The only union of insurance workers to affiliate to the Labour Party, it was briefly represented on its National Executive Committee, and for a time sponsored a Member of Parliament.
[3] H. Birnage served as general secretary for the first few years, then in 1914 the union appointed Edward Timothy Palmer as his replacement.
At the 1931 UK general election, the union decided no longer to financially support his candidacy, leaving him to try to fundraise his own expenses, and he lost the seat.
He was elected to the Labour Party's National Executive Committee (NEC) in 1945, when James Walker, a sitting member, died.
It was renamed as the National Union of Insurance Workers (Prudential Section), but retained a high level of autonomy until 1984, when it decided to fully merge into the NUIW.