{{Infobox political party , logo = , colorcode = red , country = the United Kingdom , name = Labour Union , ideology =

Socialism Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

, position =

Left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

, foundation = 1889 , dissolved = 1893 , newspaper = , international = , secretary = H. A. Barker and

A. K. Donald Alexander Karley Donald (died by 1918) was a Scottish barrister active in the socialist movement. He joined the Socialist League in 1885. Along with other parliamentarians, he left the League to form the Bloomsbury Socialist Society in 1890. In ...

, successor =

Independent Labour Party The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a British political party of the left, established in 1893 at a conference in Bradford, after local and national dissatisfaction with the Liberals' apparent reluctance to endorse working-class candidates ...

, colours = The Labour Union was a small

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

political party based in London. The organisation was formed with the aim of bringing together workers who supported neither 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 ...

nor the

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

. An organising committee was established in 1888, chaired jointly by

John Lincoln Mahon John Lincoln Mahon (8 June 1865 – 19 November 1933) was a Scottish trade unionist and politician, best known as a prominent socialist activist. Mahon was born in Edinburgh, to Irish parents, with the surname "McMahon". He followed in his fath ...

and

Henry Alfred Barker Henry Alfred Barker (25 February 1858 – 12 January 1940) was a British socialist activist. Early life Born in Shoreditch in the East End of London, Barker was educated at St John's School in Hoxton before following his father in becoming ...

, while Thomas Binning was its treasurer, and other members included Robert Banner and Alexander K. Donald. The large majority of its founders had recently left the Socialist League in opposition to the growing

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not neces ...

influence in that organisation,Barbara Nield and John Saville, "Barker, Henry Alfred", ''Dictionary of Labour Biography'', vol.VI, pp.19-21 while a minority still held membership of the League. While much of its membership was in London, initially it attempted to establish provincial branches, with

Tom Maguire Tom Maguire (28 March 1892 – 5 July 1993) was an Irish republican who held the rank of commandant-general in the Western Command of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and led the South Mayo flying column. Early life Tom Maguire was born 28 Ma ...

and Fred Pickles joining in

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

.Ed.

Norman Kelvin Norman Kelvin (August 27, 1924 – April 14, 2014) was an American scholar of English. He was Distinguished Professor of English at City College of New York and Graduate Center, CUNY. Kelvin was a recipient of a 1974 Guggenheim Fellowship. Biograp ...

, ''The Collected Letters of William Morris, Volume III: 1889-1892'', p.52 The party was formally established at the start of 1889, with a platform including

Irish Home Rule The Irish Home Rule movement was a movement that campaigned for Devolution, self-government (or "home rule") for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was the dominant political movement of Irish nationalism from 1 ...

, the nationalisation of key industries, an eight-hour working day, and Parliamentary reforms similar to those earlier proposed by the

Chartists Chartism was a working-class movement for political reform in the United Kingdom that erupted from 1838 to 1857 and was strongest in 1839, 1842 and 1848. It took its name from the People's Charter of 1838 and was a national protest movement, w ...

. It also called for the formation of a national independent party of labour. This was based an influential document by Mahon, entitled "A Labour Programme", which had been published in 1888 with a foreword by

Robert Cunninghame-Graham Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham (24 May 1852 – 20 March 1936) was a Scottish politician, writer, journalist and adventurer. He was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament (MP); the first ever socialist member of the Parliament of the United Ki ...

. In August, the platform was revised to include Scottish and Welsh home rule. At this time, Mahon stood down as joint leader, with Donald and Barker becoming joint secretaries. The organisation stood Barker as a candidate in the 1889 London County Council election in Shoreditch, but he polled very poorly. Despite this, at the 1892 general election, it sponsored Donald as a candidate in

Hoxton Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, England. As a part of Shoreditch, it is often considered to be part of the East End – the historic core of wider East London. It was historically in the county of Middlesex until 1889. I ...

; he received only nineteen votes. The party also attempted to organise

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

s, including one to represent coal porters, and one for postmen. Neither were successful, with many workers who had signed up for membership facing victimisation. An attempt to organise a strike among the postmen was particularly calamitous and, thereafter, the party undertook little activity.Paul Thompson, ''Socialists, Liberals and Labour: the struggle for London, 1885-1914'', p.153 In 1893, the

(ILP) was established. The Labour Union responded enthusiastically, dissolving itself to form the core of the ILP's London branch.

References

Political parties established in 1889 Political parties disestablished in 1893 Labour parties in the United Kingdom Defunct socialist parties in the United Kingdom 1893 disestablishments in England 1889 establishments in England