Keir Hardie - Citizendia

James Keir Hardie (15 August 1856 - 26 September 1915) was a Scottish socialist and labour leader, and was the first independent labour Member of Parliament (MPs) elected to the UK Parliament, seven years before the founding conference of the Labour Party. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the

James Keir Hardie

1 Early life
2 Union leader
3 The Scottish Labour Party, MP for West Ham and the ILP
4 The Labour Party
5 Later career
6 Legacy
7 References
8 Further Reading
9 External links

Early life

Keir Hardie was born in Newhouse, North Lanarkshire (near Holytown a small village/town close to Motherwell) in 1856, the illegitimate son of Mary Keir, a servant from Legbrannock. Newhouse is a hamlet about north east of Motherwell Holytown is a small Village situated outside Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Motherwell ( Tobar na Màthar in Gaelic) and ( Motherwill in local Scots - local people tend not to pronouce the 'e' in Motherwell is a large Town Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The cottage of his birth still exists on the old Edinburgh Road in Newhouse.

Mary Keir later married David Hardie, a carpenter. The family moved then to the industrial city of Glasgow. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom

Hardie grew up in poverty. From the age of eight, Keir was a delivery boy for a baker. At the time he was the only wage-earner in his family. He was fired from this job because he arrived late to work, after looking after his sick mother. With no family income, the Hardies had to move back to Lanarkshire. Lanarkshire ( Siorrachd Lannraig in Gaelic) officially the County of Lanark, was formerly a county of Scotland. From the age of 11, Hardie was working down the pits of Lanarkshire. He never went to school but was self taught, attending night classes at a later date, where he discovered the works of Robert Burns. The evidence of the above statement can be found within the Keir Hardie Room in the Baird Museum, Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. Being that the man himself started his political career from this small town and the above mentioned museum hold his papers and furniture from his family home (which still stands on Auchinleck Road, Cumnock.

Hardie married Lillian Balfour Wilson 3 August 1879. Events 8 - Roman Empire General Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. Year 1879 ( MDCCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

Union leader

About this time, Hardie began to read newspapers and learn about trade unions. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming He set one up at the colliery where he worked and in 1880 led the first ever strike by Lanarkshire miners. Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Strike action, often simply called a strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal by Employees to perform work. As a result, Hardie was blacklisted by coal mine owners and became unable to find work. He subsequently moved to Cumnock in Ayrshire to become a journalist. Cumnock ( Cumnag in Gaelic is a Town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. Ayrshire (Siorrachd Inbhir Àir ʃir̴əxg̊ iɲiɾʲˈaːɾʲ is a Registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland,

Although raised an atheist, Hardie was converted to Christianity, and became a lay preacher at the Evangelical Union Church. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Christianity was to become an important influence on his political career.

In 1886, he became the organising secretary of the Ayrshire Miners Union and later the Scottish Miners Federation and he began to edit a paper called The Miner. Year 1886 ( MDCCCLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

The Scottish Labour Party, MP for West Ham and the ILP

Originally a supporter of the Liberal Party, Hardie became disillusioned by William Gladstone's economic policies and began to feel that the Liberals neither would nor could ever adequately represent the working classes. The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s and a third party Working class is a term used in academic Sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe depending on context and speaker those employed in specific fields or types Hardie believed the Liberal Party merely wanted the votes of the workers but that it would not in return offer radical reform for workers - he became a socialist and decided to run for Parliament. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution

In April 1888, Hardie stood as an independent labour candidate in Mid Lanark. He finished last but he was not deterred and believed he would enjoy more success in the future. At a public meeting in Glasgow on 25 August 1888 the Scottish Labour Party (1888-1893) (not the same party as the modern Scottish Labour Party) was formed, with Hardie becoming the party's first secretary. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Scottish Labour Party, also known as the Scottish Parliamentary Labour Party, was formed by Robert Cunninghame-Graham, the first Socialist MP Scottish Labour (often but inaccurately described at the "Scottish Labour Party" is that part of the (British Labour Party which operates in Scotland The party's president was Robert Cunninghame-Graham, the first socialist MP, and later founder of the National Party of Scotland, forerunner to the Scottish National Party. Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham ( London, 24 May 1852 &ndash 20 March 1936) was a Scottish Politician, The National Party of Scotland (NPS was formed in 1928 after John MacCormick of the Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association (GUSNA called a meeting of The Scottish National Party (SNP (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba Scottis Naitional Pairtie is a Centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish

Hardie was invited to stand in West Ham in 1892, a working class seat in Essex (now Greater London). West Ham is a parliamentary constituency in the London Borough of Newham, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Essex is a county in the East of England. The County town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. The Liberals decided not to field a candidate, but at the same time not to offer Hardie any assistance. Competing against the Conservative Party candidate, Hardie won by 5,268 votes to 4,036. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. On taking his seat on 3 August 1892 Hardie refused to wear the 'parliamentary uniform' of black frock coat, black silk top hat and starched wing collar that other working class MPs wore. Events 8 - Roman Empire General Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Instead, Hardie wore a plain tweed suit, a red tie and a deerstalker hat. In Parliament he advocated a graduated income tax, free schooling, pensions, the abolition of the House of Lords and the women's right to vote. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords"

In 1893, Hardie and others formed the Independent Labour Party, an action that worried the Liberals, who were afraid that the ILP might, at some point in the future, win the working-class votes that they traditionally received. Year 1893 ( MDCCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common See Independent Labor Party for the Political party in Burundi, Independent Labour Group for the Irish party and Labour candidates His portrait was painted that year by Scottish artist Henry John Dobson^[1]

Hardie hit the headlines in 1894 when, after an explosion at a colliery in Pontypridd which killed 251 miners, he asked that a message of condolence to the relatives of the victims be added to an address of congratulations on the birth of a royal heir (the future Edward VIII). Year 1894 ( MDCCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Pontypridd is both a community and a Town in Glamorgan, Wales, in the County borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff and is situated 12 The request was refused and Hardie made a speech attacking the monarchy, which resulted in uproar in the House of Commons^[2] . A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords In 1895, he lost his seat. Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

Hardie spent the next five years of his life building up the Labour movement and speaking at various public meetings; he was arrested at a woman's suffrage meeting in London, but the Home Secretary, concerned about arresting the leader of the ILP, ordered his release. Suffragette is a term originally coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for the more radical and Militant members of the The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office

The Labour Party

In 1900, Hardie organised a meeting of various trade unions and socialist groups and they agreed to form a Labour Representation Committee, and so the Labour Party was born. Year 1900 ( MCM) was an exceptional Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the

Keir Hardie's Manifesto for the 1906 General Election

In 1900, Hardie, representing Labour, was elected as the junior MP for the dual constituency of Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare in the South Wales Valleys, which he would represent for the remainder of his life. The United Kingdom general election of 1906 was held from 12 January to 8 February 1906 Only one other Labour MP was elected that year, but from these small beginnings the party continued to grow, winning power in 1924.

Meanwhile the Conservative Unionist government became deeply unpopular, and Liberal leader Henry Campbell-Bannerman was worried about possible vote-splitting across the Labour and Liberal parties in the next election. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, GCB (7 September 1836 &ndash 22 April 1908 was a British Liberal Statesman who served as Prime Minister A deal was struck in 1903, which became known as the Lib-Lab pact. The Lib-Lab pact has been a working arrangement between the UK 's political parties of the Liberals (later Liberal Democrats) and the Labour Party It was engineered by Ramsay MacDonald and Herbert Gladstone (son of William Gladstone): the Liberals would not stand against Labour in 30 constituencies in the next election, in order to avoid splitting the anti-Conservative vote. James Ramsay MacDonald ( 12 October 1866 &ndash 9 November 1937) was a British politician and twice Prime Minister of the United A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures goals or loyalty The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom.

In 1906, the LRC changed its name to the "Labour Party". Year 1906 ( MCMVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The conservative prime minister Arthur Balfour, who stepped in for the former leader, Lord Salisbury, after ill health, called a General Election. The United Kingdom general election of 1906 was held from 12 January to 8 February 1906

The election result was one of the biggest landslide victories in British history: the Liberals swept the Conservatives (and their Liberal Unionist allies) out of previously safe seats. In Politics, a landslide victory (or landslide) is the victory of a candidate or Political party by an overwhelming margin in an Election A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body (eg Congress Parliament City Council which is regarded as fully secured either by a certain Political party, the Balfour himself lost his seat, Manchester East, on a swing of over 20 percent. Manchester East was one of six single-member Parliamentary constituencies created in 1885 by the division of the existing three-member Parliamentary Borough of Manchester However, what would later turn out to be even more significant was the election of 29 Labour MPs.

Later career

In 1908, Hardie resigned as leader of the Labour Party and was replaced by Arthur Henderson. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Arthur Henderson (13 September 1863 – 20 October 1935 was a British union leader politician Disarmament advocate and the 1934 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Hardie spent the rest of his life campaigning for votes for women and developing a closer relationship with Sylvia Pankhurst. Estelle Sylvia Pankhurst ( May 5, 1882 September 27, 1960) was a notable campaigner for the Suffragette movement in the United He also campaigned for self-rule for India and an end to segregation in South Africa. Self-governance is an abstract concept that refers to several scales of Organization. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa During a visit to the United States in 1909, his criticism of sectarianism among American radicals caused intensified debate regarding the American Socialist Party possibly joining with the unions in a labor party. Sectarianism is Bigotry, Discrimination, Prejudice or Hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions The Socialist Party of America (SPA was a socialist Political party in the United States.

A pacifist, Hardie was appalled by the First World War and along with socialists in other countries he tried to organise an international general strike to stop the war. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All A general strike is a Strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city region or country His stance was not popular, even within the Labour Party, but he continued to address anti-war demonstrations across the country and to support conscientious objectors. A conscientious objector (CO is an individual who on religious moral or ethical grounds refuses to participate as a combatant in war or in some cases to take any role that would support After a series of strokes Hardie died in hospital in Glasgow on 26 September 1915. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year His friend and fellow pacifist Thomas Evan Nicholas (Niclas y Glais) delivered the funeral service. Thomas Evan Nicholas (known as Niclas y Glais) was a Welsh language poet ( 6 October 1879, Blaunwaun Felen in Llanfyrnach parish north ^[3].

Legacy

Keir Hardie steered the Labour movement away from what he regarded as the damaging influence of Marxism, and towards a moderate, low church and trade unionist version of socialism that was practical, flexible and helped create a socialist party that, with time, has been more electorally and politically successful than most socialist parties outside Scandinavia. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well

Keir Hardie has de facto sainthood inside the Labour Party and is highly respected outside it. A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity He also has the unusual distinction for a significant political leader of having rarely been attacked in print after his death.

On 2 December 2006 a memorial bust of Keir Hardie was unveiled by Cynon Valley MP Ann Clwyd outside council offices in Aberdare (in his former constituency). Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Cynon Valley is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Ann Clwyd Roberts (born 21 March 1937 Denbigh) is a British Labour MP. The ceremony marked a centenary since the party's birth.

Also he is still held in high esteem in his old home town of Holytown, where his childhood home is preserved for people to view, whilst the local sports centre was named in his own honour "The Keir Hardie Sports Centre". Holytown is a small Village situated outside Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.

One of the buildings at Swansea University is also named after him. Swansea University (Prifysgol Abertawe is a University located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by George Banes	Member of Parliament for West Ham South 1892–1895	Succeeded by George Banes
Preceded by William Pritchard Morgan	Member of Parliament for Merthyr Tydfil 1900–1915	Succeeded by Charles Butt Stanton
Political offices
Preceded by New office	Chairman of the Independent Labour Party 1893–1900	Succeeded by Bruce Glasier
Preceded by New office	Chairman of the British Labour Party 1906–1908	Succeeded by Arthur Henderson
Preceded by William Crawford Anderson	Chairman of the Independent Labour Party 1913–1914	Succeeded by Frederick William Jowett
Media offices
Preceded by New position	Editor of the Labour Leader 1888–1904	Succeeded by John Bruce Glasier

References

^ John Henry Dobson, Portrait of Keir Hardie, National Galleries of Scotland
^ "On Royalty" Paxman,J: London, Penguin, 2006 ISBN 9780141012223 p58
^ Ammanford, Carmarthenshire web site

External links

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