ABSTRACT
In 1891 the London Trades Council formed a London Labour Representation Committee, and in the provinces the Bradford Labour Union, the Colne Valley Labour Union, the Salford Labour Electoral Association, and many other bodies were created to work for independent Labour representation in Parliament and on local bodies. The object of the Independent Labour Party was defined in what were regarded as distinctly Socialist terms—" to secure the collective ownership of all the means of production, distribution and exchange". In January 1893 the Conference met at Bradford, with Hardie in the chair, and formed the Independent Labour Party, rejecting by a large majority the alternative name of Socialist Labour Party. Congress, however, still refused to go to the length of establishing an independent working-class party, and Hardie's amendment to secure this was defeated by twenty-three votes. The "Lib-Labs" lost three seats, and independent Labour ceased for the time to be represented in the House of Commons.
