disraeli

Points of Interest in the History of Unionism

Conservatism and Unionism

Are conservatism and unionism opposed? Not always.

Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) was one of the founders of modern British conservatism. A successful novelist, Disraeli was also interested in politics. He was first elected to Parliament in 1837. He was "a progressive Tory" and advocated triennial parliaments and the secret ballot. He was sympathetic to Chartism (a movement established and controlled by working men in 1836 to achieve parliamentary democracy as a step towards social and economic reforms).

For Disraeli, "the rights of labour are as sacred as the rights of property."

Fighting the image of the Conservative Party of that time as an anti-reform party, Disraeli in 1867 proposed and saw through Parliament a new Reform Act expanding democracy in England.

Disraeli served as Prime Minister twice, once for a brief time in 1868 and again from 1874 to 1880. During his second Ministry, Disraeli was finally able to implement ideas that he had formulated when he was leader of the Young England group in the 1840s. Social reforms passed by the Disraeli government included the Artisans Dwellings Act (1875), the Public Health Act (1875), the Pure Food and Drugs Act (1875), and the Education Act (1876).

Disraeli also introduced measures to protect workers such as the 1874 Factory Act and the Climbing Boys Act (1875). Disraeli also kept his promise to improve the legal position of trade unions. The Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act (1875) allowed peaceful picketing, and the Employers and Workmen Act (1878) enabled workers to sue employers in the civil courts if they broke legally agreed contracts.

- Adapted from a Spartacus Educational article.