How the Labour Party used History to win in 1997

25 years on from the landslide, a University of Warwick Undergraduate Research Support Scheme project supervised by Dr Simon Peplow and conducted by Will Barber Taylor has now been officially launched. On behalf of Will Barber Taylor The aim of the project was and is to explore the extent to which history influenced the Labour … Continue reading How the Labour Party used History to win in 1997

Rethinking Labour’s Past: History of Sleaze Event (Jan 31st @ 6pm)

A Rethinking Labour's Past event from Progressive Britain, Tides of History and the Labour History Research Unit at Anglia Ruskin About this event How does the Tory sleaze of the 2020s compare with the Tory sleaze of the past?  What do people think and what does the data tell us? What was it like being … Continue reading Rethinking Labour’s Past: History of Sleaze Event (Jan 31st @ 6pm)

“The Lessons that Labour Must Learn” – Book Review: The British General Election of 2019

The British General Election of 2019 (Robert Ford, Tim Bale, Will Jennings and Paula Surridge) By Jay Jackson ‘The British General Election of 2019’ – edited by Rob Ford, Tim Bale, Will Jennings, and Paula Surridge is the latest in a series of 21 books stretching back to the epochal contest of 1945. The 2019 … Continue reading “The Lessons that Labour Must Learn” – Book Review: The British General Election of 2019

Born in the USA: Labour and the Special Relationship

The Special Relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States may have been shaped by war, but the histories between the two countries and governments go deeper. @scottcresswell1 looks at how Labour have naviagted it over the years It’s the second day of August 1945. President of the United States of America Harry S. … Continue reading Born in the USA: Labour and the Special Relationship

Podcast: Class and the Politics of English Rugby League

As a companion piece to our Chapeltown Road chapter of the Super League War, Michael chats to British labour historian Anthony Broxton about Thatcherism, striking miners, economic depression and how it all relates to Rugby League in England. Was a pleasure to be invited on to the Rugby League Digest podacst this year to talk … Continue reading Podcast: Class and the Politics of English Rugby League

Thatcher’s Britain: The strike that saved Only Fools and Horses and changed TV history

Celebrating the genius of Only Fools and Horses on its 40th anniversary - but it almost never survived its early struggles in depicting Thatcher's Britain. It was the summer of 1983, and John Sullivan was on a caravan holiday in Hastings with his wife and two children. It had been a difficult few months for … Continue reading Thatcher’s Britain: The strike that saved Only Fools and Horses and changed TV history

The Great Unknown: A Betting History of the Great British By-election

This article originally appeared on Political Betting on 4th May 2021 The modern era of political betting began in 1963 when Ladbrokes’ Ron Pollard opened up a book on the Conservative Party leadership contest. Shrewd punters could back the outsider Alec Douglas-Home at 16/1 over the hot 5/4 favourite Rab Butler….. In recent years we … Continue reading The Great Unknown: A Betting History of the Great British By-election

Robert the Lion Heart: Rob Burrow and Too Many Reasons to Live

Rob Burrow approaches MND like he did Rugby League: with bravery and without fear It was October 2011, and as they do at the end of every season, thousands of rugby league fans descended on Old Trafford to see which way the League title would be decided.  Since the creation of a play-off and Grand … Continue reading Robert the Lion Heart: Rob Burrow and Too Many Reasons to Live