A late-nineteenth century labour journal once described as ‘the most flourishing organ of the labour movement in the whole country’, has recently been digitised by the British Newspaper Archive.

The Bradford Labour Union was a forerunner of the Independent Labour Party, and later the Labour Party. Its organ, The Labour Union Journal, was first published on 26 May 1892. After the Manningham Mills strike in Bradford in late 1890 and early 1891, local trade unionists came together to form an independent political organisation, nominating trade unionists for political parties, outside of the Liberals and Conservatives.

Following the election of trade unionist, Samuel Shaftoe, in the municipal elections of 1891, and further local success in 1892, the Labour Union put forward its own candidate, Ben Tillett, in the 1892 General Election. Although Tillett did not win the seat, he came third and secured an impressive 30.2% of the vote.

The Bradford Labour Union inspired the creation of other Labour Unions in the Colne Valley, Salford, and Huddersfield. Following a conference in Bradford in January 1893, the party became known as the Independent Labour Party, and later the present-day Labour Party.

The Labour Union Journal joins other labour titles in the archive such as the Labour Leader (coverage: 1894-1919) and the Communist Party of Great Britain’s organ, the Workers’ Weekly (1923-1930).

Researchers and historians of the labour movement can now access The Labour Union Journal via The British Newspaper Archive.

Reference:

Keith Laybourn and Jack Reynolds, Liberalism and the Rise of Labour 1890-1918 (Routledge, 1984).