What Colour is Labour ?
The Greater London Labour Party in 1966, carried out a survey of Constituency Labour Parties to see what colours they were presently using during elections to promote the Labour candidates.
Replies received were 56 out of a possible 104
Present Colours Red & Yellow 36
Red & White 8
Red 6
Red & Gold 3
Black & Orange 2
Replies concerning future planned uniform colour
Red & Yellow 34
Red & White 10
red 6 Red & Gold 3
Black & Orange 1
Willing to accept uniform Labour party colour
For 51
Against 4
Doubtful 1
L.G Sims Secretary Greater London Co-ordinating Committee
Transport House, Smith Square, London SW1
Chairman R. J. Mellish MP
NOTE:
Hayes Labour Party would seem to have used Red & White for many years
Nationally the Labour Party dabbled with purple at the 1997 general election
The colour Red as a "Socialist" colour probably dates back to time of the Paris Commune of 1871 (however a Red flag was raised at the Merthyr rising of 1831)
Green was the colour ?
The traditional colour of the Left in England had been Green as used by the Levellers during the English Civil War and Commonwealth 1649 to 1660 (Green twigs being placed in their hat bands - sea green blades) and the Chartists also wore Green.The Chartist used a red, white and green flag at one stage (picture) However, the Chartists also liked to carry the French tricolour to scare the aristocracy in particular. A tactic also used by Swing rioters, who hoisted a tricolour at Newington, Kent.
It was reported that this Chartist/republican flag (picture) was flown again at the Jubilee of King George V in 1935