The Social Democratic Federation

Britain's first socialist political party was the Social Democratic Federation which was formed in 1881. A branch of the Federation was first formed in the city in 1889. Organised trade unionism had begun long before with the arrival of the railway and railway engineering in the 1840s.

Nonetheless, Labour's rise was slow, and it wasn't until 1986 that the Labour Party won control of the council. Since then Labour has dominated the city's politics. (Though for how much longer?)

This section will tell the story of Labour's slow rise to power.