The Labour and Trade Union Group was an organisation for supporters of the Militant tendency in Northern Ireland.
Labour and Trade Union Group | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Peter Hadden |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Dissolved | 1996 |
| Preceded by | Northern Ireland Labour Party |
| Ideology | Trotskyism Marxism |
| Political position | Far Left |
The group originated in the Northern Ireland Labour Party (NILP), but developed a separate existence as that organisation declined in support,[1] and was expelled from the NILP in 1977.[2] It was initially named the "Labour and Trade Union Coordinating Committee", and aimed to include other left-wingers. It campaigned for a Conference of Labour, at which trade unions, socialist groups and community campaigns could agree on a coordinated approach to labour movement politics, but no such conference was ever held.[3]
The group failed to win any support and was largely considered a fringe party. It stood Muriel Tang in the 1983 United Kingdom general election in Belfast East, where she took 1.5% of the vote.[4] It then stood three candidates for Belfast City Council at the 1985 Northern Ireland local elections, none of whom were elected.[5] At the 1992 general election, it stood two candidates, including leader Peter Hadden, who took 1,264 votes between them.[6] By 1993, it was part of the all-Ireland Militant Labour. It joined the short-lived Labour coalition in 1996 before formally merging with Militant Labour to form the Socialist Party.
References
edit- ^ Peter Hadden - an inspiring life for socialism", Committee for a Workers' International, 20 May 2010
- ^ British and Irish Communist Organisation, "Labour in Ulster", p.17
- ^ Building a socialist alternative Archived 2010-06-13 at the Wayback Machine, Committee for a Workers' International
- ^ East Belfast, 1983-1992, Northern Ireland Elections
- ^ Local Government Elections 1985 - 1989: Belfast, Northern Ireland Elections
- ^ Westminster election 1992, Northern Ireland Elections