Political Change and the Labour Party 1900–1918

by Duncan Tanner

• ISBN13: 9780521530538
• ISBN10: 0521530539
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-02-13
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

The nature and causes of the change in Liberal and Labour politics between 1900 and 1918 is a much argued question. There exists an enormous literature on the nature of the parties (their policies, ideas and aims) and on electoral change. Political Change and the Labour Party 1900-1918 embraces every aspect of these debates, providing a new and coherent explanation of the whole process by which Labour emerged as the principal party of opposition to the Conservatives. Dr Tanner utilises extensive data from the respective party records to examine the nature of the Liberal and Labour parties prior to 1914, both at the political centre and in the constituencies. In contrast to other accounts he does not neglect the social and political changes wrought by war. This book marks a major contribution to a perennial debate, with powerful implications for the study of electoral politics and the history of the Labour party in the first half of the twentieth century.

Table of Contents

List of tables

Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

Part I. Politics at the Centre: 1. The origins and viability of Progressive politics

2. Ideas and politics, 1906-1914

3. The centre and the constituencies

Part II. Politics in the Constituencies: 4. The electoral framework of Edwardian politics

5. The North-West

6. The Tory regions

7. The coalfields

8. The heavy industrial heartlands

9. Yorkshire

10. Liberalism's reserve army

Part III. An Integrated Picture: 11. The Progressive Alliance in 1914

Part IV. The Politics of Change: 12. Industry, politics and the Progressive Alliance, 1914-1918

13. The end of the Progressive Alliance

Conclusion

Appendices

Bibliography

Index.