Labour Representation Committee election results
This article lists the Labour Representation Committee's election results in UK parliamentary elections. The Labour Representation was the forerunner of the Labour Party. It was founded in 1900 and became the Labour Party in 1906, shortly after that year's general election.
Summary of general election performance
| Year | Number of Candidates | Total votes | Average votes per candidate | % UK vote | Change (percentage points) | Number of MPs[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 15 | 62,698 | 4,780 | 1.8 | N/A | 2 |
| 1906 | 50 | 321,723 | 6,434 | 4.8 | +3.0 | 29 |
Election results
1900 general election
| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position[2] | Sponsorship[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton-under-Lyne | James Johnston | 737 | 11.0 | 3 | ILP |
| Blackburn | Philip Snowden | 7,096 | 25.6 | 3 | ILP |
| Bow and Bromley | George Lansbury | 2,558 | 36.7 | 2 | SDF |
| Bradford West | Fred Jowett | 4,949 | 49.8 | 2 | ILP |
| Derby | Richard Bell | 7,640 | 25.7 | 2 | Railway Servants |
| Gower | John Hodge | 3,853 | 47.4 | 2 | Steel Smelters |
| Halifax | James Parker | 3,276 | 16.1 | 4 | ILP |
| Leeds East | William Pollard Byles | 1,266 | 19.7 | 3 | Leeds Trades Council |
| Leicester | Ramsay MacDonald | 4,164 | 13.0 | 4 | ILP |
| Manchester South West | Fred Brocklehurst | 2,394 | 37.4 | 2 | ILP |
| Merthyr Tydfil | Keir Hardie | 5,745 | 31.3 | 2 | ILP |
| Preston | Keir Hardie | 4,834 | 22.1 | 3 | ILP |
| Rochdale | Allen Clarke | 901 | 8.0 | 3 | ILP and SDF |
| Sunderland | Alexander Wilkie | 8,842 | 23.6 | 4 | Shipwrights |
| West Ham South | Will Thorne | 4,439 | 44.2 | 2 | Gasworkers |
Hardie stood in two constituencies and was elected in Merthyr Tydfil, where he placed second in a two-seat constituency; Bell was similarly elected in Derby.
By-elections, 1900–1906
| By-election | Candidate | Votes | % | Position | Sponsorship[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902 Wakefield by-election | Philip Snowden | 1,979 | 40.1 | 2 | ILP |
| 1902 Clitheroe by-election | David James Shackleton | unopposed | N/A | 1 | Clitheroe LRC |
| 1903 Woolwich by-election | Will Crooks | 8,687 | 61.4 | 1 | Woolwich Trades Council |
| 1903 Preston by-election | John Hodge | 6,490 | 42.9 | 2 | Steel Smelters |
| 1903 Barnard Castle by-election | Arthur Henderson | 3,370 | 35.4 | 1 | Ironfounders |
| 1904 Norwich by-election | George Henry Roberts | 2,440 | 13.7 | 3 | ILP |
| 1905 Belfast North by-election | William Walker | 3,966 | 47.2 | 2 | Carpenters |
1906 general election
Burgess, Clynes, Coit, Hardie, Jowett, MacDonald, Parker, Snowden, Summerbell and Williams were sponsored by the Independent Labour Party. Gill, Hardie, MacDonald, Parker, Snowden, Summerbell and Wilkie were elected by taking second place in a two-seat constituency.
See also
References
- ^ Craig, F. W. S. (1968). British Parliamentary Election Statistics 1918-1968. Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. p. 53. ISBN 0900178000.
- ^ Alan Haworth and Dianne Hayter, Men Who Made Labour, p.245
- ^ Frank Bealey and Henry Pelling, Labour and Politics, 1900-1906, p.289
- ^ Frank Bealey and Henry Pelling, Labour and Politics, 1900-1906, p.290
- ^ Joel Dayton Moore, The Taff Vale Decision in British Labor History, pp.115-116
- ^ Frank Bealey and Henry Pelling, Labour and Politics, 1900-1906, pp.290-292