The Rise of Labour Politics (Final Chapter)

The factors restraining the growth of independent labour politics were probably greater before 1914 than those encouraging it. However many of the restraining factors were caused largely by failures within the movement itself. The constant divisions and factionalism prevented effective co-operation. The socialist movement and the trade unions never properly linked together and often seemed to find their differing views more important than their shared goals. The lack of united action caused many problems particularly for the ILP who could often not afford to run candidates without financial support, but of course with financial support came expectations and the possibility of having to appear less socialist.

The failure of the labour movement to negotiate any pacts with the Liberals in Scotland put them in a weak position challenging the accepted and established party of choice for most of the working class population. If the Liberals had not failed to meet the changing demands of the working class it may have been impossible for the labour movement to advance independently in politics. It was also difficult in Scotland for the Labour Party to form its own identity as for a long time it was unable to survive without the support of the Labour Party in England. This meant it was more difficult to have a uniquely Scottish viewpoint and there was probably less consideration given to Scottish problems. The movement as a whole had problems with its identity mostly concerning the degree of socialism that was desired by their potential supporters. However this had to be weighed against the policies of the Liberal Party, as the Labour Party had to be seen to be offering something different.

The factors encouraging the growth of the labour movement were limited. There was definitely a growing need for some form of labour representation to protect the rights of the workers but if the Liberal Party had provided it people would have stuck with them. Even when the Liberal Party completely failed the working class, as during the unemployment of 1908, many still put their faith in Liberal hands probably because of the strength of tradition. The movement was also encouraged by the weakness of trade unions in Scotland which led them to seek political representation to protect their interests, however there was a great deal of argument between the trade unionists and the determined socialists.

During the period before 1914 socialist ideals did begin to

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