Blackburn-Mutton Labor Party

Blackburn-Mutton Labor Party
Blackburn and Mutton Labor Party Inc.
General SecretaryHarold Nicholls[1]
FoundersDoris Blackburn
Charlie Mutton
Founded26 June 1947
Dissolved9 October 1950
Split fromAustralian Labor Party
Preceded byBlackburn and Mutton Labor Supporters' Committee[2]
Merged intoProgressive Labor Party
House of Representatives
1 / 75
(1947−1949)
Victorian Legislative Assembly
1 / 65
(1947−1950)
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The Blackburn-Mutton Labor Party (BMLP), also known as the Blackburn and Mutton Labor Party, Blackburn-Mutton Group and alternatively spelt Labour, was an Australian political party.

The party was formed in June 1947 by Doris Blackburn, the member for Bourke in the House of Representatives, and Charlie Mutton, the member for Coburg in the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It was created as a guarantee company so that both MPs could keep describing themselves as "Independent Labor" after the Australian Labor Party attempted to restrict the use of the word "Labor".[3][4]

Mutton was re-elected in Coburg for the BMLP in 1947 and 1950.

At the 1949 federal election, Bourke was abolished as a seat and Blackburn contested the new division of Wills. She had 20.6% of the vote, but was unsuccessful.[5]

Daniel Healy contested the 1949 Brunswick state by-election for the party, receiving 19.8% of the vote.[6]

In October 1950, the BMLP merged into the new Progressive Labor Party.[7][8]

  1. ^ "Stand On Proposal". The Herald. 8 October 1947.
  2. ^ "Coburg Labor and the proposed I.L.P." Williamstown Chronicle. 27 April 1945.
  3. ^ "Labor title at elections". The Age. 27 June 1947.
  4. ^ "ALP move to prevent use of "Labor" by independents". The Sun News-Pictorial. 28 June 1947.
  5. ^ "465 CANDIDATES FOR FEDERAL HOUSES". Trove. The Age. 15 November 1949. The possibilities of new Wills has attracted from Bourke (now spelled Burke) - Mrs. Blackburn, Independent or Blackburn-Mutton Labor.
  6. ^ "By-election at Brunswick". Border Watch. 16 July 1949.
  7. ^ "Breakaway Labor Party formed". The Argus. 10 October 1950.
  8. ^ "Breakaway Labor Party formed". Border Morning Mail. 10 October 1950. A member of the organisation claims that the new party had already absorbed the Blackburn-Mutton group in Coburg, and was now forming new branches.