Labour coalition

Labour coalition
Leader	Malachi Curran
Founded	1996
Dissolved	1998
Ideology	Trade Unionism Social Democracy
Politics of Northern Ireland Political parties Elections

Labour was represented in the Northern Ireland peace process by a loose coalition of left wing and labour groups, including Militant Tendency (forerunners of the Irish Socialist Party), the Newtownabbey Labour Party and the British and Irish Communist Organisation.^[1] The coalition was formed to stand in the 1996 Northern Ireland Forum elections. It was listed in the enabling legislation simply as "Labour".^[2]

The coalition gained only 6,425 votes (0.85% of the total), winning no seats, but as the tenth most successful grouping in the election, it was entitled to two "top-up" seats on the Forum.^[3] The seats were taken by the first two named on the Regional List of Candidates, Malachi Curran and Hugh Casey.^[4] Both were former Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) councillors.^[1]

The coalition split shortly after the election. Mark Langhammer of the Newtownabbey Labour Party, originally the leader of the group, severed his connection with it, and Malachi Curran replaced him as nominating representative for Labour, notice being posted in the Belfast Gazette of 16 August 1996.^[5] Curran represented Labour in the talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

References

Defunct political parties of Northern Ireland

Unionist / Loyalist	Commonwealth Labour Party Independent Unionist Association Northern Ireland Unionist Party Protestant Unionist Party UK Unionist Party Ulster Constitution Party Ulster Democratic Party Ulster Popular Unionist Party Ulster Progressive Unionist Association Ulster Unionist Coalition Party Ulster Unionist Labour Association Unionist Party of Northern Ireland United Ulster Unionist Council United Ulster Unionist Party United Unionist Coalition Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party Volunteer Political Party

Nationalist / Republican	All Ireland Anti-Partition League Federation of Labour Fianna Uladh Irish Anti-Partition League Irish Independence Party Irish Union Association National Democratic Party Nationalist Party National League of the North National Unity Northern Council for Unity Official Sinn Féin People's Democracy Red Republican Party Republican Socialist Collective Saor Éire Socialist Republican Party Unity

Left wing¹	Belfast Labour Party Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist-Leninist) Communist Party of Northern Ireland Democratic Left Independent Labour Group Independent Socialist Party Labour coalition Labour Party of Northern Ireland Labour and Trade Union Group League for a Workers Republic Northern Ireland Labour Party Republican Labour Party Socialist Labour Alliance Socialist Party of Northern Ireland United Labour Party Workers League World Socialist Party

Ulster nationalist	British Ulster Dominion Party Ulster Independence Movement Ulster Independence Party Ulster Movement for Self-Determination Ulster Third Way

Others	Democratic Partnership Newtownabbey Ratepayers' Association Northern Ireland Women's Coalition Social Credit Party of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Ulster Liberal Party Unbought Tenants Association

¹ Excluding those left-wing parties avowedly nationalist / republican or unionist / loyalist.

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