Uxbridge Division Labour Party,
Socialist Labour League

A left wing grouping called the Socialist labour League, was established within the Uxbridge Divisional Labour Party in the early 1930's.

It meet at Uxbridge Friend's Meeting House. The Secretary being Austen Harry Albu of "Talland" Kings End, Ruislip.

The inaugural meeting of the Socialist League was held on Sunday 2 October 1932 at the Co-operative Hall, Leicester, the day prior to the start of Labour Party Conference.
Chairman: E.F Wise; Genseral Secretary E.A.Radice;Constance Borrett Hon Organising Secretary; Joint Treasurer Wynne Davies and G.R.Mitchinson
Prominent Labour politicians such as Stafford Cripps, Barbara Castle and Michael Foot were members

The Socialist League recognising the threat of Fascism support and encouraged a popular Front or Unity. In March 1937, the LP declared membership of the Socialist League incompatible with membership of the Labour Party. The SL now had either to retreat from the Unity Campaign, or face the wholesale expulsion of its members from the LP. It now announced its dissolution, a decision that was endorsed at the final SL conference in Leicester, at Whitsun, 1937.

Albu later, born Hampstead 1903, educated Tonbridge School, First employment was in the workshops and shipyards in the Midlands and North. Manager at Greenford Factory for 15 years

Amalgamated Engineering Union member, Fabian Society Executive. Elected in a by-election as Member of Parliament for Edmonton (1948-1974)

His second wife was Marie Jahoda, of New York was also a left wing activist from her pre War days in Austria. After they married she became a professor at Sussex University


Austen Harry Albu born 21st September 1903 died 23rd November 1994