Malta Labour Party
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{{unreferenced|date=October 2006}}
{{Infobox_Maltese_Political_Party |
Maltese_party_name = Partit Laburista |
party_name = Malta Labour Party |
party_logo = [[Image:Malta Labour Party (Emblem).gif]] |
party_wikicolourid = Labour |
leader = [[Joseph Muscat]] |
foundation = [[March 15]], [[1921]] |
ideology = [[Democratic socialism]],<br>[[Social Democracy]] |
international = [[Socialist International]] |
european = [[Party of European Socialists]] |
europarl = [[Party of European Socialists|PES]] |
colours = [[Red]]|
headquarters = Ċentru Nazzjonali Laburista<br>Triq Mile End<br>[[Hamrun]]|
website = [http://www.mlp.org.mt/ www.mlp.org.mt]
}}
The '''Malta Labour Party''' (MLP, {{lang-mt|'''Partit Laburista'''}}) is one of two major contemporary political parties in [[Malta]], along with the [[Nationalist Party (Malta)|Nationalist Party]]. It is currently the main party of opposition in Malta having thirty-four of the sixty-nine seats in the [[Maltese House of Representatives]]<ref>http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=67864</ref>.
== History ==
===Foundation (1920-1949)===
The inequalities that existed at the time led to the riots of [[7 June]] [[1919]] ([[Sette Giugno]]) - the importers of grain were the main targets, and four workers died at the hands of [[United Kingdom|British]] [[soldiers]]. The outcome of the riots was the granting of the [[constitution]] in 1921, which, however, did not secure the interests of the [[lower classes]] and did not include material improvement in its clauses. The constitution retained the status quo by securing the interests of the [[colonial]] authorities and the traditional [[middle classes]], made up of categories such as the clerical and the legal-professional. Incidentally, the two official languages earmarked in the constitution were [[English language|English]] and [[Italian language|Italian]] – the languages spoken by the [[dominant classes]]. The [[Maltese language]], spoken by the [[lower classes]], was out of sight. The language question was a very controversial issue at the time, due to its [[social]] and [[political]] implications.
It was in that tense atmosphere that the Labour Party in [[Malta]] was born.
The founding fathers of the Party belonged mainly to a dockyard union - the Imperial
Government Workers Union. Indeed, the Dockyards have often been referred to as the “''cradle of the Labour Movement''” (Zammit, 1984: 42). Writing about [[Dockyard workers]], [[sociologist]] [[Edward Zammit]] states that they “''gained the reputation of being the most militant, organised, radical and united group of workers in [[Malta]]''.” (1984: 43). It was one of the union branches affiliated with the [[United Kingdom|British]] Workers’ Union - the Camera del Lavoro - which formed a party in 1921 with the aim of representing workers. Band clubs and other organisations were invited to form part of the Party, and its first meeting was held on [[15 March]] [[1921]] – the 30th anniversary of [[Pope Leo XIII]]’s issuing of the [[Rerum Novarum]], the [[Catholic Church]]’s social encyclical. The Party was christened ''Partit tal-Haddiema''. Various founders of the Malta Labour Party, hailing from [[Catholic]] and populist backgrounds, were highly influenced by the [[Rerum Novarum]]. These included [[Gianni Bencini]], [[Alfons Maria Galea]], Canon [[Carmelo Bugeja]], and Mgr. Professor [[Mikiel Gonzi]]. Such activists were particularly influential and powerful in the first few years of the Party, and they propagated the introduction of legislation that gave rights to workers along the Catholic teachings of the Catholic social encyclical.
The Malta Labour Party soon started participating in Malta’s general elections. The Party, led by Colonel [[William Savona]] contested the general elections held in 1921 under the new Constitution that gave the country a measure of self-government. According to this constitution which provided for a bi-cameral legislative body, only persons above a certain income bracket could vote. The other three parties to contest the general elections were the conservative parties Unione Politica Maltese and Partito Democratico Nazionalista, as well as the pro-British Constitutional Party. The Labour-Constitutional alliance won the 1927 general elections, but Labour lost ground, gaining 13.9% of votes, three seats in the legislative assembly and no representation in the Senate. Strickland became Prime Minister. Labour leader Savona was not elected, and the leadership of the Labour parliamentary group was entrusted to Colonel [[Michael Dundon]].
In 1927, [[William Savona]] resigned as President of the Party, being replaced by Dr. [[Paul Boffa]]. Boffa – a medical [[doctor]] by profession - also became leader of the parliamentary group and of the Party, replacing Dundon, who resigned due to health reasons.
Labour gained nine seats out of ten in the elections held during November, 1945, in which, contrarily to previous elections, all men over twenty-one years of age were entitled to vote. The Party’s electoral programme, for the first time in Labour’s history, did not make any reference to religion. Boffa’s Government was supported by the [[General Workers Union]], and it carried out a number of reforms, such as the abolition of the senate, the abolition of plural votes, as well as the introduction of [[women]]’s right to vote. However, Labour deputies resigned from their posts in July 1946 due to mass redundancies at the Dockyards. In the meantime, the ‘''MacMichael Constitution''’ had been introduced, granting self-government to the [[Maltese]]. Labour’s participation in the subsequent October, 1947 elections was once again supported by the [[General Workers Union]]. The Party won 59.9% of the vote and twenty-four seats out of the possible forty within the Legislative Assembly. [[Paul Boffa]] became Prime Minister whilst [[Dom Mintoff]] became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reconstruction. The Labour Government introduced Income Tax and Social Services for the first time in [[Malta]].
===Re-foundation (1949-1962)===
The Malta Labour Party was re-founded in 1949 as a successor to the Labour Party founded in 1921. Dr [[Paul Boffa]], Leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister since 1947, resigned and left the party because of serious disagreements with his Deputy [[Dominic Mintoff]] which had led to a series of cabinet crises. Boffa formed the [[Malta Workers Party]] (MWP) while Mintoff re-organized the Labour Party as the present-day Malta Labour Party.
The MLP contested its first elections for the Malta Legislative Assembly the following year. The old Labour vote was split equally between the MLP and the MWP, giving them eleven members each. This allowed the [[Nationalist Party (Malta)|Nationalist Party]] (PN) to have a slight edge in the formation of a government, which it did in coalition with the MWP. The government did not last long. Two other elections were held in 1951 and 1953 (the last time a coalition governed in Malta) which both saw short-lived PN-MWP coalitions and the decline in the share of votes to the MWP with increasing support for the MLP.
The MWP eventually disintegrated and the MLP formed a government for the first time in 1955. This [[legislature]] was dominated by the issue of integration with the [[United Kingdom]]. The party, which started its life as an anti-colonial party with the slogan "Integration or self-determination" was now inclined towards the first part of the formula. A [[referendum]] was held in 1958 but given the number of abstensions and massive opposition by the Nationalist Party and the [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic Church]], the result was inconclusive. This, together with a number of dismissals at the naval dockyard led to Mintoff's resignation and his call for massive protests in April 1958.
===The Mintoff Era (1962-1984)===
The Governor re-established direct [[colonial government]] which lasted until 1962. In the meantime, the MLP's connections with [[Third World]] Independentist and [[Socialist]] movements, set it on a collision course with the Maltese Catholic Church, which the Party perceived as pro-British and the cause of failure of the Integration project. This led to the party leadership being [[interdict (Roman Catholic Church)|interdicted]] from 1961 to 1964, when reading, advertising and distributing Party newspapers was deemed a [[mortal sin]]. In the 1962 elections this led to the defeat of the Party at the polls as well as a split with the creation of the [[Christian Workers' Party]]. Peace with the Church would not be made until 1969 by which time the [[Christian Workers' Party]] had disintegrated.
The Malta Labour Party participated in [[independence]] talks but disagreed with what was offered, causing them to not participate in the Independence celebrations when independence was actually achieved in 1964. The party made strong gains in the [[Maltese general election, 1966|1966 elections]] which, however, were not enough to see it in office.
An unimportant split occurred in 1969 when the [[Communist Party of Malta]] was founded. This split happened as a result of the truce between the Malta Labour Party and local Catholic authorities. The Communist Party has since only contested the 1987 elections.
The Malta Labour Party won the 1971 general election and immediately set out to re-negotiate the post-Independence [[military]] and financial agreements with the United Kingdom. The party also undertook massive [[nationalization]] programmes whilst setting up various State owned companies and investments and expansion of the [[welfare state]] introducing several benefits to workers and families and further introducing acts of parliament aimed at employee rights and [[trade union]] rights. Malta became a [[republic]] in 1974. The MLP won the [[Maltese general election, 1976|1976 elections]]. Amongst other things, homosexual relationships and adultery were decriminalised and the Government managed to secularise the State introducing civil marriages and modernising Maltese civil law. A law that gave males and females a right to the same wage for the same work done was also enacted amongst employment laws enacted at the time.
In 1981 the Party managed to hold on to a parliamentary majority even though the opposition Nationalist Party managed an absolute majority of ballots. A serious [[political crisis]] ensued when Nationalists [[Members of Parliament|MPs]] refused to take their seats for the first years of the legislature. Premier Mintoff called this result a "perverse" one. He had proposed that fresh elections had to be held, but members of his Parliamentary group rejected this proposal. Mintoff resigned as Prime Minister and Party leader in 1984 (although he retained his parliamentary seat) making way for his appointee [[Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici]].
===1984-1992===
In 1984 the relations between the Maltese church and the labour party were very bad.The party agreed to [[constitutional amendment]]s in 1987, which guaranteed that the party with a majority of vote was given a majority of seats. Thanks to the amendment the Nationalists returned to Government after 16 years. The party lost governmant after 3 consecutive elections in 1987.
The MLP performed badly in 1992, losing the election with nearly 13,000 votes and [[Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici|Mifsud Bonnici]] resigned. On the 26th of March 1992 he was succeeded by [[Dr Alfred Sant]].
===1992-2008===
Dr.Sant who won the election for party leader, and then modernized the party, secured [[Maltese general election, 1996|a victory at the polls in 1996]]. Under Sant's leadership the party made several changes. The party opened the new Malta Labour Party Headquarters in Hamrun instead of the old Macina in Cottonera. The party also made giant steps in the media by being the first Maltese political party to own his radio and television stations.
Dr.Sant managed to win the 1996 elections held on the 26th of October, by winning the election with more than 7,500 votes on the Nationalist Party. But, the party managed to get only one seat in parliament more than the opposition.
However, trouble was brewing. Mr Mintoff started creating problems in Parliament where the government had only a single seat majority. Things came to a head in summer of 1998 when the government lost a vote on the lease of the [[Cottonera]] waterfront. On the 9th June 1996, Sant called early elections to be held on the 5th September, and was defeated.
Back in opposition, the party campaigned unsuccessfully against [[European Union|EU]] membership, and the 'NO' camp lost the referendum for the accesion of Malta in the European Union on the 8th March (although Dr. Sant claimed victory) and was again defeated in the general election a month on, on the 12th April 2003. Sant resigned but stood again for election of Leadership of the Party where he was voted again as leader with more than 65% of the votes.
In June 2004 the party succeeded in obtaining a relative majority of votes in the elections held to elect the first five Maltese MEPs for the [[European Parliament]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.maltadata.com/mep.htm|title=European Parliament Elections 2004}}</ref>. The party elected 3 of his candidates: [[Joseph Muscat]], [[John Attard Montalto]] and [[Louis Grech]].
===2008-present===
In 2008 the Malta Labour Party lost for the third consecutive time in the [[Maltese general election, 2008|2008 general elections]], obtaining 48.79% share of the vote<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.doi.gov.mt/EN/press_releases/2008/03/pr0453.asp|publisher=Department of Information, Malta|title=General election 2008: Votes Polled during First Count by Party|date=10 March 2008}}</ref> and losing the election to the [[Nationalist Party (Malta)|Nationalist Party]] by just 1,580 votes or 0.5%. Following the loss of the election, Sant resigned as MLP leader on 10th March 2008.
The first round of the election of the new leader were held on [[5 June]], [[2008]]. Five members contested this election as candidates: [[George Abela]] (a former Deputy Leader), [[Evarist Bartolo]] (a frontbench MP and ex-Minister), [[Marie Louise Coleiro Preca]] (a frontbench MP and former Secretary-General of the Party), [[Michael Falzon]] (an MP and Deputy Leader of the Party) and [[Joseph Muscat]] (an MEP). In the first round neither candidate obtained 50%+1 the majority of the votes. So a run up election had to be held on the 6th June between the top two candidates who obtained the most number of votes, Dr.[[George Abela]] and Dr. [[Joseph Muscat]]. Dr Joseph Muscat was elected MLP leader, gathering 66.36% of the total votes.
== Today ==
The Party owns a television station that broadcasts at a national level, [[One Television]], and a radio station that also broadcasts on a national scale, [[One Radio]]. The Party issues the Sunday weekly KullĦadd and also runs the on-line newspaper [http://www.maltastar.com/ Maltastar].
The party presently holds 34 seats in the 69 member [[Politics of Malta|House of Representatives]].
It is a member of the [[Party of European Socialists]] (PES) and its 3 MEPs in the European Parliament sit in the [[PES]] Group.
The party is led by Dr [[Joseph Muscat]], who was elected Leader on the 6th June 2008. He is a member of the [[Party of European Socialists]], and is Vice President of the [[European Parliament]]'s [[European Parliament Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs|Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs]].
==Electoral performance==
This chart shows the electoral performance of the Malta Labour Party in Maltese general election since 1921. (<small>''Source [http://www.maltadata.com]''</small>)
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| align=center|'''Election'''
| '''Number of votes for
'''Malta Labour Party''''''
| '''Share of votes'''
| '''Seats'''
| align=center|'''Outcome of election'''
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1921|1921]]
| align=center|4,037
| align=center|19.72%
| align=center|7
| align=left|[[Unione Politica Maltese]] Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1924|1924]]
| align=center|4,632
| align=center|19.24%
| align=center|7
| align=left|Unione Politica Maltese/Nationalist Party Coalition Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1927|1927]]
| align=center|5,011
| align=center|14.55%
| align=center|3
| align=left|Unione Politica Maltese/Nationalist Party Coalition Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1932|1932]]
| align=center|4,138
| align=center|8.57%
| align=center|1
| align=left|[[Nationalist Party]] Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1939|1939]]
| align=center|3,100
| align=center|8.82%
| align=center|1
| align=left|[[Nationalist Party]] Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1945|1945]]
| align=center|19,071
| align=center|76.20%
| align=center|9
| align=left|Malta Labour Party Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1947|1947]]<sup>†</sup>
| align=center|63,145
| align=center|59.86%
| align=center|24
| align=left|Malta Labour Party Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1950|1950]]
| align=center| 30,332
| align=center|28.58%
| align=center|11
| align=left|[[Nationalist Party]] Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1951|1951]]
| align=center|40,208
| align=center|35.70%
| align=center|14
| align=left|[[Nationalist Party]] Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1953|1953]]
| align=center|52,771
| align=center|44.55%
| align=center|19
| align=left|[[Nationalist Party]] Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1955|1955]]
| align=center|68,447
| align=center|56.73%
| align=center|23
| align=left|Malta Labour Party Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1962|1962]]
| align=center|50,974
| align=center|33.85%
| align=center|16
| align=left|[[Nationalist Party]] Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1966|1966]]
| align=center|61,774
| align=center|43.09%
| align=center|22
| align=left|[[Nationalist Party]] Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1971|1971]]
| align=center|85,448
| align=center|50.84%
| align=center|28
| align=left|Malta Labour Party Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1976|1976]]
| align=center|105,854
| align=center|51.53%
| align=center|34
| align=left|Malta Labour Party Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1981|1981]]<sup>‡</sup>
| align=center|109,990
| align=center|49.07%
| align=center|34
| align=left|Malta Labour Party Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1987|1987]]
| align=center|114,936
| align=center|48.87%
| align=center|34
| align=left|[[Nationalist Party]] Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1992|1992]]
| align=center|114,911
| align=center|46.50%
| align=center|31
| align=left|[[Nationalist Party]] Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1996|1996]]
| align=center|132,497
| align=center|50.72%
| align=center|31+4
| align=left|Malta Labour Party Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 1998|1998]]
| align=center|124,220
| align=center|46.97%
| align=center|30
| align=left|[[Nationalist Party]] Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 2003|2003]]
| align=center|134,092
| align=center|47.51%
| align=center|30
| align=left|[[Nationalist Party]] Victory
|-
| align=center|[[Maltese general election, 2008|2008]]
| align=center|141,888
| align=center|48.79%
| align=center|34
| align=left|[[Nationalist Party]] Victory
|}
<sup>†</sup>''The first election under [[universal suffrage]] in which all women aged over 21 could vote.''
<sup>‡</sup>''The 1981 election produced a perverse result, as the Opposition Nationalist Party had more votes than the ruling Labour Party.''
== Past and Current Leaders ==
**1921-1927 Colonel Dr [[William Savona]]
**1927-1927 Colonel [[Michael Dundon]] MD (Acting Leader)
**1927-1949 Dr [[Paul Boffa]] (Prime Minister: 1947-1950)
*Leaders since 1949 (Refounded)
**1949-1984 Perit [[Dom Mintoff]] (Prime Minister: 1955-1958, 1971-1984)
**1984-1992 Dr [[Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici]] (Prime Minister: 1984-1987)
**1992-2008 Dr [[Alfred Sant]] (Prime Minister: 1996-1998)
**2008 Dr [[Charles Mangion]] (Acting Leader 10 March - 6 June)
**2008- Dr [[Joseph Muscat]]
The post of '''Leader of the Malta Labour Party''' was created in 1928. Before this (1921-28) the post was known as '''President of the Camera del Lavoro (Labour Party)'''
{| class="sortable wikitable"
!
!
! Portrait
! Entered office
! Left office
! Length of Leadership
! Date of Birth and Death
|-
! 1
| [[William Savona]]
|
| [[6 September]] [[1921]]
| August 1927
| 6 years
| [[7 January]] [[1865]] - [[18 January]], [[1937]]
|-
! 2
| [[Michael Dundon]] <sup>†</sup>
| [[Image:No-photo.jpg|60px]]
| [[August]] [[1927]]
| 1927
| few weeks
| Unknown
|-
! 3
| [[Paul Boffa]]
|
| 1927
| [[9 October]] [[1949]]
| 22 years
| [[30 June]] [[1890]] - [[6 July]], [[1962]]
|-
! 4
| [[Dom Mintoff]]
|
| [[16 October]] [[1949]]
| [[22 December]] [[1984]]
| 35 years, 2 months, 6 days
| [[6 August]], [[1916]] - present
|-
! 5
| [[Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici]]
|
| [[22 December]] [[1984]]
| [[26 March]] [[1992]]
| 7 years, 3 months, 4 days
| [[17 July]] [[1933]] - present
|-
! 6
| [[Alfred Sant]]
|
| [[26 March]] [[1992]]
| [[10 March]] [[2008]]
| 15 years, 11 months, 15 days
| [[28 February]] [[1948]] - present
|-
! 7
| [[Charles Mangion]] <sup>†</sup>
|
| [[10 March]] [[2008]]
| [[6 June]] [[2008]]
| 2 months, 27 days
| [[14 November]] [[1952]] - present
|-
! 8
| [[Joseph Muscat]]
|
| [[6 June]] [[2008]]
| Present
| {{age in years and months|2008|06|06}}
| [[22 January]], [[1974]] - present
|}
<sup>†</sup>''Although these were technically leaders of the Malta Labour Party, they only assumed this role because of the resign of the incumbent and was not elected to the post. They was in effect acting leaders.''
== See also ==
{|width=100%
|-valign=top
|width=33%|
*[[Sette Giugno]]
*[[Interdict (Roman Catholic Church)]]
*[[House of Representatives of Malta]]
*[[European Parliament]]
*[[Prime Minister of Malta]]
|}
==References==
{{reflist|1}}
<ref>[http://www.michaelbriguglio.com/MA%20THESES%20-%20Chapter%203.pdf]</ref> http://www.michaelbriguglio.com/MA%20THESES%20-%20Chapter%203.pdf
==External links==
* [http://www.mlp.org.mt Malta Labour Party]
* [http://www.one.com.mt Super 1 Radio and TV]
* [http://www.maltastar.com Maltastar.com Online Newspaper]
* [http://www.it-torca.com It-Torca]
* [http://www.l-orizzont.com L-Orizzont]
* [http://www.kullhadd.com KullHadd]
* [http://www.labouryouth.org Labour Youth Forum]
{{Maltese political parties}}
[[Category:Political parties in Malta]]
[[Category:Social Democratic parties]]
[[Category:Socialist International]]
[[Category:PES member parties]]
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