Draft:Tribune Group

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Tribune Group of MPs
ChairpersonClive Efford
Founded
  • 1964
  • 2002
  • 2005[a]
Political positionCentre to centre-left
National affiliationLabour Party
Parliamentary Labour Party
75 / 195
House of Commons
75 / 650
Website
tribunemps.org

The Tribune Group (or simply Tribune), officially the Labour Tribune MPs and the Tribune Group of MPs, is a grouping of members of Parliament (MPs) in the British Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP). Ideologically on the soft left of the party, it claims to represent Labour's centre-left MPs. It is the largest caucus in the PLP. Its members are called Tribunites or New Tribunites.

Tribune was first formed as a support group for the newspaper Tribune in 1964, acting as a parliamentary caucus for the Labour left until 1982. In 1982, it became the parliamentary caucus for the soft left after the break away of Tony Benn's hard left Socialist Campaign Group. Tribune was disbanded in the 1990s, before reforming in 2002 after disagreements between Labour's backbenchers and Tony Blair. The current iteration of Tribune was formed in 2016 by Clive Efford, who serves as its chairman. It is on the soft left of the Labour Party but also includes centrist members.

In recent years, the Tribune Group has co-operated with the Campaign Group.

Historical group[edit]

Left-wing parliamentary caucus[edit]

Logo of the first Tribune Group

The Tribune Group, also known as the Monday Group in its early years, was first formed by Labour MPs[1] as a support group for the eponymous[2] left-wing newspaper Tribune in 1964.[3][4] It was set up following the 1964 general election with trade union support[5] to help the newspaper offer advice to Labour governments from a left-wing viewpoint.[6] The group was also set up to act as an informal umbrella group for the Labour left within the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) to provide it with a voice and coherent socialist platform in parliament through discussion and left-wing consensus.[5][3][7]: 174  It was the successor of the parliamentary Victory for Socialism group which had disbanded before the 1964 general election[8][9] and the earlier Bevanite Keep Left group.[10] Tribune's foundng members came from the Victory for Socialism group[11] and it continued Victory for Socialism's policies, namely its support for unilateral nuclear disarmament.[12] The Tribune Group formally registered with the Whips' Office in September 1966.[3][11] It was the main left-wing grouping in the Labour Party and the only parliamentary caucus for the Labour left until the early 1980s.[13][14][15] It was also a left-wing ginger group.[16] It served as the unofficial intra-parliamentary opposition to the Labour government in the mid and late 1960s.[17]: 79 [18]: 52 

The Tribune Group met every Monday afternoon over the period of Harold Wilson's 1964–1970 Labour government. It had 30 to 35 members, though only the most active could take part in its meetings.[11][3] Members declared their support for the Tribune newspaper.[19] Its leading members included Michael Foot, James Dickens, Eric Heffer, Stan Orme, Ian Mikardo[3] and Stan Newens.[7]: 176  Mikardo was considered the informal leader of the group and set upon forming a coherent parliamentary Labour left based on constructive criticism of Wilson's government.[11] However, there was resistance within the group to the idea of a leader, and Mikardo himself argued that the group did not need a leader as it "should be a democracy". In the late 1960s, knowledge of the group partially revolved around Mikardo's unsuccessful attempts to "organise" the group and make it more efficient and corporate.[17]: 81–82  In 1966 the group decided to introduce an elected chair.[17]: 81  The group also had a secretary.[20] Orme served as the group's chair in the late 1960s[21][b] and Jo Richardson served as the group's secretary until 1978, a position she previously held in the Keep Left group.[20] Tribune editor Dick Clements was also an important organiser for the group. He attended the group's meetings and was often asked to run as an MP and join them, though he resisted these calls to sustain the newspaper.[22]

Russell Kerr was chair from 1969 to 1970. Ann Clwyd was the first woman chair from 1986 to 1997.

In 1982, Tony Benn and the hard left broke away from the Tribune Group to form the Campaign Group by refusing to renew their membership.[23]

Soft left parliamentary caucus[edit]

Loss of identity and dissolution[edit]

2002 and 2005 revivals[edit]

Several attemps were made to revive the Tribune Group after the original became defunct. In 2002 left-wing MPs Michael Connarty, Ian Davidson and Peter Kilfoyle revived the Tribune Group with Connarty as its chair and Davidson as its secretary.[24] They revived the group to pressure Labour leader Tony Blair among backbench dissent over his decision to invade Iraq.[25] Backbench dissent over the invasion was an important factor behind the group's revival.[26] Another reason for its revival was Blair's "presidential style" of government.[27] The new group aimed to increase the influence of the party's backbenchers on the Labour leadership.[28] It was only open to backbench MPs and did not have a formal membership.[29] Nearly 50 backbenchers were said to support the group.[29] Its supporters were critical of Blair.[30] It took a broad left position[26] and planned to work closely with the Tribune magazine,[30] which Kilfoyle was then the chair of.[29]

Tribune Group logo from 2013 to 2016

By 2005, the Tribune Group had gone defunct again. That year, the Tribune Group was revived by Clive Efford, the backbench MP for Eltham, in response to the Labour leadership's perceived move to the right.[31][32] The new Tribune Group intended to encourage debate on Labour's future policies.[33] Efford was elected its secretary and Michael Connarty was elected its chair.[34] It did not have any links to the Tribune magazine.[34] On its revival, the Tribune Group had 50 formal members.[34] Only backbench MPs were allowed to be members.[34][33] It was described as left-leaning and soft left.[32][35] Members of the soft left New Wave Group of MPs were invited to attend the group's debates on education and the National Health Service.[34] The Tribune Group was still active in 2016, by which time Efford had become its chair.[35][36] It was in a weak position, however, and was considered worse off than the Socialist Campaign Group, which in 2011 had an estimated 14 members.[37] The current Tribune Group is a continuation of the 2005 incarnation.[38]

In November 2016, Efford relaunched the Tribune Group with the aim of developing centre-left policies throughout the Labour Party and engaging with the wider labour movement. Seventy MPs joined the group.[39] The Tribune Group was still described as soft left after the relaunch.[40] MPs involved in the relaunch included Dan Jarvis and shadow cabinet minister John Healey.[40] Former Labour leader Ed Miliband also joined the group.[41]

In April 2017, Efford relaunched the group again with a new mission statement, aiming to reconnect with traditional Labour voters while also appealing to the centre ground and the middle classes.[4][42] Following the relaunch, the group supports "opportunity and aspiration" being central to the party's programme, with policies supporting the "security of its people at its heart".[4] It intends to act as a "voice of the centre-left" in the PLP.[42] Efford has remained chair following the relaunch[43] and is considered the group's leader.[44][45] The group still has no connection with the current incarnation of the Tribune magazine, though Efford is open to working with it.[46]

The current incarnation of the Tribune Group is generally placed on the soft left of the Labour Party.[47] Most members belong to the soft left,[44][48][45] however it also includes centrist MPs in its ranks.[49] Over 75 MPs joined the group in 2017,[50] including former cabinet ministers Yvette Cooper, Liam Byrne, Margaret Beckett and frontbenchers Nick Brown and Jonathan Ashworth. Former Labour Party policy coordinator Jon Cruddas also joined the group.[51][42] In 2018 it listed more than 70 MPs as members on its website including former Labour leader Ed Miliband.[52] The group's policy platform is based on fufilling the "British promise", echoing Miliband's One Nation Labour project, with the group arguing that Labour's main task is to convince the British public that Labour's core values are what they want applied in government.[53]

While the group as a whole was not critical of then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn,[38] it was considered as a group of centre-left and moderate Labour MPs who would resist a left-wing successor being selected.[4] It also critcised the party's handling of antisemitism during Corbyn's tenure.[38] The group broadly supported the social democratic elements of Corbyn's policy platform but also expected his team to stand up to calls from the party grassroots for parliamentary reselections.[53] Owen Smith, the MP who unsuccessfully challenged Corbyn in the 2016 Labour leadership election, was involved in Tribune's 2017 relaunch.[51] The group's 2017 mission statement focuses on patriotism and strong defence policy, which was interpreted as implying frustration with some of Corbyn's policy platform.[4] During Corbyn's leadership, the group used its influence as the largest caucus in the PLP to reduce parliamentary opposition against Corbyn, particularly direct attacks against him. At this time, the shadow cabinet were adressing Tribune's weekly meetings.[54] According to Efford, the "vast majority" of Tribune members were frontbenchers at this time.[55] Shadow chancellor John McDonnell was also building support from the group through Lyn Brown's office, a leading member of the Tribune Group and a member of McDonnell's shadow treasury team.[56]

The group launched a new website in 2021, listing 78 MPs as members including Labour leader Keir Starmer and former leader Ed Miliband.[57] In the 2020 Labour Party leadership election, members of the Tribune Group were more likely to nominate Starmer for leader, although there was no significant majority in the group who supported him despite his membership of it.[58] After the leadership election, in 2020, the group was said to be fully supportive of Starmer.[38]

The Tribune Group is the largest caucus in the PLP.[59][54] It is also one of the PLP's largest ginger groups.[60] Outside Parliament, it has stood soft left candidates in elections to the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party.[61][38][62]

Membership[edit]

Members of the original and current Tribune Group are called Tribunites.[63][56] Following the first revival in 2002, members have also been called new Tribunites.[64] The group is made up of centre-left and moderate Labour MPs.[4] Most members are on the soft left of the Labour Party, though the group also has centrist members.[49] The following 75 MPs are listed as members on the group's website as of 2023:[65]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ 2005 incarnation relaunched in 2016 and 2017.
  2. ^ Other chairs in the 1960s and 1970s period include James Dickens, Russell Kerr, Norman Atkinson and Sydney Bidwell.
  1. ^ Voinea, Anca (23 August 2016). "Labour rebels look to use Co-op Party to oppose Jeremy Corbyn". Co-op News. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  2. ^ Cassis, Youssef; Schenk, Catherine R. (2021). Remembering and Learning from Financial Crises. Oxford University Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-19-887090-6. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e Butler, David; Pinto-Duschinsky, Michael (1971). "The British General Election of 1970". SpringerLink: 4. doi:10.1007/978-1-349-01095-0. ISBN 978-1-349-01095-0. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Helm, Toby (2 April 2017). "Labour MPs revamp centre-left Tribune group to win back middle-class voters". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  5. ^ a b Corbyn, Jeremy (4 March 2021). "Remembering Stan Newens". Tribune. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  6. ^ Lund, Brian (12 October 2016). Housing Politics in the United Kingdom: Power, Planning and Protest. Policy Press. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-4473-2708-0.
  7. ^ a b Young, Ross (2001). "The Labour Party and the Labour Left". Oxford University. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  8. ^ Rose, Paul (1981). Backbencher's Dilemma. Muller. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-584-10379-3. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  9. ^ The International Working-class Movement: The working-class movement in the developed capitalist countries after the Second World War (1945-1979). Progress Publishers. 1987. p. 604. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  10. ^ Seddon, Mark (1 January 2019). "Welcome Back Tribune". Tribune. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  11. ^ a b c d Baker, Liam (9 March 2021). "Tribune's Tribunes". Tribune. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  12. ^ Little, Richard; Wickham-Jones, Mark (2000). New Labour's Foreign Policy: A New Moral Crusade?. Manchester University Press. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-7190-5962-9.
  13. ^ Wainwright, Hilary (23 December 2018). "Critical tradition: Tribune then and now". Red Pepper. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  14. ^ Garner, Robert; Kelly, Richard (15 June 1998). British Political Parties Today. Manchester University Press. pp. 136–137. ISBN 978-0-7190-5105-0. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  15. ^ Maor, Moshe (10 August 2005). Political Parties and Party Systems: Comparative Approaches and the British Experience. Routledge. p. 163. ISBN 978-1-134-89009-5. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  16. ^ McSmith, Andy (17 November 1997). Faces of Labour: The Inside Stories. Verso. p. 132. ISBN 978-1-85984-093-1. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  17. ^ a b c Grendstad, Gunnar; Selle, Per; Thompson, Michael (2 September 2003). Cultural Theory as Political Science. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-65264-8. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
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  19. ^ Birchall, Ian (November–December 1976). "Labour vs Labor: Keeping the Working Class Down in Britain" (PDF). Radical America. Vol. 10, no. 6. p. 64. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  20. ^ a b Dalyell, Tam (2 February 1994). "Obituary: Jo Richardson". The Independent. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  21. ^ "Lord Orme obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 2 May 2005. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  22. ^ "The genial Tribune of the people". Tribune. Vol. 70, no. 45. 2006. p. 14. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  23. ^ Berrington, Hugh (2005-06-21). Change In British Politics. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-77982-5.
  24. ^ Wintour, Patrick (6 May 2002). "Labour MPs to revive Tribune group". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  25. ^ Morris, Nigel (25 March 2002). "Backbench MPs queue up to take potshots at Blair". The Independent. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  26. ^ a b Rai, Milan; Chomsky, Noam (17 November 2002). War Plan Iraq: Ten Reasons Against War on Iraq. Verso. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-85984-501-1. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  27. ^ Charter, David (9 May 2002). "Labour dissidents relaunch Tribune". The Times. p. 14 – via Gale OneFile.
  28. ^ Aaronovich, David (29 March 2002). "Excuse me, but what is the alternative to Blairism?". The Independent. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  29. ^ a b c "Tribune regroups". Evening Standard. 7 May 2002. p. 10. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  30. ^ a b Grice, Andrew (9 May 2002). "Labour MPs revive Tribune Group as challenge to Blair". The Independent. p. 9. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  31. ^ Bennett, Asa (12 August 2015). "Meet the socialist firebrands who could form Jeremy Corbyn's cabinet". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  32. ^ a b Morrison, James (2009). Public affairs for journalists. Oxford University Press. p. 168. ISBN 978-0-19-955261-0. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  33. ^ a b Assinder, Nick (11 November 2005). "Commons Confidential: November 2005". BBC News. 7 November. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  34. ^ a b c d e "Tribunes of the people under consensus banner". Tribune. 9 December 2005. p. 17. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  35. ^ a b "MPs vote no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn after shadow cabinet revolt: as it happened". New Statesman. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  36. ^ Eaton, George (5 September 2016). "Labour MPs set to vote for return of shadow cabinet elections". New Statesman. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  37. ^ Spalding, Roger (18 April 2018). Narratives of Delusion in the Political Practice of the Labour Left 1931–1945. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. x. ISBN 978-1-5275-0984-9. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  38. ^ a b c d e Rodgers, Sienna (14 July 2020). "Over 170 members are standing in Labour's NEC elections. Who are they?". LabourList. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  39. ^ Bean, Emma (2 November 2016). "MPs revive Tribune group to pitch Labour as a 'party of government'". LabourList. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  40. ^ a b Shipman, Tim; Lyons, James (6 November 2016). "I'm supreme, not you, May tells judges". The Times. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  41. ^ Maguire, Kevin (27 October 2016). "Commons Confidential: Fearing the Wigan warrior". New Statesman. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  42. ^ a b c Edwards, Peter (2 April 2017). "Labour big-hitters flock to join new Tribune group in Commons". LabourList. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  43. ^ Hughes, Laura (13 June 2017). "Jeremy Corbyn urged to stick with his shadow cabinet team as big names hover on backbenches". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  44. ^ a b Zeffman, Henry; Elliot, Francis; Wright, Oliver (18 December 2019). "Mary Creagh and furious Labour MPs slam Jeremy Corbyn for election defeat". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  45. ^ a b Ashford, James (18 December 2019). "What was said at Labour's 'election post-mortem'?". The Week. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  46. ^ Waterson, Jim (27 September 2018). "New owners of Tribune shrug off criticism from former staffers". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  47. ^ "Clive Efford MP - Who is he?". Politics.co.uk. 28 December 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  48. ^ Chorley, Matt (18 December 2019). "Celebration should not be one of Labour's stages of grief". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  49. ^ a b Rodgers, Sienna (26 September 2022). "Labour Party Jargon Buster: Use our glossary of terms at Conference '22". PoliticsHome. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  50. ^ Edwards, Peter (13 June 2017). "Keep faith with your shadow cabinet, Tribune chief tells Corbyn". LabourList. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  51. ^ a b Walker, Peter; Asthana, Anushka; Syal, Rajeev (13 June 2017). "All Labour MPs now keen to serve under Corbyn, says Harriet Harman". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  52. ^ "Tribune Members". Tribune Group of MPs. Archived from the original on 14 May 2018.
  53. ^ a b Panitch, Leo; Leys, Colin (5 May 2020). Searching for Socialism: The Project of the Labour New Left from Benn to Corbyn. Verso Books. pp. 269–270. ISBN 978-1-78873-852-1. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  54. ^ a b Bennett, Owen (14 May 2018). "'Bring Back Yvette Cooper To Beat The Tories' Veteran Labour MP Urges Corbyn". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  55. ^ Casalicchio, Emilio; Bates, Elizabeth (20 September 2018). "'People are at breaking point': the fractious relationship between Corbyn and the PLP". PoliticsHome. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  56. ^ a b Cohen, Nick (6 July 2019). "Can Tom Watson save Labour?". The Spectator. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  57. ^ "The MPs". Labour Tribune MPs. 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  58. ^ Heppell, Tim; Roe-Crines, Andrew; Jeffery, David (2021-05-31). "Selecting Starmer: The Nomination Preferences of Labour Parliamentarians in the 2020 Labour Party Leadership Election". Representation: 1–19. doi:10.1080/00344893.2021.1927809. ISSN 0034-4893. S2CID 236627115. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  59. ^ Casalicchio, Emilio (29 January 2021). "Keir Starmer tackles Labour's Everest". Politico. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  60. ^ Maguire, Patrick (10 October 2019). "Can Labour MPs stop the rush to an early election?". New Statesman. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  61. ^ Neame, Katie (17 June 2022). "What we can learn about the 2022 NEC elections from local party nominations". LabourList. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  62. ^ Griffin, Theresa; McInnes, Liz; Sherriff, Paula (27 May 2020). "We're standing for Labour NEC elections as socialists of the Tribunite left". LabourList.
  63. ^ "Tribune Group in British English". Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  64. ^ "Leading article: Tribunes of the people". The Independent. 9 May 2002. p. 16.
  65. ^ "The MPs". Labour Tribune MPs. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
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