The Labour contest was the first to be fought in thirteen years following the resignation of Harold Wilson. Wilson had given Callaghan a heads up in the days before telling him he ‘should begin to make preparations for the inevitable contest’ The bookmakers priced it as follows: James Callaghan 4/5 Denis Healey 7/4 Tony Crosland... Continue Reading →
In 1988, Tony Benn challenged Neil Kinnock for the leadership of the Labour Party. The story of the campaign often overlooked by historians. -------------------- Rumours began in January 1988 that Kinnock would face a challenge from the left of the party. Tony Benn claimed Kinnock was ‘increasingly intolerant’ and ‘authoritarian’ in his manner and ‘gave a... Continue Reading →
Labour Conference at Wembley to decide rules for electing the leader. With the party on the verge of a historic split, the left - led by Tony Benn - demand greater grassroots influence over the leadership election A thread on the party debates and its impact: After many years organising on the left, a commission was... Continue Reading →
It was the speech that put Labour back on the long and often rocky road to government, but why did Neil Kinnock feel the need to take on the Militant Tendency back in 1985? The Road to Bournemouth The development of Militant as a political force is traced back to 1964, with the founding of the... Continue Reading →
By the summer of 1978, Jim Callaghan had a big decision to make. After four tumultuous years in power, his party had finally nudged ahead in the opinion polls. An election was expected, but to the shock of the world, Callaghan abandoned his plan. It became the most significant miscalculation in Labour's history For most of 1976... Continue Reading →
December 1980: Benn fails to gain election to the Shadow Cabinet. Roy Hattersley topped the poll as Foot looks to maintain a left/right balance. Margaret Thatcher is attacked by a flare in Cardiff as Tories reach their lowest ebb in the polls. December 31st: In her Christmas message, Margaret Thatcher warns the nation of "another... Continue Reading →
Hugh Gaitskell, Barbara Castle, Harold Wilson, James Callaghan, Tony Benn, Neil Kinnock, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Jeremy Corbyn all have one thing in common. They have all advocated withdrawal from the EEC/EU at some point in their long political careers. But only Jeremy Corbyn can see it through to fruition. It begs the question, why... Continue Reading →
TIDES OF HISTORY 