The Militant tendency was a socialist group within the British Labour Party, based around the Militant newspaper. In 1997 it became the Socialist Party
The Militant was first published in 1964. Its politics were influenced by Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky. Three Labour Party MPs, Dave Nellist, Terry Fields and Pat Wall, were elected supporters of the Militant, and others, like Tony Benn, supported the right of the Militant to influence policy and organise within the Labour Party. At the height of its influence in th
e Labour Party, Militant played a leading role in Liverpool City Council. Between 1983 and 1987, the council campaigned for the return of the resources 'stolen' by prime minister Margaret Thatcher. In 1982, Liverpool District Labour Party had adopted Militant policies for the city, and adopted the slogan "Better to break the law than break the poor", the slogan of the Poplar council in the east end of London in 1919-20. In 1984, Liverpool council launched its Urban Regeneration Strategy to build 5,000 houses, seven sports centres, new parks, six new nursery classes and other works, many of which were seen to completion. The 1,200 redundancies planned by the previous Liberal administration to balance the books were cancelled, and 1,000 new jobs were created. The office of Lord Mayor was abolished and the ceremonial horses sold. Despite this huge success, 47 Liverpool city councillors were banned and surcharged. From 1983, a series of moves led by the Labour Party's National Executive Committee and leader Neil Kinnock finally brought the expulsion of prominent members of the group. Between 1989 and 1991 Militant led the All-Britain Anti-Poll Tax Federation's non-payment campaign against the Community Charge ('poll tax'). In 1991, Militant decided by a large majority to abandon entryism in the Labour Party. The majority changed its name to Militant Labour, and then in 1997 to the Socialist Party.
