Labour Party (Netherlands)

The Labour Party (Dutch: Partij van de Arbeid; Dutch pronunciation: [pɑrtɛi vɑn də 'ʔɑrbɛit], shortened PvdA [peːveːdeː'ʔaː]) is a social-democraticpolitical party in the Netherlands. Since 5 November 2012, the PvdA has governed in coalition with the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) in the second Rutte cabinet.

Party history

1945–1965

The Labour Party (PvdA) was founded on 9 February 1946, through a merger of three parties: the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP), the social-liberal Free-thinking Democratic League (VDB) and progressive-Protestant Christian Democratic Union (CDU). They were joined by individuals from Catholic resistance group Christofoor and the Protestant parties Christian Historical Union (CHU) and Anti Revolutionary Party (ARP).

The founders of the PvdA wanted to create a broad party, breaking with the historic tradition of Pillarisation. This desire to come to a new political system was called the Doorbraak. The party combined socialists with liberal democrats and progressive Christians. However, the party was unable to break Pillarisation. Instead the new party renewed the close ties that SDAP had with other socialist organisations (see linked organisations). In 1948 some liberal members, led by former VDB leader Pieter Oud, left the PvdA because they were unhappy with the socialist course of the PvdA. Together with the Freedom Party, they formed the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), a conservative-liberal party.

Labour Party (Lithuania)

The Labour Party (Lithuanian: Darbo Partija, DP) is a centre-leftpopulistpolitical party in Lithuania. The party was founded in 2003 by the Russian-born millionaire businessman Viktor Uspaskich.

In its first electoral test, the 2004 European Parliamentary Elections, it was by far the most successful party gaining 30.2% of the vote and returning 5 MEPs. It joined the European Democratic Party and thus the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Group. At the 2004 legislative elections, the party won 28.4% of the popular vote and 39 out of 141 seats, making it the largest single party in the Parliament of Lithuania. After the election Labour formed a coalition government with the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania and New Union.

At the legislative elections of 2008 the party that had entered into a coalition with the Youth party lost heavily, retaining only 10 seats in the Seimas from its previous 39 and obtaining 9% of the national vote. As its other coalition partner, New Union (Social Liberals) also lost heavily, the coalition they were forming with the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania collapsed. The party was left in opposition after a new centre-right coalition, led by Andrius Kubilius who became prime minister for a second time, and formed of Homeland Union, National Resurrection Party and Liberals' Movement of the Republic of Lithuania took over, gaining a combined governmental majority of 72 out of 141 seats.

Labour Party (UK)

The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Growing out of the trade union movement and socialist parties of the nineteenth century, the Labour Party has been described as a "broad church", encompassing a diversity of ideological trends from strongly socialist to moderate social democratic.

Founded in 1900, the Labour Party overtook the Liberal Party as the main opposition to the Conservative Party in the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and from 1929 to 1931. Labour later served in the wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after which it formed a majority government under Clement Attlee. Labour was also in government from 1964 to 1970 under Harold Wilson and from 1974 to 1979, first under Wilson and then James Callaghan.

The Labour Party was last in government from 1997 to 2010 under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, beginning with a landslide majority of 179, reduced to 167 in 2001 and 66 in 2005. Having won 232 seats in the 2015 general election, the party is the Official Opposition in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Labour Party (Mauritius)

The Labour Party (PTR; French: Parti Travailliste) is a centre-left social-democratic political party in Mauritius, and one of the three main Mauritian political parties along with the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) and the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM). Part of the Labour Party-MMM alliance, it has 4 Mps directly elected in the general election of 2014. The party is led by Navin Ramgoolam. Founded in 1936, the party was in power from 1948 to 1982, from 1995 to 2000 and from 2005 to 2014. From 1983 to 1990, it formed part of a coalition government as a minority partner.

The Labour Party was founded in 1936 by Maurice Cure based on the British Labour Party with the vision and determination to protect workers' rights and freedoms, including compensation, and a higher wage rate with paid leave. The movement was encouraged by 55 conferences held by the leaders of the party throughout the country. Among other goals were the initial resolutions to obtain suffrage for the working class, representation in the Legislative Council, the organization of a Department of Labour, the prohibition of capitalist exploitation of sugar plantations, as well as the overall implementation of socialist values among Mauritian government agencies.