Saturday, February 23, 2008

London County Council (LCC) Progressive Party




The London Progressive Party

The Progressive Party in London was formed in 1888 by Liberal’s , Trade Unionists, Fabians and Socialists. It contested the first London County Council (LCC) election’s in 1889 and secured around 70 of the 118 seats.
It was also successful at following the 1892 election, Eventually winning six elections in a row before losing control in 1907 to the Municipal Reform Party (run effectively by the Conservative Party) who controlled the council until 1934.
The growth and consolidation of the Progressive Party in East and South London is undoubtedly linked to the rise of the “New Unionism” movement, which evolved from the London Dock strike of August 1889.
However, according to Harry Gosling first real attempt to get Labour men elected to the London County Council was in 1895.
The Labour Group on the London County Council after the 1898 election consisted of
H.R.Taylor, W.C Steadman (Barge builders union) Harry Gosling (Riverboat lighter man) George Dew (Carpenter) John Burns(engineer), Charles Freak (Bootmaker), Will Crooks (Cooper), C. W Bowerman, Ben Cooper (Cigar makers union)

Above picture of Labour Progressive councillors elected in 1892

Harry Gosling stated of the Progressive Party on the LCC, that ....
“The early propaganda of the progressive Party in the London County Council both before my time and in the early years of my membership was as good as anything the Labour Party has been able to do”
“The Progressive Party stood then in municipal matters exactly where the Labour Party does today”
“It had vigor, vision and enthusiasm it believed in a fine and healthily London with fine thorough fares and fine bridges".
“The Progressives were citizens who were honestly progressive in their ideas and did the utmost to put them into practice”
Harry Gosling “Up and Down Stream” 1927
Labour secured control of the London County Council at the elcetion held on 8th March 1934. Labour winning 69 councillors and 11 Aldermen compared to Municiple Reform/Tories 55 Councillors and 9 Aldermen (total membership of LCC 144)

Labour elected Lord Snell as the Chairman of the Council and Mr E. G Culpin as Vice Chairman
Education Chairman Evelyn Lowe, Health Chairman Dr Somerville Hastings
General Purposes Chairman Miss Agnes Dawson,Public Improvements Chairman G Russell-Strauss, Fire Brigade Chairman Mr E. Cruse,Town Planning Chairman H. Berry,Finance Chairman Charles Latham, Parks Chairman R. Coppock
Labour won a by election in Wandsworth Central held on 27th June 1935 taking its councillors to 70 and its majority to 18

Such was the sucess of the Labour administration that Labour never lost control again. In 1965 the London County Council was consumed into the large Greater London Council in 1965 until outrageously abolished by the Tories 1986, it is now the Greater London Assembly.
London County Council (LCC) 1892 elected Progressive/Labour Councillors
Bannerman, J - Hackney South
Barrs, H.H.H. - Clapham
Bassett--Hopkins, A - Newington
Baum, F.C. - Kensington North
Bayley, E - Southwark
Benn, J.W. - Finsbury East
Bott, W.G - Newington
Branch, J - Bethnal Green South West
Bruce, W.W, - Bow & Bromley (Labour Progressive)
Burns, J - Battersea ( John Burns later labour)
Catmur, T - Whitechapel
Charrington, F.N - Mile End
Collins, W.J. - St Pancras West
Cornwall, E, - Fulham
Costelloe, B.F.C. -Chelsea
Crooks, W - Poplar (Will Crooks later Labour)
Dickinson, W.H. - Wandsworth (Deputy Chairman LCC)
Doubleday, W.B - Norwood
Downes, A.W. - Fulham
Earl Roseberry - (Chairman LCC)
Ford, C - Lambeth North
Freak, C - Bethnal Green (Charles Freak Labour Progressive)
Goodman, W - Islington West
Grigsby, W.E. - Islington North
Grosvenor,R - Kennington
Harris,H - Brixton
Harrison,C - Bethnal Green South West
Harvey, G.A. - Lewisham
Hollington, A.J - Mile End
Holmes, G.B - Hackney South
Hubbard, N.W, - Norwood
Hunter, T - Soutwark (Labour Progressive)
Hutton, J - St Pancras South (Vice Chairman LCC)
Jackson, R.S. - Greenwich
Jolly, J.R. - Woolwich (Ind Progressive)
Jones, E - Peckham
Keylock, H -Deptford
Lidgett, G - Greenwich
Lloyd, J - Kensington North
Lord Carrington - St Pacras West
Lord Monkswell - Camberwell
Lyon,R - Peckham
Marsland, J. - Walworth
McCall, J - Hackney North
McDougall, J - Poplar
Mercer, A - St Georges East (Labour Progressive)
Moss,N - Hoxton
Orsman, W.J. - Haggerston
Parkinson,W,C, - Islington North
Pearce, W - Limehouse
Pickersgill. E.H. - Hackney Central
Ponsonby, A.G. - Finsbury Central
Roberts, R - Islington South
Robinson, N - St Pancras East
Rowlands, E.B. - Finsbury Central
Sauders, W - Walworth
Sears, J.T - Camberwell
Smith, F.S - Lambeth North
Smith, W.A. - Chelsea
Steadman,W.C. - Stepney (Later Labour)
Stevens, L - Rotherhithe
Stockbridge, W - Kennington
Tarling, C - Whitechapel
Taylor, S.S. - Brixton
Thornton, J - Bermondsey
Tims, J - Battersea
Torr, J.F - Bethnal Green
Torrance, A.M - Islington East
Ward, H - Hoxton
Webb, S. - Deptford (Sidney Webb- Fabian)
Weir, J.G. - Islington East
Williams, T.H. - St Pancras North
Wood, T.M - Hackney Central