A Short History of the Labour Party

by Henry Pelling, Alastair J. Reid

A Short History of the Labour Party is the classic account of the rise of the Labour Party from its foundation through to Tony Blair's second term as Prime Minister. Thoroughly revised and updated, it describes the events that led to the inception of the party, the role of the trade unions within the party, the successes and failures of the twentieth century and the revival of the party's fortunes under Kinnock, Smith and then Blair. It closes with an analysis of the current crisis that the Party faces over its foreign policy choices since 9/11 including the war in Iraq. This book thus provides the essential background for an understanding and appreciation of today's political debates.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction, Collections

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

A specialist in modern British political history, Henry Mathison Pelling was educated at Birkenhead School and St John's College, Cambridge. He taught at Queen's College, Oxford and St. John's College, Cambridge.

Reviews

[Andrew Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The classic overview of the party's developing policies and organisation. A handy summary for students, mostly even-handed, though personally I'd prefer the more polemical approach of Tony Cliff or Simon Hannah.