LSHG seminar - The British Labour Party’s New Socialist and the business of political culture in the late Twentieth Century

Monday June 3rd 5.30pm on Zoom Colm Murphy. 'The forgotten rival of Marxism Today: The British Labour Party’s New Socialist and the business of political culture in the late Twentieth Century' Free. Book at this link https://www.history.ac.uk/events/forgotten-rival-marxism-today-british-labour-partys-new-socialist-and-business-political This paper explores the world of the 1980s left in the UK and argues that political historians should integrate ‘business history’ questions to situate and evaluate sites for political debate. No history of the 1980s is complete without reference to the Communist Party’s glamorous Marxism Today. However, scholars have overlooked one of its significant market competitors. In 1981, the Labour Party founded its own intellectual magazine, the New Socialist. Initially, it was highly successful, recording healthy circulation figures and attracting iconoclastic pieces by leading socialists. Its early commercial success shows that it has been unjustly neglected since. Yet unfavourable political winds and internal editorial divisions fatally overlapped with ruinous business decisions in a worsening financial environment. This precipitated the collapse of New Socialist in the later 1980s—just as its Eurocommunist rival declared the arrival of the ‘New Times’ and wrote itself into history books. Closer attention to business contexts thus returns New Socialist to histories of the left and provides a better map of its ideological debates during a transformative decade. It also situates the travails of the 1980s left within social and cultural trends over the twentieth century.

CfP: The Benn Legacy -

The Benn Legacy A conference to be held on 12-13 April 2025 in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Tony Benn’s birth, looking at Benn’s life and legacy. The issues to which Benn devoted his political life are, if anything, more burningly relevant today than they were when he died in 2014. These include the relationship of people to power, peace in the Middle East, Britain and Europe, the state of the House of Lords and socialism within the Labour Party. In keeping with his principles, the conference aims to be inclusive, inviting contributions from the academy but also reaching out to trade unions and activist groups. To this end, there will be travel/accommodation bursaries to enable people to attend who are from groups not normally represented at conferences. Papers of 10-15 minutes are welcomed on any aspect of Benn’s life and legacy. Topics may include but are not limited to: · Congregationalism/nonconformist contribution to political thought · Movement for Colonial Freedom · The peerage · Technology (notably the post office and Mintech) · 1960s radicalism · Referendum 1975 (and reflections on 2016) · Manufacturing industry in the 1970s and 80s · Coal and the miner’s strike · The Falklands War · Gulf War 1 · Iraq, anti-war protests · Radicals in the House of Commons · Political diaries · The Benn Archive Abstracts (up to 300 words) and biographies (up to 100 words) should be submitted in Word to Pippa Catterall and Jad Adams: p.catterall@westminster.ac.uk and jadadams@btinternet.com. Deadline for submission: 31 November 2024. www.thebennlegacy.co.uk

LSHG seminars - Spring 2024

London Socialist Historians Group seminars Spring 2024

'Doctor Who and the Communist: the work and politics of Malcolm Hulke TV scriptwriter' - Michael Herbert Date: Mon 22 January Start time: 1730 On Zoom. 

‘Hen Chartists’ and ‘Vulgar Viragos’: Rethinking the role of women in the Chartist Movement - Judy Cox Date: Monday 5th February Start time: 5.30pm On Zoom - 

Transnational Perspectives on French Anarchism(1880-1918), Biography, Networks and Print Culture -  Constance Bantman Date: Monday 4th March  Start time: 5.30pm In Person. Room 301, Institute of Historical Research - please book at the link below

Transnational Perspectives on French Anarchism(1880-1918), Biography, Networks and Print Culture | Institute of Historical Research (history.ac.uk)

https://www.history.ac.uk/events/transnational-perspectives-french-anarchism1880-1918-biography-networks-and-print-culture

The Great Defiance. How the World Took On The British Empire - David Veevers(Bangor) Date: Monday 18th March Start time: 5.30pm On Zoom

David Veevers will be speaking at the final Spring term seminar of the socialist history seminar at the Institute of Historical Research on Monday 18th March at 5.30pm The seminar is free on Zoom but booking is essential to get a secure link: https://www.history.ac.uk/events/great-defiance-how-world-took-british-empire David Veevers is the author of the recently published book, The Great Defiance, How the World Took on the British Empire (Penguin). All welcome - for more information on seminars contact Dr Keith Flett on the address above 

LSHG seminar - Tony Collins on the Rugby World Cup

Socialist History Seminar Mon 23^rd Oct 5.30pm. Tony Collins on the Rugby World Cup. William Webb Ellis- his role in the class struggle

In person seminar at the Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, Malet St, London WC1

Free but please register as space is limited:

https://www.history.ac.uk/events/rugby-william-webb-ellis-his-role-class-struggle

Room 301 on the 3^rd Floor

Tony Collins will look at the origins of the William Webb Ellis trophy currently being played for in the Rugby World Cup in France, and the class struggles behind its origins

LSHG seminar- Chartism in London in 1848

 Socialist History Seminar - Monday 9^th October. Catherine Howe, Chartism in London in 1848

1848 was a year of revolution across Europe, but Britain appeared to be an exception.

Catherine Howe’s book on London Chartism in 1848, 175 years ago, explores a rather different reality. The revolutionary currents and activists at work in the Spring and Summer of 1848 that caused a significant response from the State.

Chartism in London in 1848 Catherine Howe Monday 9th October Time: 5.30pm

Free on Zoom. Book here: https://www.history.ac.uk/events/chartism-london-1848

Organised by the Socialist History Seminar at the Institute of Historical Research and the London Socialist Historians Group.

Visions of Labour and Class in Ireland and Europe Conference - 14-17 September 2023

 Conference 23 tickets - Irish Labour History Society

Irish Labour History Society - Museum & Archive

London Socialist Historians Summer Term Seminars 2023

 London Socialist Historians Summer Term Seminars 2023

Monday 15^th May 5.30pm - Keith Flett: The Coronation. Inventing and Reinventing Royal Traditions.

Free on Zoom

Book at this link: https://www.history.ac.uk/events/coronation-inventing-and-reinventing-royal-traditions

Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger argued that all traditions are invented and the British monarchy have been experts at it for centuries.

This seminar will look at what is real and what is invented in the Coronation of a monarch and grapple with what this means for an understanding of British history beyond patriotic posing

Monday 22^nd May 5.30pm - Duncan Stone: Gentlemen v Players 60 years on. Deconstructing the Gentleman Amateur

Free on Zoom Link to Book https://www.history.ac.uk/events/60-years-gentlemen-v-players-deconstructing-gentleman-amateur

Duncan Stone, author of one of the most insightful cricket books of recent years, Different Class, speaks on the Gentleman Amateur in cricket 60 years after Gentlemen v Players was abolished and the 60 over a side Gillette Cup started

Monday 5^th June 5.30pm - Ralph Darlington, Labour Revolt in Britain 1910-1914. In person seminar only Room 301. Institute of Historical Research