Coalition Labour was a description used by candidates in the1918 United Kingdom general election who identified withtrade unionism and supported theoutgoing coalition government, which retained power at the election. TheLabour Party had left the coalition earlier in 1918; most Coalition Labour candidates were former LabourMembers of Parliament (MPs).
When Labour withdrew from the coalition, four of its MPs preferred to remain as ministers:G. N. Barnes,James Parker,George Henry Roberts andGeorge Wardle. They, along with theNational Sailors' and Firemen's Union-sponsored candidateJohn R. Bell, contested the election independently of the Labour Party, and were termed "Coalition Labour" candidates. Only Bell and Parker received aCoalition Coupon, and they were wrongly identified in official coalition literature asCoalition National Democratic and Labour Party andCoalition Liberal candidates, respectively.[1][2] TheNational Democratic and Labour Party was a separate organisation which also supported the Coalition and had a background in the Labour Party.
Of the five candidates in the 1918 general election, the four former ministers were successful:
| Constituency | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Position | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannock | James Parker | 8,068 | 51.8 | 1 | ? |
| Glasgow Gorbals | George Nicoll Barnes | 14,347 | 65.9 | 1 | ? |
| Kingston upon Hull South West | John R. Bell | 5,005 | 30.9 | 2 | Sailors |
| Norwich | George Henry Roberts | 26,642 | 45.1 | 1 | None |
| Stockport | George James Wardle | Unopposed | N/A | 1 | None |
Following the election, the four ministers continued in position.Stephen Walsh, who had been elected as a Labour Party candidate, also agreed to join the coalition government. However, he was sponsored by theLancashire and Cheshire Miners' Federation, which voted against his participation, and he therefore left the government a few days later.[1]
Of the remaining four Coalition Labour MPs, Wardle resigned in 1920 due to poor health, and Barnes retired at the1922 United Kingdom general election. Parker and Roberts stood in that election; as the coalition had ended, they were termed aNational Liberal and an independent candidate respectively, and only Roberts won his seat. He stood again at the1923 United Kingdom general election, as aConservative Party candidate, but was then defeated.[1]
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