When Did the Labour Party Come to Power?

In Britain, the political climate shifts back and forth from the Labour Party to the Liberal Party. Each election year, just as in the United States the shift of power in the legislature either changes or stays the same. Therefore, there are numerous times at which the labour party has come to power.

Following the War, the Labour Party was able to win its first election and take control of the government. Despite taking the position of Prime Minister, they lacked the seats in the Parliament to pass any worker-based legislation. They had to rely on the support of the Liberal Party to carry enough votes.

In 1929, for the first time, not only did the Labour Party take the Prime Minister’s seat but they also took the majority of seats in the Parliament. Despite this achievement, it did not help them enact legislation.

At that time, the country was plunged into rampant unemployment and a severe crisis in the economy as a result of the Stock Market Crash of ’29. Britain was hard hit by the economic downturn and, by 1931, the Labour Party had once more lost power. There was resurgence in 1935 to bring the Labour Party back into a majority voice in the Parliament.

During this War, the Labour Party supported the move to rearm and opposed Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement. They put all their efforts into fighting the War with the Nazi’s.

Recent Years

Following the Second World War, the Labour Party lost power in the Parliament to the Conservatives. While remaining in the Parliament, the Labour Party still had lost much of its power.

The Party continued to regain its power in Parliament through the years from 1960 up until 1997 when Tony Blair took control of the Party. He was able to move the philosophy of the party more to the center and won a landslide victory in the 1997 elections. The Labour Party once more held the majority in Parliament and held the Prime Minister’s office.

Over the years, the Labour Party held power in the Parliament only to lose it within a few years. They began to start taking power in 1960 with slow measured steps but by the election of 1997, they were ready to take that power back. They may have started in the 1920s but they actually achieved their power in 1997.

Historical Development

The evolution and development of the Labour Party has changed greatly over the years. The party was first formed by and presided over by Kier Hardie. He was a strong proponent of supporting any candidate that backed the unions and workers causes in the government.

Opposition centered more on socialistic doctrine then lead the leadership in a struggle between sides. During the First World War, the Party split between proponents and opponents of involvement.

Party Ideology

The Labour Party grew out of the workers rights movements and was heavily influenced by the socialists of the late 19th century and grew out of the workers movement. Historically, the party has been in favor of socialist practices such as public ownership of key industries, welfare, publicly funded health care and education, redistribution of wealth and government intervention in the economy. Its political leanings are termed centre-left.

In the late 1980s, the party moved away from the socialist ideas and pursued more of a free market society. The Party is now referred to more as Social Democratic than Democratic Socialism. The Party lines have become increasingly strained as well, as the party's ties with the Unions have become strained. The strain comes from the financial support of the Socialist Party by the Unions, instead of the Unions working through the Labour Party to resolve and address issues.

Labour Party Governments

Minority governments in England were first formed in 1924 and continued throughout the years. They reemerged in 1929 until 1931. The Labour Party formed the majority government for the first time in 1940 through 1945.

Over the years from 2000 to 2010, the Labour Party held power in the House of Commons, but steadily dropped from 176 seats to 66 seats, becoming the second largest party in the House of Commons. This made them the official Opposition.

They also hold the leading position in the Welsh Parliament as of 2010 and are the main opposition party in the Scottish Parliament. They hold 13 seats in the European Parliament and are members of the Party of European Socialists and Socialists International.