( also Labour )
one of the three main parties in British politics, established to represent the interests of workers, and traditionally supported by the trade unions . It developed from the Independent Labour Party and formed its first government in 1924 under Ramsay MacDonald . Other Labour prime ministers since then have been Clement Attlee (1945–51), Harold Wilson (1964–70), James Callaghan (1974–9) and Tony Blair (1997– ). In the 1980s and 1990s the party moved away from traditional left-wing policies regarding public ownership of industry or giving up nuclear weapons. Because of these changes the party is now also known as New Labour . It was elected to government in 1997 under Tony Blair, with a large majority in the House of Commons . Opposition to New Labour policies and to the war in Iraq among traditional Labour Party members led to a decline in party membership to the lowest level since the 1930s.
► Labour adj
of or supporting the Labour Party:
a Labour minister
Her husband is Labour. (= He supports the Labour Party.)