London County Council (LCC) Progressive Party

The London Progressive Party

The Progressive Party in London was formed in 1888 by Liberal’s , Trade Unionists, Fabians and Socialists. It contested the first London County Council (LCC) election’s in 1889 and secured around 70 of the 118 seats.

It was also successful at following the 1892 election, Eventually winning six elections in a row before losing control in 1907 to the Municipal Reform Party (run effectively by the Conservative Party) who controlled the council until 1934.

The growth and consolidation of the Progressive Party in East and South London is undoubtedly linked to the rise of the “New Unionism” movement, which evolved from the London Dock strike of August 1889.

However, according to Harry Gosling first real attempt to get Labour men elected to the London County Council was in 1895.

The Labour Group on the London County Council after the 1898 election consisted of

H.R.Taylor, W.C Steadman (Barge builders union) Harry Gosling (Riverboat lighter man) George Dew (Carpenter) John Burns(engineer), Charles Freak (Bootmaker), Will Crooks (Cooper), C. W Bowerman, Ben Cooper (Cigar makers union)

Above picture of Labour Progressive councillors elected in 1892

Harry Gosling stated of the Progressive Party on the LCC, that ....

“The early propaganda of the progressive Party in the London County Council both before my time and in the early years of my membership was as good as anything the Labour Party has been able to do”

“The Progressive Party stood then in municipal matters exactly where the Labour Party does today”

“It had vigor, vision and enthusiasm it believed in a fine and healthily London with fine thorough fares and fine bridges".

“The Progressives were citizens who were honestly progressive in their ideas and did the utmost to put them into practice”

Harry Gosling “Up and Down Stream” 1927

Labour secured control of the London County Council at the elcetion held on 8th March 1934. Labour winning 69 councillors and 11 Aldermen compared to Municiple Reform/Tories 55 Councillors and 9 Aldermen (total membership of LCC 144)

Labour elected Lord Snell as the Chairman of the Council and Mr E. G Culpin as Vice Chairman

Education Chairman Evelyn Lowe, Health Chairman Dr Somerville Hastings

General Purposes Chairman Miss Agnes Dawson,Public Improvements Chairman G Russell-Strauss, Fire Brigade Chairman Mr E. Cruse,Town Planning Chairman H. Berry,Finance Chairman Charles Latham, Parks Chairman R. Coppock

Labour won a by election in Wandsworth Central held on 27th June 1935 taking its councillors to 70 and its majority to 18

Such was the sucess of the Labour administration that Labour never lost control again. In 1965 the London County Council was consumed into the large Greater London Council in 1965 until outrageously abolished by the Tories 1986, it is now the Greater London Assembly.

London County Council (LCC) 1892 elected Progressive/Labour Councillors

Bannerman, J - Hackney South

Barrs, H.H.H. - Clapham

Bassett--Hopkins, A - Newington

Baum, F.C. - Kensington North

Bayley, E - Southwark

Benn, J.W. - Finsbury East

Bott, W.G - Newington

Branch, J - Bethnal Green South West

Bruce, W.W, - Bow & Bromley (Labour Progressive)

Burns, J - Battersea ( John Burns later labour)

Catmur, T - Whitechapel

Charrington, F.N - Mile End

Collins, W.J. - St Pancras West

Cornwall, E, - Fulham

Costelloe, B.F.C. -Chelsea

Crooks, W - Poplar (Will Crooks later Labour)

Dickinson, W.H. - Wandsworth (Deputy Chairman LCC)

Doubleday, W.B - Norwood

Downes, A.W. - Fulham

Earl Roseberry - (Chairman LCC)

Ford, C - Lambeth North

Freak, C - Bethnal Green (Charles Freak Labour Progressive)

Goodman, W - Islington West

Grigsby, W.E. - Islington North

Grosvenor,R - Kennington

Harris,H - Brixton

Harrison,C - Bethnal Green South West

Harvey, G.A. - Lewisham

Hollington, A.J - Mile End

Holmes, G.B - Hackney South

Hubbard, N.W, - Norwood

Hunter, T - Soutwark (Labour Progressive)

Hutton, J - St Pancras South (Vice Chairman LCC)

Jackson, R.S. - Greenwich

Jolly, J.R. - Woolwich (Ind Progressive)

Jones, E - Peckham

Keylock, H -Deptford

Lidgett, G - Greenwich

Lloyd, J - Kensington North

Lord Carrington - St Pacras West

Lord Monkswell - Camberwell

Lyon,R - Peckham

Marsland, J. - Walworth

McCall, J - Hackney North

McDougall, J - Poplar

Mercer, A - St Georges East (Labour Progressive)

Moss,N - Hoxton

Orsman, W.J. - Haggerston

Parkinson,W,C, - Islington North

Pearce, W - Limehouse

Pickersgill. E.H. - Hackney Central

Ponsonby, A.G. - Finsbury Central

Roberts, R - Islington South

Robinson, N - St Pancras East

Rowlands, E.B. - Finsbury Central

Sauders, W - Walworth

Sears, J.T - Camberwell

Smith, F.S - Lambeth North

Smith, W.A. - Chelsea

Steadman,W.C. - Stepney (Later Labour)

Stevens, L - Rotherhithe

Stockbridge, W - Kennington

Tarling, C - Whitechapel

Taylor, S.S. - Brixton

Thornton, J - Bermondsey

Tims, J - Battersea

Torr, J.F - Bethnal Green

Torrance, A.M - Islington East

Ward, H - Hoxton

Webb, S. - Deptford (Sidney Webb- Fabian)

Weir, J.G. - Islington East

Williams, T.H. - St Pancras North

Wood, T.M - Hackney Central