A socialist society is a membership organisation that is affiliated with the Labour Party in the UK. Socialist Society stall

The best-known and oldest socialist society is the

Fabian Society The Fabian Society is a British socialist organisation whose purpose is to advance the principles of social democracy and democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist effort in democracies, rather than by revolutionary overthrow. The Fa ...

, founded in 1884, some years before the creation of the Labour Party itself (in which the Society participated). The Society's membership is relatively small (around 7000) but it exerts much influence in Labour circles. The

Co-operative Party The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom, supporting co-operative values and principles. Established in 1917, the Co-operative Party was founded by co-operative societies to campaign politically for the fair ...

is not strictly a "socialist society" in the context of the Labour Party; it is in fact a separate party with an electoral agreement with Labour. It acts as a socialist society for the most part although it has certain additional rights. ''Affiliation'' means that the socialist societies – like a number of British

trade unions 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 Employee ben ...

– pay an affiliation fee to the Labour Party, and the affiliates' members become affiliated supporters of the Labour Party (a different status from full member), unless they specifically choose otherwise. In return the societies receive a formal role in Labour decision-making, and the affiliated supporters can take part in all-member ballots in certain circumstances. For example, they can participate in the election of Labour Party leaders and deputy leaders, have delegates and votes at Annual Conference. Socialist societies also elect a delegate (currently James Asser) to the Labour

National Executive Committee National Executive Committee is the name of a leadership body in several organizations, mostly political parties: * National Executive Committee of the African National Congress, in South Africa * Australian Labor Party National Executive * Nationa ...

and can affiliate at a local level to

Constituency Labour Parties __NOTOC__ A constituency Labour Party (CLP) is an organisation of members of the British Labour Party (UK), Labour Party who live in a particular parliamentary constituency. In England and Wales, CLP boundaries coincide with those for UK parliam ...

. A second seat was allotted to BAME Labour in early 2007, when its membership rose above 2,500. The Socialist Societies also elect three representatives to the National Policy Forum; currently, these are Sina Lari, Andrew Harrop and Paul Clarkson. Since the 2011 'refounding Labour' process, seats on the NPF have also been allocated to

LGBT+ Labour LGBT+ Labour, the Labour Campaign for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights, is a socialist society (Labour Party), socialist society related to the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party in the United Kingdom. Originally called the Gay Labour ...

and the Disability Labour. Each Socialist Society can nominate, and since 2015 Socialist Society members can vote individually, in the Labour leader and deputy leader elections. The socialist societies are also involved in the Labour Party's policy reviews, and the work of the Socialist Societies is co-ordinated by the Socialist Societies Executive. This is a regular meeting of the chairs and key officers of all the societies to share ideas and co-ordinate work. These meetings also co-ordinate regular meetings with senior Labour Party officials and MPs. As a collective, the societies try to co-ordinate campaigning work and hold a joint event at Labour Party conference. A small group of officers are elected to co-ordinate this work. The current committee is: * Chair – Catherine Atkinson (Society of Labour Lawyers) * Vice-chair (Development) – Mike Buckley (Labour Campaign for International Development) * Vice-chair (Policy) – Hamish Sandison (Labour Business) * Secretary – Joe Vinson (

) * Treasurer – Claire Reynolds (Labour Women's Network)

Current socialist societies

As of January 2020, there are 20 affiliated socialist societies: * Black, Asian Minority Ethnic Labour (BAME Labour) (formerly

Labour Party Black Sections Labour Party Black Sections (LPBS), commonly known as Black Sections, was a caucus in the United Kingdom, made up of African, Caribbean, and Asian Labour Party members from 1983 to 1993. Formation Since the 1960s, the Labour Party has relied f ...

and

Black Socialist Society The Black Socialist Society was a British socialist society affiliated to the Labour Party. It was made up of black Labour supporters from 1993 to 2007. It later became BAME Labour BAME Labour (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Labour), former ...

) * Chinese for Labour *

Christians on the Left Christians on the Left, formerly known as the Christian Socialist Movement (CSM), is a socialist society in the UK. The movement fulfils a need among Christian socialists for an organisation that would be both politically engaged and theolog ...

(formerly The Christian Socialist Movement) * Disability Labour (formerly Labour Party Disabled Members Group) *

Jewish Labour Movement {{Infobox organization , name = Jewish Labour Movement , pronounce = , nickname = , named_after = , logo = JewishLabourMovementLogo.png , image_border = , size ...

, (formerly

Poale Zion Poale Zion (also spelled Poalei Tziyon or Poaley Syjon, meaning "Workers of Zion") was a movement of Marxist–Zionist Jewish workers founded in various cities of Poland, Europe and the Russian Empire in about the turn of the 20th century after ...

) * Labour Animal Welfare Society * Labour Business (formerly Labour Finance and Industry Group) * Labour Campaign for International Development *

Labour Housing Group Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

Labour Movement for Europe The Labour Movement for Europe (LME) is the only pro-EU society affiliated to the Labour Party in the United Kingdom. It is one of 20 "socialist societies" affiliated to the UK Labour Party, just like the Fabians and The Jewish Labour Movement. ...

Labour Party Irish Society The Labour Party Irish Society is a socialist society affiliated to the British Labour Party. It is a collective body of Labour Party members of Irish birth or descent, and those interested in Ireland and Irish affairs. It promotes the inter ...

Labour Women's Network Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

National Union of Labour and Socialist Clubs In Britain, the National Union of Labour and Socialist Clubs (NULSC) is a socialist society representing Working men's clubs affiliated to the Labour Party (many are also affiliated to the Working Men's Club and Institute Union The Worki ...

Scientists for Labour Scientists for Labour is a socialist society affiliated to the British Labour Party. It is open to supporters of the Labour Party interested or involved in UK science and technology. Notable patrons include the Nobel Prize winning geneticist, ...

Socialist Educational Association The Socialist Educational Association (SEA) is a socialist educational organisation in the United Kingdom. It is affiliated to the Labour Party as a socialist society. It assists in the development of and monitors educational policies of the ...

Socialist Environment and Resources Association The Socialist Environment and Resources Association (SERA), founded in 1973, is an independent environmental association affiliated to the UK Labour Party as a socialist society. More recently it has used the name "SERA – the Labour Environment ...

(SERA)- Labour's Environmental Campaign *

Socialist Health Association The Socialist Health Association (SHA, called the Socialist Medical Association before May 1981) is a socialist medical association based in the United Kingdom. It is affiliated to the Labour Party as a socialist society. History The Social ...

Society of Labour Lawyers A society is a Social group, group of individuals involved in persistent Social relation, social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same Politics, political authority an ...

There are other organisations, such as Labour Arts Alliance, Muslims for Labour and Labour Humanists, which are not formally affiliated to the Labour Party but act as campaign groups for Labour Party members in the same way as the affiliates, but have yet to apply for affiliation or have decided not to do so. Young Labour is not a Socialist Society and retains a separate place within the Labour Party.

References

{{UK Labour Party

Current socialist societies

See also

References