. Craig, ''Minor Parties at British Parliamentary Elections'' The group regarded Soviet foreign policy as essentially defensive, and criticized the United States and the United Kingdom as bearing the greatest responsibility for the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

. Zilliacus developed a negative impression of Stalin when the two met, and so he resigned from the group later in 1949, instead adopting a position of support for

Josip Broz Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his deat ...

, who he had also met. All four remaining members stood as "Independent Labour" candidates in the 1950 general election, but all lost their seats, thus dissolving the group.

Members

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B0708-0014-010, Oberstes Gericht, Globke-Prozess, Denis Nowell Pritt

* Chairman:

(1887–1972) - MP for

Hammersmith North Hammersmith North could refer to: *Hammersmith North (UK Parliament constituency) * Hammersmith North (electoral division), Greater London Council *Hammersmith North (London County Council constituency) Hammersmith North was a constituency used ...

, 1935–1950 *

(1904–1983) - MP for

Manchester Rusholme Manchester Rusholme was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Rusholme district of Manchester. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post sy ...

, 1945–1950 *

(1906–2001) - MP for

Finsbury Finsbury is a district of Central London, forming the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Islington. It borders the City of London. The Manor of Finsbury is first recorded as ''Vinisbir'' (1231) and means "manor of a man called Finn ...

, 1945–1950 *

(1905–1968) - MP for Thurrock, 1945–1950 * Konni Zilliacus (1894–1967) - MP for

Gateshead Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Sage ...

, 1945–1950

1950 general election results

References

{{UK Labour Party Labour Party (UK) breakaway groups Defunct political parties in the United Kingdom Political parties established in 1949 Political parties disestablished in 1950 Independent politicians in the United Kingdom