Keir Hardie

James Keir Hardie (15 August 1856 – 26 September 1915) was a Scottish socialist and labour leader, and was the first independent labour Member of Parliament (MPs) in the UK Parliament, seven years before the start of the Labour Party.

He was born in Newhouse, Lanarkshire. He worked as a coal miner, but his bosses stopped him from working when he made a union. He became a politician, and was elected to (chosen for) parliament in 1892. At first he was a Liberal, but he was interested in making a working class party. He started the Independent Labour Party in 1893, and what became the modern Labour party in 1900. He died in Glasgow following a series of strokes.