The Forward March of Labour Halted?This is the disturbing central conclusion of Eric Hobsbawm's analysis of recent working-class history. The present volume brings together trade-union leaders and Labour MPs, socialist writers and workplace militants to debate Hobsbawm's assessment and to explore the situation and prospects of the labour movement. So broad a range of contributors has rarely been assembled for a discussion of this kind. Their essays are remarkable for their candour and clarity, and also for the freedom with which they cross the barriers that too often separate political from industrial issues, and academic research from the many questions raised by practical struggles. Nothing more clearly reveals the depth of Britain's crisis than the strategic and organizational controversies that currently divide the political and the trade-union wings of the labour movement. The Forward March of Labour Halted? will have an immediate impact, both inside the movement and on a wider public. -- from back cover. |
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action activists advance alternative policy argued argument bargaining Britain British capitalism British trade unionism British working class campaign cent class consciousness committed committees Communist Party corporatism debate decline defeat demands democracy democratic economic election electoral employers Eric Hobsbawm fact fight forward march halted happened Hilary Wainwright increasingly industrial interests Jack Jones Ken Gill labour aristocracy Labour government Labour left labour movement Labour Party Labour vote leadership major manual workers march of labour Marx Marxism Today Marxist membership ment militancy million mobilize monetarism organization parliament parliamentary period political potential problems programme public sector question radical rank-and-file right-wing Robin Blackburn role sectionalism shop stewards Social Contract socialist society solidarity Stan Newens stewards strategy strike strike action Thatcher Tony Benn Tory trade union trade union movement trade unionists traditional unemployment wages struggle white-collar wider women working-class