British Socialist Party 1914 Labour Affiliation

British Socialist Party 3rd Annual Conference
London -  13th April 1914

Chairman J. Stokes, London Trades Council

Mr Henry M. Hyndman was quoted as stating he

"now regretted that the Social Demomractic Federation, which had merged into the British Socialist Party had left the Labour Party years ago.

Their doing so had abandoned that party to the partisans of compromise and intrigue with the Liberals.

If the British Socialist Party now went into closer touch with the organised working class of this country, and thereby greatly increase its influence over them, they would go with the red flag flying"

 
Resolution on basic BSP principles
Moved by Henry Hyndman
Seconded Len Quelch

1) That a national system of free transport by rail and motor road should be set on foot forthwith

2) That the right of the nation to reclaim possession of its own land should be declared and acted upon

3) The cooperative production of land and in factories under the control  of the community and local council be commenced at an early date, beginning with the organisation of unemployed labour the goods so produced being commonly distributed among the producers and thrown upon the competitive market for commodities

4) the destruction of the slums in our great cities be commenced immediately, the families of children to be displaced being provided with healthy homes in the country and taught agriculture in addition to their ordinary trades

The venue for the 1915 conference was put the the vote on a choice between Southampton, Cardiff, and Leeds - Leeds was successful.

Those in attendance included 
John Maclean (Pollokshaw), Dan Irving,  Lees (Lancashire) Peter Petroff (Kentish Town)

 Source Glasgow Herald  14 April 1914

1914 London Building Workers Lock-Out

Early in 1914 London was gripped by a Lock-out of 30,000 Building workers, They were locked out by their employers federation "The Grand Master Builders Federation" because of a series of strikes for better pay the workers had undertaken in 1912-13 and the workers growing refusal to work with non union workers.

A large crowd of building labourers carrying a banner of the Builders & General Labourers Union attended the laying of the foundation stone of St Mark Church, Bathurst Gardens, Kensal Rise, Harlesden by Lady Hilda Mosley on Saturday afternoon. 

Lady Mosley was booed and hooted by the building workers and the crowd sang the "Red Flag"

The dispute building workers remained solid and the dispute was not settled at the outbreak of the War in August 1914

Glasgow Herald 27 April 1914

Surrey County Council 1946 - Labour

James Chuter Ede was born in Epsom in 1882 he went on to be a teacher and active in the Nutional Union of Teachers. As a Liberal he was elected to Epsom Urban District Council in 1914 and appointed to Surrey County Council. 

His experiences during the Great War turned him towards socialism and he stood as Labour candidate for Epsom in 1918. He was elected as Labour MP for Mitcham in a by-election in Mitcham in March 1923 but lost the seat at the General election. He later became MP for South shields and a Labour Cabinet Minister.

His wife Lillian Williams was born in Plymouth and was a Surrey County Council Councillor 1928-1937

James Chuter Ede is probably therefore one of the first Labour candidates in Surrey and certainly the first Labour MP elected in Surrey.

Click to enlarge pictures

Hillingdon Labour Herald 1977