The Labour Emancipation League was a

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 ...

organisation in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. The origins of the league lay in the 1880 split from the

National Secular Society The National Secular Society (NSS) is a British campaigning organisation that promotes secularism and the separation of church and state. It holds that no one should gain advantage or disadvantage because of their religion or lack of it. It was ...

of the Stratford Dialectical and Radical Club around Ambrose Barker. In 1881, the Club was forced to abandon its activities, although it remained in existence as the Homerton Socialist Society. Barker and Tom Lemon from the Society joined with

Joseph Lane Joseph "Joe" Lane (December 14, 1801 – April 19, 1881) was an American politician and soldier. He was a state legislator representing Evansville, Indiana, and then served in the Mexican–American War, becoming a general. President James K. ...

and

Frank Kitz Frank Kitz (1849 – 8 January 1923) was an English anarchist. Life Born in the Kentish Town area of London as Francis Platt, he was illegitimate and grew up in poverty.E. P. Thompson and Peter Linebaugh, ''William Morris: Romantic to Revo ...

to hold regular public meetings in

Mile End Mile End is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London, England, east-northeast of Charing Cross. Situated on the London-to-Colchester road, it was one of the earliest suburbs of London. It became part of the m ...

. These proved a success, and they formed the Labour Emancipation League to continue this work. The first secretary, Aaron Moseley, soon resigned and was replaced by Lane. The League was influenced by

Marxism Marxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialectical ...

, Chartism and Proudhonism. Its programme called for: The League soon spread across the East End of London. In 1884, it joined H. M. Hyndman's Democratic Federation, which was consequently renamed the Social Democratic Federation and adopted much of the League's programme. However, in 1885 the East London branch of the SDF was one of several to split and form the Socialist League.

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Bibliography

* * {{UK far left Defunct political parties in England Political parties established in 1881 Political parties disestablished in 1884 Socialist parties in England Defunct socialist parties in the United Kingdom 1881 establishments in England 1884 disestablishments in England Mile End