Labour Party (UK)

The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). It is one of the United Kingdom's three main political parties and is currently the party of government in the United Kingdom. It describes itself as a Democratic Socialist party and is a member of the Socialist International. Under the leadership of Tony Blair it won by a landslide victory in the 1997 general election, and formed its first government since the 1979 general election. It retained its position with two further large victories in the 2001 and the 2005 general elections. Under Blair's leadership, the party has adopted a number of neoliberal policies.

Leaders of the Labour Party since 1906

From 1906 until 1922 the leader was formally "Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party".

Related Topics:
1906 - 1922

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• Keir Hardie 1906–1908
• Arthur Henderson 1908–1910
• George Nicoll Barnes 1910–1911
• Ramsay MacDonald 1911–1914
• Arthur Henderson 1914–1917
• William Adamson 1917–1921
• John Robert Clynes 1921–1922

From 1922 until 1970, the leader was formally "Leader of the Labour Party" and "Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party". However these two posts were occasionally split, usually when the party was in government or when the leader of the party did not sit in the House of Commons.

Related Topics:
1922 - 1970 - House of Commons

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• Ramsay MacDonald 1922–1931
• Arthur Henderson 1931–1932

Arthur Henderson lost his seat in the Commons a couple of months after becoming leader. For the remainder of his leadership, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party was George Lansbury.

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• George Lansbury 1932–1935
• Clement Attlee 1935–1955
• Hugh Gaitskell 1955–1963 (died in office)
• Harold Wilson 1963–1976

In 1970, the posts of "Leader of the Labour Party" and "Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party" were split with the latter having no policy role.

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• James Callaghan 1976–1980
• Michael Foot 1980–1983
• Neil Kinnock 1983–1992
• John Smith 1992–1994 (died in office)
• Margaret Beckett 1994–1994 (acting)
• Tony Blair 1994–present