Labour Co-ordinating Committee
Encyclopedia
The Labour Co-ordinating Committee (LCC) was a factional body inside the British Labour Party
established in 1978 and wound-up in 1995. In that period it moved (along with many of its members) from a group established to challenge to leadership of the party from the left to the vanguard of Tony Blair
's drive to modernise the party's organisation and policies.
The LCC was established in 1978 to co-ordinate the efforts of the Labour left. As such it was extremely broad including, for instance, members of the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy, Labour Briefing and the fiercely anti-Trotskyist National Organisation of Labour Students
.
In 1981 the LCC supported the campaign of Tony Benn
against Denis Healey
for the deputy leadership of the party, but many were deeply unhappy with Benn's campaign and approach and the LCC began to evolve into a body aiming to rescue the party from the mess it found itself in as the SDP split and Benn's campaign imprinted an image of extremism in the minds of the voters.
The anti-Trotskyists of NOLS were central to this period - as they were able to successfully outmanouvre the far left groups, having developed the skills in the bitter struggle of the Clause Four Group
with the Militant Tendency
inside the student movement.
In 1983 the LCC organised a major conference After the landslide to examine the lessons from the party's catastrophic defeat of that year: the tone the conference set - that organisational and political modernisation and change were essential wer to become the dominant theme in the party's internal life in the following decade. Robin Cook
came to prominence as the LCC's principal voice in parliament and Peter Hain
was a notable voice outside Westminster. At this time Cherie Booth was also an active member, serving on the LCC executive.
Under Neil Kinnock
's leadership the LCC became fully engaged in the titanic struggle with the Militant
and the LCC was broadly supportive of the leadership, though it backed John Prescott
's 1988 unsuccessful challenge to deputy leader Roy Hattersley
.
However the defeat of the Militant left the group without a real cause and membership began to decline, though the group also sponsored the launch of a new discussion journal Renewal
in 1993 and firmly repositioned itself as a group of modernisers rather than on the soft left
.
In 1998 with a moderniser
firmly in the party driving seat, the LCC voted to wind itself up.
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
established in 1978 and wound-up in 1995. In that period it moved (along with many of its members) from a group established to challenge to leadership of the party from the left to the vanguard of Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
's drive to modernise the party's organisation and policies.
The LCC was established in 1978 to co-ordinate the efforts of the Labour left. As such it was extremely broad including, for instance, members of the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy, Labour Briefing and the fiercely anti-Trotskyist National Organisation of Labour Students
National Organisation of Labour Students
National Organisation of Labour Students may refer to:* Labour Students, a student organisation affiliated to the British Labour Party* National Organisation of Labor Students, a former factional grouping operating within the National Union of Students of Australia...
.
In 1981 the LCC supported the campaign of Tony Benn
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
against Denis Healey
Denis Healey
Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey CH, MBE, PC is a British Labour politician, who served as Secretary of State for Defence from 1964 to 1970 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979.-Early life:...
for the deputy leadership of the party, but many were deeply unhappy with Benn's campaign and approach and the LCC began to evolve into a body aiming to rescue the party from the mess it found itself in as the SDP split and Benn's campaign imprinted an image of extremism in the minds of the voters.
The anti-Trotskyists of NOLS were central to this period - as they were able to successfully outmanouvre the far left groups, having developed the skills in the bitter struggle of the Clause Four Group
Clause Four Group
The Clause Four Group was a grouping in British Labour student politics in the 1970s and 1980s set up on the 18th floor of Owens Park Hall of Residence at Manchester University, the same floor where John Mann and Phil Woolas first met at Manchester University...
with the Militant Tendency
Militant Tendency
The Militant tendency was an entrist group within the British Labour Party based around the Militant newspaper that was first published in 1964...
inside the student movement.
In 1983 the LCC organised a major conference After the landslide to examine the lessons from the party's catastrophic defeat of that year: the tone the conference set - that organisational and political modernisation and change were essential wer to become the dominant theme in the party's internal life in the following decade. Robin Cook
Robin Cook
Robert Finlayson Cook was a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Livingston from 1983 until his death, and notably served in the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary from 1997 to 2001....
came to prominence as the LCC's principal voice in parliament and Peter Hain
Peter Hain
Peter Gerald Hain is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for the Welsh constituency of Neath since 1991, and has served in the Cabinets of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, firstly as Leader of the House of Commons under Blair and both Secretary of State for...
was a notable voice outside Westminster. At this time Cherie Booth was also an active member, serving on the LCC executive.
Under Neil Kinnock
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
's leadership the LCC became fully engaged in the titanic struggle with the Militant
Militant
The word militant, which is both an adjective and a noun, usually is used to mean vigorously active, combative and aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in 'militant reformers'. It comes from the 15th century Latin "militare" meaning "to serve as a soldier"...
and the LCC was broadly supportive of the leadership, though it backed John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
's 1988 unsuccessful challenge to deputy leader Roy Hattersley
Roy Hattersley
Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley is a British Labour politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. He served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.-Early life:...
.
However the defeat of the Militant left the group without a real cause and membership began to decline, though the group also sponsored the launch of a new discussion journal Renewal
Renewal (journal)
Renewal is a British left-wing political magazine, published in London, England, by Lawrence and Wishart.Renewal was founded in 1993 as the journal of the Labour Coordinating Committee in the wake of the Labour Party's fourth successive election defeat...
in 1993 and firmly repositioned itself as a group of modernisers rather than on the soft left
Soft left
The soft left was the name given to the more moderate left wing forces in the British Labour Party in the 1980s. They were first seen as a distinct movement when many previous left wingers such as Neil Kinnock refused to support Tony Benn in the election for the deputy leadership of the Labour...
.
In 1998 with a moderniser
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
firmly in the party driving seat, the LCC voted to wind itself up.