Rhodesia Labour Party - Second World War Divisions

Second World War Divisions

At the outbreak of war, the Prime Minister Godfrey Huggins offered to appoint the leader of the party Harry Davies to government as part of an all party administration. Davies accepted without consulting the National Executive Committee and was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs on October 3, 1939. The NEC were in fact opposed, although they decided not to raise objections. In 1940, Huggins offered a formal coalition to the party. The NEC rejected this approach, whereupon Davies, John Keller and Thomas Kimble resigned from the party and formed a new party, which they named "The Labour Party". Keller was also appointed to the government as Minister without Portfolio. The breakaway was more strongly supported in Bulawayo and Midlands, with Salisbury and Umtali remaining loyal.

In February 1942, a motion of no confidence in the Huggins government was defeated but with four members of the United Party breaking the whip to support it. Two of them, Edgar Vernall and Frank Thompson, then joined the RLP. Despite the party maneuvring, hopes among Labour supporters were high that some form of reunification could be arrived at after the war. Moves toward reunification had a fortuitous boost when Davies and Keller attended a party congress of "The Labour Party" in October 1943, as Huggins had declared that this was contrary to the spirit of coalition and dismissed them from the government on October 12. "The Labour Party" then went into opposition.