How Labour Wins: (And Why It Loses) From 1900 to Today

HOW LABOUR WINS is a book about the pursuit of power for working people. In assessing the fortunes of the Labour Party through the unfolding drama of each election from 1900 to the present day, it asks a simple overarching question – how does Labour win and why does it lose? The Labour Party has been out of power for almost fifteen years and lost four consecutive elections since 2010 during turbulent times which have been defined by austerity, a Scottish independence referendum, Brexit, and the rise and fall of Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson. Now, under Keir Starmer, the Party has been ahead in the opinion polls for over two years, while the Conservatives have imploded. How do the lessons of past elections inform us about what Starmer must do to maximise the chances of victory? With exclusive insights from former leaders and Prime Ministers - including Gordon Brown and Neil Kinnock - HOW LABOUR WINS provides voters with a vital guide to the 2024 election by delving deep into the secrets of long forgotten campaigns, tracing the Party’s roots, examining the strategies, leaders, transformative moments and missteps which have defined Labour at the ballot box and shaped modern Britain.

About the Author :
DOUGLAS BEATTIE grew up in Dumfriesshire, studied politics at Glasgow University and is an award-winning former BBC journalist, author and Labour insider. He has first-hand experience of elections having stood for Parliament as the Scottish Labour candidate for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale in the 2017 General Election and also been a Labour councillor. He now lives in London and works as a trade union media and political director. Douglas Beattie is fascinated by tribal divisions and his previous book is an acclaimed history of British football derbies, The Rivals Game, Inside the British Derby.

Review :
'A timely and brilliantly illuminating book that offers much needed context to the 2024 general election. It takes us back to Labour’s early elections and up to modern times, challenging orthodoxies about why Labour loses and how it wins. A must read.' Steve Richards, BBC Radio 4 Week in Westminster and host of Rock and Roll Politics 'If Labour is to flourish in power, it needs to know much more about its history. Reading this book would be an excellent starting point for its leaders and followers.' Anthony Seldon ‘A fascinating exploration of the party – an indispensable guide to understanding what Labour once was and what it’s become.’ The Herald on Sunday ‘Here will be a particularly worthy stocking filler for any politico wanting to press pause and reflect on all that’s gone on in the past frantic 10 to 20 years … the spats, dramas and memories along the way will all come flooding back with this lively, convincing read’ Richard Osley, Camden New Journal ‘Labour’s record in government shows that Attlee and Blair were in the top rank of change-making Prime Ministers, and Wilson not far behind. An inspirational history.’ Alastair Campbell ‘An interesting and enjoyable read’ The House ‘If you’re interested in politics, history and the Labour Party and want answers about their electoral performance, pick up this book and read it.’ The Indiependent ‘An outstanding book about Labour party election performances over the course of more than a century – and even more importantly, an invaluable and terrific guide to Labour party politics. Highly recommended.’ Peter Frankopan