Malta’s Labour Party Was Established 105 Years Ago

The Labour Party is marking 105 years since its founding, being one of the two main forces in Malta’s political landscape.

To mark the occasion, Prime Minister Robert Abela inaugurated an exhibition entitled L-Ewlenin at the Labour National Centre in Ħamrun.

The exhibition, organised by the party, brings together documents, photographs and memorabilia that highlight key moments in Labour’s history.

Among the exhibits is confirmation that the party’s original name was indeed Partit Laburista (Labour Party), rather than an English variant.

Archival material also revealed the involvement of a woman in the party’s earliest days, the mother of the Bencini twins, highlighting the role of women in its foundation.

The party was founded in 1921 as the Chamber of Labour by a group of trade unionists. Early leaders such as Paul Boffa and Dom Mintoff played a central role in establishing the party’s social and political agenda.

Under Boffa, Labour introduced major reforms including women’s suffrage, social services, and income tax. Mintoff’s leadership strengthened the party’s identity as a democratic socialist movement and helped expand its influence throughout the mid-twentieth century.

In modern times, Joseph Muscat was elected party leader in 2008, overseeing Labour’s electoral victories and organisational restructuring.

Muscat resigned in 2020, and Robert Abela succeeded him, seeing the current Prime Minister’s baptism of fire as he navigated the COVID-19 pandemic.

#MaltaDaily