Learning from Labour’s History

A series of webinars looking at the history of the Labour party and considering a number of key historical issues which remain relevant today: the relationship between Labour and the organised working-class movement, how serious a challenge did the party present to capitalism and imperialism, and the nature of the Labour left and its understanding of socialism.

The videos from that series are available online here.

https://youtu.be/NfdXdNggtG0

Session 1, Thursday April 23 2020

The origins and formation of the Labour party 1880s-1914: the voice of the organized working class?

Click here for some background reading material (Zip file) and Kevin’s notes for the talk.

 

 


https://youtu.be/ko39Rpo3uVw

Session 2, Thursday April 30 2020

Clause IV and the impact of the Russian revolution 1917-23.

Click here for some reading materials (please note that this will download a Zip file to your computer) and Kevin’s notes for the talk.

 


https://youtu.be/jCb1KlkTzyE

Session 3, Thursday May 7 2020

Labour in government, but not in power: 1923-4 and 1929-31

Primary reading material here as a Word file and Kevin’s speakers notes here.

 

 


https://youtu.be/B0k8fvoLnJ0

Session 4

Thursday May 14 2020

Looking back to 1945-the socialist moment?

Reading material to follow.

 

 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa8x7ANV7x0

Session 5

Thursday May 21 2020


Let’s go with Labour? Wilson and ‘the white heat of technology’ in the 1960s

 


https://youtu.be/mGW_3LXyrO4

Session 6

June 4 2020

‘The party is over’?

The crisis in social democracy and the rise of the Labour left 1974-1987

https://youtu.be/R34Lf3D7eok

Session 7

Thursday June 11 2020

The rise of ‘New Labour’: a Blairite counter-revolution?

 

 

https://youtu.be/AOe_CJ5Sv20

Session 8

Thursday June 18 2020

The 1926 general strike

Each session will include a reading list, brief outline notes and some primary historical documents for discussion. With time for questions and comments.

Starting on April 23 2020 and then every Thursday, 6pm, via Zoom. Video will be made available online afterwards.

Introduced by Kevin Bean, Merseyside LLA, author, lecturer in Irish politics, tutor of British politics, University of Liverpool (retired).