The Labour Party
Subtitle: Socialism and Society since 1951 (Documents in Contemporary History)
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Published: March 15, 1997
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 176
ISBN-13: 9780719042706
Subjects: History of ideas, intellectual history; Political parties; Socialism & left-of-centre democratic ideologies; Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000; Politics / Current Events; Labour Party (Great Britain); Textbooks; Politics/International Relations; Politics and government; Government - International; Political Process - Political Parties; Political Science / Communism & Socialism; Children's 9-12; Great Britain; 1945-
Description: This fascinating book brings together a collection of original documents, many previously unpublished, which trace the history of the Labour Party from its electoral zenith in 1951, through the disasters and divisions of the early 1980s to the Party's apparent revival under Tony Blair. Focusing on how competing elements within the Party responded to persistent electoral failure, it indicates the extent to which the original vision of 'socialism' was consequently transformed.

The documents show how the leadership and Party members in the constituencies profoundly disagreed over the political implications of post-war social change. They further demonstrate that Labour's 'socialism' has always been a contested concept, the meaning of which divided as much as united the Party faithful.