Radical People's Party
Det radikale folkeparti
Founded1906
Dissolved1940 (de facto)
1965 (de jure)
Split fromLiberal Party
Merged intoLiberal Party
IdeologyLabourism
Radicalism
Political positionCentre to Centre-left

The Radical People's Party (Norwegian: Det radikale folkeparti), founded as the Labour Democrats (Norwegian: Arbeiderdemokratene), was a radical political party in Norway mainly active from 1906 to 1936, targeting workers and smallholders. The party was founded by Johan Castberg, who led the party until his death in 1926.[1] He was succeeded in this position by Alf Mjøen, who also represented the party as a member of the Storting.

History

The party was a successor to the United Norwegian Workers' Association (Norwegian: De forenede norske Arbeidersamfund, DFNA), a labour organisation associated with the Liberal Party, which due to conflicts with the mother party fielded Johan Castberg as a parliamentary candidate in the 1900 election.[2][3] Castberg in turn founded a new party, the Labour Democrats in 1906.[1][2] The party took part in its first election in 1906, and in 1912 and 1915 it won six parliamentary representatives.[1]

For most of its history, the party cooperated with the Liberal Party.[1] The party had its strongest support among small-scale farmers and landless agricultural labourers, based in a non-socialist ideology.[2] In 1921 the party changed its name to the Radical People's Party[1] (although its members continued to be referred to as "Labour Democrats").[2]

The party eventually went into a steady decline.[1] Only in Oppland did the party retain some influence.[1][2] In the 1918 election, the party was reduced to one representative. At the election in 1936, it fell out of parliament altogether.[1] After the Second World War the party had effectively merged into the Liberal Party, although formally the parties had joint lists in Oppland until 1957.[2] The party was formally dissolved in 1965.[2]

Election results

Storting
Election Votes Seats Role
#  % # ±
1903 with Venstre[lower-alpha 1]
2 / 117
 New in opposition
1906 12,819 4.8
4 / 123
 Increase 2 in opposition
in coalition 1908–1910
1909 15,550 3.7
2 / 123
 Decrease 2
in opposition
1912 with Venstre
6 / 123
 Increase 4 in opposition
1915 25,658 4.2
6 / 123
 Steady 0 in opposition
1918 21,980 3.3
3 / 126
 Decrease 3 in opposition
1921 22,970 2.5
2 / 150
 Decrease 1 in opposition
1924 17,144 1.8
2 / 150
 Steady 0 in opposition
1927 13,459 1.4
1 / 150
 Decrease 1 in opposition
1930 9,228 0.8
1 / 150
 Steady 0 in opposition
1933 6,858 0.6
1 / 150
 Steady 0 in opposition
1936 6,407 0.4
0 / 150
 Decrease 1 in opposition
  1. ↑ Candidates ran for the United Norwegian Workers' Association (DFNA).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Radikale folkeparti". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). 13 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Arbeiderdemokratene" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Social Science Data Services. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  3. ↑ Terjesen, Einar A. (1990). Norway. Brill. p. 117. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
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