Scottish Workers' Representation Committee
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{{Infobox political party
| name = Scottish Workers' Representation Committee
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| colorcode = {{party color|Scottish Workers' Representation Committee}}
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| general_secretary = Robert Allan (1900–1902)
George Carson (1902–1909)
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| founded = 1899
| dissolved = 1909
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| merged = Labour Party
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| wing1_title = Trade Union Wing
| wing1 = Scottish Trades Union Congress
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| ideology = Big Tent Socialism
| position = Left-wing
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| country = Scotland
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Scottish Workers' Representation Committee was the parliamentary outfit of the Scottish Trades Union Congress from 1899 until 1909. It was known as the Scottish Workers Parliamentary Elections Committee until 1903. In contrast to the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) in England, SWRC was able to maintain organisational unity between different strands of ideological tendencies in Scotland, ranging from Marxist, Catholic and Fabian socialists.
History
The SWPEC's first contest was the 1900 UK general election. It sponsored radical journalist A. E. Fletcher in Glasgow Camlachie. He received 3,107 votes and did not win the seat. It then stood Robert Smillie, a leader of the miners' trade union, at the 1901 North East Lanarkshire by-election, and was also defeated. When another by-election arose in North East Lanarkshire, in 1904, another miners' leader was selected, John Robertson, who again failed to win the seat.Frank Bealey and Henry Pelling, Labour and Politics, 1900-1906, p.296
At the 1906 general election, The SWRC stood five candidates: John Robertson in North East Lanarkshire, Joseph Sullivan in North West Lanarkshire, David Gilmour in Falkirk Burghs, James Brown in North Ayrshire, and Robert Smillie in Paisley. The candidates altogether won a total of 14,877 votes, but all failed to win a single seat.
Following this failure, the party decided to align itself more closely with the successor of the LRC, the Labour Party, and it took the name Labour Party (Scottish Section).{{cite book |last1=Knox |first1=William |title=James Maxton |date=1987 |publisher=Manchester University Press |location=Manchester |isbn=0719021529 |page=7}} In 1909, it merged fully with the Labour Party. In 1915, a Scottish Council was formed within the Labour Party.
Election results
=1900 UK general election=
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! Constituency !! Candidate !! Votes !! Percentage !! Position !! SponsorFrank Bealey and Henry Pelling, Labour and Politics 1900-1906, p.296 | |||||
Glasgow Camlachie | {{sortname|Alfred Ewen|Fletcher}} | 3,107 | 41.7 | 2 | ILP |
=By-election, 1900 - 1906=
class="wikitable sortable"
! Election !! Candidate !! Votes !! Percentage !! Position !! Sponsor | |||||
1901 North East Lanarkshire by-election | {{sortname|Robert|Smillie}} | 2,900 | 21.7 | 3 | Miners |
1904 North East Lanarkshire by-election | {{sortname|John|Robertson|John Robertson (Bothwell MP)}} | 3,984 | 27.9 | 3 | Miners |
=1906 UK general election=
class="wikitable sortable"
! Constituency !! Candidate !! Votes !! Percentage !! Position !! Sponsor | |||||
Falkirk Burghs | {{sortname|David|Gilmour|David Gilmour (trade unionist)}} | 1,763 | 17.5 | 3 | Miners |
North Ayrshire | {{sortname|James|Brown|James Brown (Scottish politician)}} | 2,684 | 20.8 | 3 | Miners |
North East Lanarkshire | {{sortname|John|Robertson|John Robertson (Bothwell MP)}} | 4,658 | 29.2 | 3 | Miners |
North West Lanarkshire | {{sortname|Joseph|Sullivan|Joseph Sullivan (MP)}} | 3,291 | 23.9 | 3 | Miners |
Paisley | {{sortname|Robert|Smillie}} | 2,482 | 23.1 | 3 | Miners |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Defunct political parties in Scotland}}
Workers' Representation Committee, Scottish
Category:Trade unions in Scotland
Category:History of the Labour Party (UK)
Category:Political parties established in 1899
Category:Political parties disestablished in 1909
Category:1899 establishments in Scotland
Category:Organisations associated with the Labour Party (UK)
Category:1909 disestablishments in Scotland
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