The Malta Workers Party ( mt, Partit tal-Ħaddiema, MWP) was a political party in
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
.
History
The party was established in 1949 by
Paul Boffa
Sir Paul Boffa, OBE (30 June 1890 – 6 July 1962) was a Maltese prime minister (1947–1950) who took office after self-rule was reinstated by the British colonial authority following the end of World War II.Labour Party following a motion of no confidence.Vincent E McHale (1983) ''Political parties of Europe'', Greenwood Press, p633 Both parties won 11 seats in the
1950 elections
The following elections occurred in the year 1950.
Africa
* 1950 South-West African legislative election
Asia
* 1950 Iranian legislative election
Australia
* 1950 New South Wales state election
* 1950 Queensland state election
* 1950 South ...
, allowing the Nationalist Party (which won 12 seats) to form the government.McHale, p636 In the elections the following year the Labour Party won 14 seats and the Workers Party won seven, with the Workers' Party joining a coalition government with the Nationalist Party.
The party's support declined rapidly, and it won only three seats in the
1953 elections
The following elections occurred in the year 1953.
Africa
* 1953 Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland election
* 1953 South African general election
* 1953 Southern Rhodesian federation referendum
* 1953 South-West African legislative election
...
. It was disbanded in 1955.
Ideology
The party ran on a platform of co-operation with the British authorities in order to promote Maltese interests. It called for economic austerity and diverting funds to industrial development. Boffa publicly accused Labour Party leader
Dom Mintoff
Dominic Mintoff, ( mt, Duminku Mintoff, ; often called ''il-Perit'', "the Architect"; 6 August 1916 – 20 August 2012) was a Maltese Socialist politician, architect, and civil engineer who was leader of the Labour Party from 1949 to 198 ...