British Labour Party
conference
Introduction from Chronology
At the British Labour Party conference, a motion is put forward by
Sidney Webb in favour of self-determination for Ireland. Emanuel Shinwell asks for a clear definition
of self-determination. Labour Party
leader, J. H. Thomas, said that it did not mean that the Irish people had a
right to “the establishment of an Irish Republic”.
Comment
This would seem to be a very odd type of self-determination – it would
seem that Thomas was saying to the Irish people “You can have any type of
government you want as long as it is not one we do not
like”. Also, as Boyce points out, what
Thomas said was “despite the fact that the [British] labour movement was an
earnest and enthusiastic supporter of those European states which after the
First World War were clamouring for the application of the ‘principle of
self-determination’ ”.
It is not clear if Thomas wanted to put similar limits on the principle
of self-determination on any of the other states seeking independence.