Overview

Labour leader Harold Wilson was once asked how difficult he found being prime minister of the United Kingdom. ‘Not half as difficult as being Leader of the Opposition’, he replied.  Sadly for the Labour Party, much of the last century has been spent in shadow government. But were these wasted years in the Party’s history? Or did they offer vital opportunities for creation and improvement? In Keeping the Red Flag Flying political historians Mark Garnett, Gavin Hyman and Richard Johnson offer the first in-depth account of Labour’s periods out of office since becoming the Official Opposition in 1922. They argue that, far from being barren periods in the Party’s history, Labour’s opposition years from MacDonald to Starmer have been undervalued and misunderstood.  Across the book’s eight chapters they scrutinise Labour’s approach to reforming the party machinery, its development of policy proposals, its success in appealing to the wider electorate and its skill in opposing the government to identify the key hallmarks of successful opposition, as well as common mistakes. As the Labour Party prepares for a long-awaited return to government, this insightful book on Labour’s past has vital lessons for the Party’s future.

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9781509560967

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Reviews

"""This book is a very considerable achievement. With admirable clarity and verve, it explains why Labour has so often spent long periods in opposition and the lessons this offers the Party today."" Patrick Diamond, co-chair of Policy Network ""This book breaks new ground by examining Labour not through its rather sparse experience of government but through its much more extensive experience of opposition. Lively and provocative it throws new light on why the party so often fails, and why it occasionally succeeds. An important and timely contribution."" Andrew Gamble, University of Sheffield"

Author Information

Mark Garnett is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion at Lancaster University. Gavin Hyman is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion at Lancaster University. Richard Johnson is Senior Lecturer in the School of Politics and International Relations at Queen Mary, University of London.

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