Editing National Democratic and Labour Party

{{Short description|Political party in the United Kingdom}}
{{About||the far right party|National Democratic Party (UK, 1966)|similarly named groups|National Democrats (disambiguation){{!}}National Democrats}}

The '''National Democratic and Labour Party''', usually abbreviated to '''National Democratic Party''' ('''NDP'''), was a short-lived [[political party]] in the [[United Kingdom]]. Its predecessors were the [[British Workers League|British Workers' National League]], and the [[Socialist National Defence Committee]].

==History==
The party's origins lay in a split by the right wing of the [[British Socialist Party]], primarily over issues raised by the [[World War I|First World War]]. In 1915, [[Victor Fisher]] formed the [[Socialist National Defence Committee]]<ref>Martin Crick, ''The History of the Social-Democratic Federation'' (Keele University Press, 1994) p. 271.</ref> along with [[Alexander M. Thompson]] and [[Robert Blatchford]]. They supported "the eternal idea of nationality" and aimed to promote "[[socialism|socialist]] measures in the war effort".<ref>John Callaghan, ''Socialism in Britain'' (1990), p. 74.</ref> The Committee was supported by [[John Hodge (politician)|John Hodge]], [[George Henry Roberts]], and for a time by [[Henry Hyndman]] who subsequently formed his own party, the [[National Socialist Party (UK)|National Socialist Party]].

In 1916, this committee formed the [[British Workers League]]. It described itself as a "patriotic labour" group, and focused on support for the war and the [[British Empire]] and opposition to [[Little Englander]] and [[Cobdenism|Cobdenite]] [[laissez-faire economics]].<ref>[[Martin Pugh (author)|Martin Pugh]], ''[[Speak for Britain! A New History of the Labour Party]]'' (The Bodley Head, 2010), p. 115.</ref> The League was subsidised by [[Waldorf Astor]]<ref>Lockwood, P.A.: The Historical Journal, "Milner's Entry into the War Cabinet, December 1916", [https://www.jstor.org/stable/3020520 pg. 123]</ref> through [[Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner|Lord Milner]],<ref>Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley entry on British Workers League ''Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations'' (Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005), p. 274.</ref> who consulted with Fisher during the war.<ref>J. Lee Thompson, ''Forgotten Patriot: A Life of Alfred, Viscount Milner of St. James's and Cape Town'' (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press), p. 320.</ref> The League was supported by Labour MPs such as [[James O'Grady]], [[Stephen Walsh (MP)|Stephen Walsh]] and [[William Abraham (trade unionist)|William Abraham]].<ref>Pugh, p. 115.</ref>

The League sought to challenge [[pacificist]] Parliamentary candidates; this caused a rupture with the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]. Eleven out of thirty-eight of the Labour Parliamentary MPs showed support for the British Workers League; however, many later returned to the Labour Party.<ref name="Pugh, p. 116">Pugh, p. 116.</ref>

The [[British Workers League]] reconstituted itself in 1918 as the National Democratic and Labour Party, with the support of [[George Barnes (British politician)|George Barnes]], MP for [[Glasgow Blackfriars and Hutchesontown (UK Parliament constituency)|Glasgow Blackfriars and Hutchesontown]], when he resigned from the Labour Party (Barnes, however, never stood for election under the NDP banner, and was re-elected in 1918 as a [[Coalition Labour]] MP). The NDP policy was described as follows, 'Support of the Coalition Government and the war effort. Broadly socialist in outlook and claimed to represent "the patriotic working class." It was bitterly opposed to the pacifist elements within the Labour Party.'<ref>Marlowe, John, ''Milner, Apostle of Empire'', pg. 373</ref> The group gained the support of the [[Musicians' Union (UK)|Musicians' Union]] and parts of other unions, including some sections of the [[Miners' Federation of Great Britain]]. It was primarily funded by [[David Lloyd George|Lloyd George]] Coalition [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberals]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2021}}

At its high water mark, the party fielded twenty-eight candidates in the [[1918 United Kingdom general election|1918 general election]]—twenty of them on the [[Coalition Coupon]]—and won ten seats.<ref name="Pugh, p. 116"/><ref name="Barberis p. 274">Barberis, McHugh and Tyldesley, p. 274.</ref><ref>Marlowe, pg. 373</ref> After the election, [[Clement Edwards]] was elected chairman of the NDP in parliament.<ref>Roy, Douglas: The Historical Journal, "The National Democratic Party and the British Workers' League", [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2637769 pg. 543] </ref>

The National Democratic and Labour's remaining MPs joined the [[National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)|National Liberal Party]] and stood under that label in the [[1918 United Kingdom general election|1922 general election]]. The National Democratic and Labour Party was wound up in 1923, but a grouping continued as the ''Empire Citizens' League''<ref name="Barberis p. 274"/> from 1925 until the late 1920s. Its journal was renamed the ''Empire Citizen'', which ceased publication in September 1927.<ref>Marlowe, pg. 374</ref> Victor Fisher stood, unsuccessfully, for the [[Conservative Party UK|Conservative Party]].<ref>Crick, p. 304.</ref>

==Election results==
===1918 UK general election===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Constituency !! Candidate !! Votes !! Percentage !! Position<ref name="byelections">{{cite book|last1=Craig|first1=F. W. S.|title=Minor Parties in British By-elections, 1885-1974|date=1975|publisher=Macmillan Press|location=London|pages=53–54}}</ref>
|-
|[[Aberdare (UK Parliament constituency)|Aberdare]] || {{sortname|Charles|Stanton}} || 22,824 || 78.6 || 1
|-
|[[Accrington (UK Parliament constituency)|Accrington]] || {{sortname|William|Hammond|nolink=1}} || 738 || 2.5 || 4
|-
|[[Birmingham Duddeston (UK Parliament constituency)|Birmingham Duddeston]] || {{sortname|Eldred|Hallas}} || 8,796 || 79.4 || 1
|-
|[[Bradford East (UK Parliament constituency)|Bradford East]] || {{sortname|Charles Edgar|Loseby}} || 9,390 || 41.1 || 1
|-
|[[Broxtowe (UK Parliament constituency)|Broxtowe]] || {{sortname|H. H.|Whaite|nolink=1}} || 4,374 || 21.6 || 3
|-
|[[Consett (UK Parliament constituency)|Consett]] || {{sortname|Robert|Gee}} || 7,283 || 32.9 || 2
|-
|[[Derby (UK Parliament constituency)|Derby]] || {{sortname|Harold M.|Smith|nolink=1}} || 13,012 || 19.6 || 4
|-
|[[Don Valley (UK Parliament constituency)|Don Valley]] || {{sortname|James|Walton|James Walton (MP for Don Valley)}} || 6,095 || 46.2 || 1
|-
|[[Dumbarton Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)|Dumbarton Burghs]] || {{sortname|John|Taylor|John Taylor (Dumbarton)}} || 11,734 || 52.6 || 1
|-
|[[East Ham South (UK Parliament constituency)|East Ham South]] || {{sortname|Clement|Edwards}} || 7,972 || 42.8 || 1
|-
|[[Edinburgh East (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh East]] || {{sortname|Alexander E.|Balfour|nolink=1}} || 5,136 || 37.8 || 2
|-
|[[Hamilton (UK Parliament constituency)|Hamilton]] || {{sortname|David|Gilmour|David Gilmour (trade unionist)}} || 4,297 || 25.9 || 3
|-
|[[Hanley (UK Parliament constituency)|Stoke-on-Trent Hanley]] || {{sortname|James|Seddon|James Seddon (British politician)}} || 8,032 || 40.4 || 1
|-
|[[Houghton-le-Spring (UK Parliament constituency)|Houghton-le-Spring]] || {{sortname|John|Lindsley|John Lindsley (trade unionist)}} || 6,185 || 30.7 || 3
|-
|[[Leicester West (UK Parliament constituency)|Leicester West]] || {{sortname|Joseph Frederick|Green}} || 20,150 || 76.0 || 1
|-
|[[Mansfield (UK Parliament constituency)|Mansfield]] || {{sortname|George|Jarrett}} || 6,678 || 32.6 || 2
|-
|[[Nuneaton (UK Parliament constituency)|Nuneaton]] || {{sortname|William Henry|Dyson|nolink=1}} || 1,101 || 4.5 || 4
|-
|[[Paisley (UK Parliament constituency)|Paisley]] || {{sortname|John|Taylor|nolink=1}} || 7,201 || 32.5 || 3
|-
|[[Rochdale (UK Parliament constituency)|Rochdale]] || {{sortname|John Joseph|Terrett|nolink=1}} || 2,358 || 7.8 || 4
|-
|[[Rotherham (UK Parliament constituency)|Rotherham]] || {{sortname|Edmund Smith|Bardsley|nolink=1}} || 564 || 2.2 || 4
|-
|[[Rother Valley (UK Parliament constituency)|Rother Valley]] || {{sortname|Ernest George|Bearcroft|nolink=1}} || 4,894 || 27.2 || 2
|-
|[[Stourbridge (UK Parliament constituency)|Stourbridge]] || {{sortname|Victor|Fisher}} || 6,690 || 28.8 || 3
|-
|[[Tottenham South (UK Parliament constituency)|Tottenham South]] || {{sortname|Albert Ernest|Harvey|nolink=1}} || 1,916 || 12.3 || 3
|-
|[[Wallsend (UK Parliament constituency)|Wallsend]] || {{sortname|Matt|Simm}} || 10,246 || 50.9 || 1
|-
|[[Wolverhampton East (UK Parliament constituency)|Wolverhampton East]] || {{sortname|James A.|Shaw|nolink=1}} || 7,138 || 48.2 || 2
|-
|[[Walthamstow West (UK Parliament constituency)|Walthamstow West]] || {{sortname|Charles|Jesson}} || 7,330 || 51.6 || 1
|}

Some prominent members such as George Barnes were elected as [[Coalition Labour]]. Taylor ran as a joint NDP-Liberal candidate, and sat as a Coalition Liberal MP after election.

===By-elections, 1918-1922===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Election !! Candidate !! Votes !! Percentage !! Position<ref name="byelections" />
|-
|[[1919 Chester-le-Street by-election]] || {{sortname|David|Gilmour|David Gilmour (trade unionist)}} || 5,313 || 22.9 || 2
|-
|[[1920 Louth by-election]] || {{sortname|Christopher Hatton|Turnor}} || 7,354 || 42.7 || 2
|}

Turnour ran as a joint NDP-Conservative candidate.

== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}

== References ==

* Crick, Martin, "History of the Socialist-Democratic Federation", Keele, UK: Keele University Press, 1994
* Callaghan, John, "Socialism in Britain", Hoboken, NJ (USA): Blackwell, 1990
* Pugh, Martin, "Speak for Britain! A New History of the Labour Party", London: The Bodley Head, 2010
* Lockwood, P.A., [https://www.jstor.org/journal/historicalj?refreqid=excelsior%3Aec0590edc4d75230df9a7332022afee7 ''The Historical Journal, Vol VII''], "Milner's Entry into the War Cabinet, December 1916", Cambridge: University Press, 1964
* Barberis, Peter, John McHugh and Mike Tyldesley: Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations, "British Workers League", London: Continuum, 2005
* Marlowe, John, [https://archive.org/details/milnerapostleofe0000marl/page/n5/mode/2up ''Milner, Apostle of Empire''], London: Hamish Hamilton, 1976
* Thompson, J. Lee, "Forgotten Patriot: a life of Alfred, Viscount Milner of St. James's and Cape Town, 1854-1925", Cranbury, NJ (USA): Rosemont, 2007
* Roy, Douglas, [https://www.jstor.org/journal/historicalj?refreqid=excelsior%3Aec0590edc4d75230df9a7332022afee7 ''The Historical Journal, Vol. XV''], "The National Democratic Party and the British Worker's League", Cambridge: University Press, 1972
* Craig, F. W. S., "Minor Parties in British By-Elections, 1885-1974", London: MacMillan, 1975

== Other Reading ==
*David Butler and Gareth Butler, ''British Political Facts 7th Ed, 1900-1994''

[[Category:Defunct political parties in the United Kingdom]]
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[[Category:Politics of World War I]]
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[[Category:1918 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
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