National Administrative Council

The National Administrative Council (NAC) was the executive council of the Independent Labour Party (ILP), a British socialist party which was active from 1893 until 1975.

Creation

The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was founded at a conference in Bradford in 1893 by a large number of localised organisations. Delegates wished there to be a body which would implement policy between conferences, and also raise funds, and select candidates for Parliamentary elections. However, the local organisations did not wish the new body to have too much power, requiring it not to initiate any policy which had not been approved by a conference, and to emphasise this subordinate nature, it was decided to name it the "National Administrative Council", rather than "Executive Committee".[1]

The first NAC was elected on a regional basis, with five seats for the Northern Counties, four for London, three for Scotland, and three for the Midland Counties. The membership was:[1]

Northern Counties	London	Scotland	Midland, Eastern and Wales
William Henry Drew James C. Kennedy William Johnson John Lister Alf Settle	Edward Aveling Joseph Burgess Pete Curran Katherine St John Conway	George Carson Chisholm Robertson William Small	J. W. Buttery Jordie Christie Arthur Field

There were many candidates from the North and Scotland to choose from, but the London candidates were better known for their national activity than their local work, and there was a lack of suitable candidate from the Midlands. It was decided that there would be no chair, and the NAC would meet at locations around the country. However, a lack of funds led to it meeting only twice: in Manchester in March, and Halifax in November. However, it succeeded in agreeing to distance the organisation from Henry Hyde Champion, and it selected seven candidates for the next UK general election.[1]

1894 to 1906

The second conference of the ILP, held in Manchester in 1894, started with the reading of the minutes of the NAC meetings. The organisation decided to only permit ILP branches to send delegates, and this less individualised membership agreed to reduce the NAC to nine members. Three would be elected as president, treasurer and general secretary, while the other six would be elected by all delegates, using plurality-at-large voting. Only three members retained their seats, and Keir Hardie was elected, establishing his dominance within the party. The NAC now met more frequently, and had a greater role in determining policy.[1]

The title of president was changed to chairman in 1896, and by 1898, the membership of the NAC had begun to settle down, with Hardie joined by Ramsay Macdonald, Bruce Glasier and Philip Snowden, and the "Big Four" held the leading roles in the party for many years.[1]

Year	Chair	Treasurer	Member	Member	Member	Member	Member	Member	General Secretary
1894	Keir Hardie	John Lister	Fred Brocklehurst	Jordie Christie	Pete Curran	Leonard Hall	James Tattersall	Ben Tillett	Tom Mann
1895			Richard Pankhurst			Russell Smart		Enid Stacy
1896		France Littlewood		Fred Brocklehurst			Ramsay MacDonald
1897			Bruce Glasier	Tom Shaw				Florence Harrison-Bell
1898				Fred Brocklehurst	Emmeline Pankhurst			Philip Snowden	John Penny
1899				Joseph Burgess	James Parker
1900	Bruce Glasier		Keir Hardie			Ramsay Macdonald	Sidney Shallard
1901		T. D. Benson		Fred Jowett
1902[2]
1903	Philip Snowden						Bruce Glasier	Isabella Ford[3]	Francis Johnson
1904								Emmeline Pankhurst[3]
1905[4]								Isabella Ford

1906 to 1909

By 1906, there was a feeling that there was too little change in the membership of the NAC, and activists highly popular in one region but little known in others were unable to win places on it. As a result, seven regional divisions were created, each holding conferences to elect one NAC member, joined by the chair, treasurer and secretary and four national members, who continued to be elected by delegates at conference.[1]

Year	Chair	Treasurer	National	National	National	National	1 Scotland	2 North East	3 Yorkshire	4 North West & Ireland	5 South Wales	6 Midlands	7 South	General Secretary
1906[5]	Ramsay Macdonald	T. D. Benson	Isabella Ford	Bruce Glasier	Keir Hardie	Philip Snowden	William Stewart	Thomas Richardson	T. Russell Williams	James Howard	William Field	Harry Brockhouse	Margaret McMillan	Francis Johnson
1907			James Parker					William Wood
1908			William Anderson					W. E. Moll	Ben Riley

1909 to 1970

In 1909, the divisions were reorganised, and four more created, and further adjustments were made over the next three years, including in 1912 the formation of a single division for the whole of Wales.[6] This endured for many decades.

From 1935, the ILP's conferences were based around a policy statement from the NAC. The NAC began electing a smaller executive committee from its ranks, and with the executive committee taking on more powers, the NAC met less frequently.[7]

Year	Chair	Treasurer	National	National	National	National	1 Scotland	2 North East	3 Yorkshire	4 Midlands	5 East Anglia	6 London & South	7 South West	8 South Wales	9 Lancashire	10 Manchester	11 Ireland & Cumbria	Gen Sec
1909	Fred Jowett	T. D. Benson	William Anderson	J. R. Clynes	George Lansbury	Mary Macarthur	Thomas McKerrell	W. E. Moll	Ben Riley	Leonard Hall	Bill Holmes	Robert Ensor	James H. Belcher	William Field	William Williams	J. M. McLachlan	Hugh Stockman	Francis Johnson
1910	William Anderson		Bruce Glasier	Fred Jowett								Harry Snell		Harry Davies	C. T. Douthwaite		Merged into Division 2
1911										J. W. Kneeshaw		Harry Dubery	Geoffrey A. Ramsay		R. C. Wallhead

Year	Chair	Treasurer	National	National	National	National	1 Scotland	2 North East	3 Yorkshire	4 Midlands	5 East Anglia	6 London & South	7 South West	8 Wales	9 Lancashire	Gen Sec
1912	William Anderson	T. D. Benson	Bruce Glasier	Fred Jowett	Mary Macarthur	J. M. McLachlan	James A. Allan	W. E. Moll	Ben Riley	John Kneeshaw	Bill Holmes	Harry Dubery	Geoffrey A. Ramsay	James Winstone	R. C. Wallhead	Francis Johnson
1913	Keir Hardie				William Anderson	Margaret Bondfield			John Palin					John Watt
1914	Fred Jowett			Keir Hardie			James Maxton		Charlie Glyde				Walter Ayles	Ivor H. Thomas
1915									Ben Riley
1916				Philip Snowden			Tom Johnston				Harry Dubery
1917	Philip Snowden			Fred Jowett						J. W. Murby
1918					James Maxton		J. B. Houston				Herbert Witard
1919			David Kirkwood		Neil Maclean		Hugh Guthrie
1920	R. C. Wallhead	Philip Snowden					Manny Shinwell	Jack Lees		Clement Bundock	Herbert Witard	Clifford Allen		John Barr	James Hindle Hudson
1921						Ramsay Macdonald						Ernest E. Hunter		Morgan Jones
1922		Clifford Allen								Charles Simmons	Percy F. Pollard
1923	Clifford Allen	George Benson	R. C. Wallhead		John Wheatley		Patrick Dollan			Clement Bundock				George Gethin
1924										George Banton						Fenner Brockway
1925		Charles Roden Buxton				James Maxton		Fred Tait		Fred Longden				Harry Davies	Elijah Sandham
1926	James Maxton			David Kirkwood	Minnie Pallister				Thomas William Stamford		Dorothy Jewson	John Scurr
1927					Oswald Mosley	Manny Shinwell				Frank Wise		Ernest E. Hunter	Fred Berriman	David Mort		John Paton
1928		Fred Jowett	John William Moor									John Scurr
1929					Fenner Brockway							J. Allen Skinner	Kate Spurrell
1930						John Wheatley			Percy Williams					David Thomas
1931	Fenner Brockway		James Maxton		R. C. Wallhead	Frank Wise				Jim Garton				Dai Jones
1932[7]				Campbell Stephen				Tom Stephenson
1933[7]	James Maxton		C. A. Smith		Jennie Lee	Fenner Brockway	John McGovern					Jack Gaster		E. B. James		Fenner Brockway
1934[7]						Alex Smillie				Sam Leckie	George Johnson				Bob Edwards
1935[7]			James Carmichael			Fenner Brockway
1936[7]					Wilfred Young							John Aplin		Jim Davies
1937[7]					Sam Leckie					Tom Reed
1938[7]					John Aplin							Jack Hammond		Emrys Thomas
1939[7]	C. A. Smith	Fred Jowett		James Maxton	Will Ballantine		David Gibson						Fred Berriman			John McNair
1940							John McGovern					Walter Padley		John Aplin
1941	John McGovern						Tom Taylor						George Woodall	Emrys Thomas
1942								Norman Winters					Kate Spurrell
1943	Bob Edwards		F. A. Ridley				David Gibson	T. Dan Smith							Fred Barton
1944		Percy Williams							Don Bateman
1945						Arthur Eaton		Norman Winters			Alf Nicholls
1946				Don Bateman		James Taylor			George Craker			Tom Colyer
1947				Tom Colyer		George Stone						Wilfred Wigham
1948	David Gibson			Bob Edwards		Harley Millichap	James Taylor				Ted Hardiment		Amy Woodall
1949		Harley Millichap	Tom Colyer	Fred Barton		Jim Taylor	Robert Duncan		Percy Williams				Don Bateman		May Edwards
1950					Jim Graham			Mark Sadler		John Gill	Dick Barnes	Len Collier		Len Woods	Eric Hughes
1951	Fred Barton			Vacant	Vacant	Emrys Thomas	Jim Graham							Gwladys Thomas	Stan Iveson
1952				Stan Birkett	Dan Carradice	Annie Maxton			Cissie Smith			Wilfred Wigham		David Thomas
1953		Anne Gill	Don Bateman	Jim Graham			Bert Vallance	Jack Scott				Emrys Thomas	Harry Hardcastle	Merged into Division 7
1954	Annie Maxton				Stan Birkett	Jack Scott		Mark Sadler				Ken Eaton				Wilfred Wigham
1955												Fred Morel
1956						Jim McKie			Ruby Sellers
1957	Jim Graham			Annie Maxton	William Park
1958						Emrys Thomas				Ken Eaton		Bill Hanley
1959								Jack Scott			Vacant	Bill Christopher
1960	Annie Maxton			Jim Graham	Jim McKie	Fred Morel
1961	Fred Morel					Annie Maxton			Eric Preston			Emrys Thomas
1962	Emrys Thomas								Ruby Sellers	Graham Childs		Fred Morel				Penny Lockett
1963		Don Bateman	Eric Preston			Bessie Murray			Brian Hawkins	Arthur Taylor						Jenny Morel
1964			Isabel Colman		Brian Dean	Douglas Kepper				John Pugh						Hira Mukherjee
1965						Wilfred Wigham			Tony Coxon	Graham Childs
1966					Eric Preston		Mary Maxton	Daryl Hepple
1967				Tony Coxon	Bessie Murray	John Preston	Marian Morris	Vacant	Eric Preston		Dick Barnes
1968			Alistair Graham				Bert Vallance
1969				Harry Newton	Eric Preston	Annie Read	William MacCreadie	Pat McIntyre	Brian Hawkins			Bill Turner

1970 onwards

Faced with a continuing decline in membership, in 1970 the NAC was restructured, with twelve members serving alongside the chair, treasurer and general secretary.

Year	Chair	Treasurer	Member	Member	Member	Member	Member	Member	Member	Member	Member	Member	Member	Member	Gen Sec
1970	Emrys Thomas	Don Bateman	David Alexander	Tony Coxon	Brian Dean	Alistair Graham	Anne-Marie Graham	Brian Hawkins	Stan Iveson	Colin Livett	William MacReadie	Pat McIntyre	Eric Preston	Barry Winter	Hira Mukherjee
1971			Hira Mukherjee												Barry Winter
1972[8]				Robin Jenkins	Danny Keneally						David McGregor			Jenny Morel

References

1. Howell, David (1983). British Workers and the Independent Labour Party: 1888-1906. Manchester: Manchester University Press. pp. 283–326. ISBN 0719009200.
2. "The Independent Labour Party". Manchester Guardian. 2 April 1902.
3. Hunt, Karen (1996). Equivocal feminists. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 259. ISBN 0521554519.
4. "Independent Labour: Manchester conference". Manchester Guardian. 26 April 1905.
5. "The ILP's name". Manchester Guardian. 18 April 1906.
6. D. Ben Rees, "Thomas, David", Gildart, Keith; Howell, David (2010). Dictionary of Labour Biography. XIII. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 365. ISBN 9780230004566.
7. Cohen, Gidon (2000). The Independent Labour Party 1932-1939 (PDF). York: University of York. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
8. "Incitement to disaffection in the Army". East West Journal. 8: 704–705. 1972.

• Annual Reports of the National Administrative Committee (1893–1970)