The party was established in 1951,[1] and was linked with the Montserrat Trades and Labour Union.
[2] In the 1952 elections, the first held under universal suffrage, the party won all five seats in the Legislative Council.
[4] However, he subsequently broke away to form the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) as a result of controversy over the number of holiday and retirement homes being built on the island.
[3] The PDP won all seven seats in the elections, leaving the MLP without parliamentary representation.
The party remained dormant until being resurrected to contest the 2009 elections.