Dave Church (known as "Citizen Dave"), his deputy John Rothery, and others on the left of Walsall Labour Party had supported a policy of radical decentralisation of power since the early 1980s, but the right-wing of the party had held power as Metropolitan Borough of Walsall councillors, preventing the enactment of the policies.

[2] In May 1995, after three years during which the left-wing councillors were suspended from the party for 'operating their own caucus', the left gained control of the council.

Dave Church stood for the Socialist Alliance in Walsall North in the 2001 general election, gaining 410 votes (1.3%).

[16] He lost his council seat in 2011 but was re-elected in 2012 on an anti-cuts platform;[17][18] the DLP then affiliated to the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.

In 2016, the DLP effectively ceased to exist for a second time when Smith lost his council seat in the local elections.