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{{for, the Israeli political party, Balad (political party) The National Democratic League was a cross-party political organisation in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, which aimed to unite
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 ...
and former
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 ...
(ILP) members in a campaign for basic democratic reforms."The National Democratic League: 'belated and mutilated Chartism'", Logie Barrow and Ian Bullock, ''Democratic Ideas and the British Labour Movement, 1880-1914'', pp.141-145 The League was founded in October 1900 on the initiative of William Thompson, editor of ''
Reynold's News ''Reynold's News'' was a Sunday newspaper in the United Kingdom, founded as ''Reynolds's Weekly Newspaper''Joanne Shattock, ''The Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature'', p.2908 by George W. M. Reynolds in 1850, who became its first editor ...
''. Concerned by 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 ...
majority in the
1900 UK general election The 1900 United Kingdom general election was held between 26 September and 24 October 1900, following the dissolution of Parliament on 25 September. Also referred to as the Khaki Election (the first of several elections to bear this sobriquet), ...
and the establishment of the Labour Representation Committee (LRC), he called the "Democratic Convention", aiming to bring together liberals and socialists on a basic democratic programme, inspired by
Chartism 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 ...
. The League's programme contained seven proposals: universal adult suffrage, automatic electoral registration, the abolition of multiple voting, for the state to cover election expenses, and to pay MPs, the abolition of the
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
, and the introduction of a
two-round system The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resul ...
of voting. Although the programme was limited, it did attract the support of some branches of the ILP and
Social Democratic Federation The Social Democratic Federation (SDF) was established as Britain's first organised socialist political party by H. M. Hyndman, and had its first meeting on 7 June 1881. Those joining the SDF included William Morris, George Lansbury, James Con ...
. Their national organisations did not seek to prohibit them from participating, but were strongly critical of the limited focus of the League.
Tom Mann Thomas Mann (15 April 1856 – 13 March 1941), was an English trade unionist and is widely recognised as a leading, pioneering figure for the early labour movement in Britain. Largely self-educated, Mann became a successful organiser and a ...
became the league's first Secretary, serving for three years; he was simultaneously employed as its full-time organiser. He was succeeded by
Victor Fisher Frederick Victor Fisher (10 July 1870 – 30 January 1954) was a British political activist. Fisher was born in London; his mother was English, and his father was Hungarian. He was privately educated in London and Paris, then worked in journalism ...
. Thompson served as the President, while
David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during t ...
,
Robert Smillie Robert Smillie (17 March 1857 – 16 February 1940) was a Scottish trade unionist and Labour Party politician. He was a leader of the coal miners, and played a central role in moving support from the miners away from the Liberal Party to the La ...
,
W. C. Steadman William Charles Steadman (12 July 1851 – 20 July 1911) was a prominent trade unionist and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal or Lib-Lab politician. Life Born in Poplar, London, Steadman began work at the age of eight, and in 1866 became a barge bui ...
and Richard Bell were among its Vice-Presidents.Peter Barberis et al, ''Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations'', pp.354-355Frank Bealey and Henry Pelling, ''Labour and Politics, 1900-1906'', p.135 Although initial interest soon faded, Mann's work led to a short revival in its fortunes in 1902. At this time, the League was particularly strong in London; by 1902, it had 31 branches there, with 34 in the remainder of the country. However, it soon declined everywhere, particularly as the LRC gained strength and became the Labour Party. Thompson lost interest in the organisation, and
Frank Hugh O'Donnell Frank Hugh O'Donnell (also Frank Hugh O'Cahan O'Donnell), born Francis Hugh MacDonald (9 October 1846 – 2 November 1916) was an Irish writer, journalist and nationalist politician. Early life O'Donnell was born in an army barracks in Devon, E ...
took over the presidency, while the Fabian James E. Dobson became Secretary, and John Ward became Chairman.''The Labour Annual 1908'' It appears to have dissolved some time after 1911.


References

Defunct political parties in the United Kingdom Political parties established in 1900 Radicalism (historical) 1900 establishments in the United Kingdom 1911 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Political parties disestablished in 1911