The Fall and Rise of the British Left

The remarkable advance of "Corbynism" did not emerge from nowhere. It is the product of developments in socialist and working-class politics over the past forty years and more. The Thatcher era witnessed a wholesale attack on the post war consensus and welfare state, through a regime of deregulation, attacks on the unions, privatisations, and globalisation. However, at the same time, there has been a persistent resistance to the growing powers of neo-liberalism - yet this side of the story is rarely told as it was considered to be a history of defeat. Yet out of this struggle emerged a thoroughly modern socialism. This book is essential reading for those who want to know where Corbynism comes from: the policies, personalities and moments of resistance that has produced this new horizon. This includes the story of power struggles within the Labour Party, and the eventual defeat of New Labour. The movements outside it - trade unions, feminists groups, anti-fascists activists, anti-war protestors - that have driven the policies of the movement forward. And the powerful influence of international groups that have shaped the potential for a global progressive politics.

About the Author :
Andrew Murray has been Chief of Staff of Unite union since 2011, and was previously its Director of Communications. He was Chair of the Stop the War Coalition from 2001 to 2011, when he was replaced by Jeremy Corbyn, and again from 2015 to 2016. From 1978 to 1984 he worked as a parliamentary and political correspondent for the Morning Star newspaper. He is the author of a number of books on history and politics, including Off the Rails - the Crisis on Britain's Railways (Verso 2001), A New Labour Nightmare (Verso 2003) and Stop the War - the Story of Britain's Biggest Mass Movement (Bookmarks 2005, with Lindsey German). He worked as part of the strategic leadership of Labour's 2017 general election campaign.

Review :
Of all the analyses of Labour's astonishing 2017 General Election performance, Andrew Murray's provides a detailed explanation of the road the British left has taken to reach touching distance of power. This is a brilliant book - a must read not just for academics but for every party activist. An in-depth examination of how a full-blooded version of socialism moved from the fringes to the centre of British political life. This studious and succinct account of the politics of the left is essential reading for any socialist navigating the dangers of political life as progressive ideas are tested in the real world. For insights into the Corbyn mindset [this] new book could be invaluable for those unfamiliar with Labour's enduring civil war. . . .The enduring theme is how the left was underestimated. Uniquely insightful in its appraisal of both the prospects and limitations facing the Corbyn project . . .A rich and needed intervention into the mass movement currently pushing for a humane society in Britain.' A lucid, perspicuous account of how Thatcherism - and its subsequent enablers under New Labour - broke the progressive left, and how the left returned from the margins of political life, the book is an honest reckoning with both the promises and limitations of socialism Excellent...you should read this book because it is not just charting the history of the recent past, but it also charts the likely course of events in the future