Fightback!: Labour's Traditional Right in the 1970s and 1980sThis book tells the story of how the moderate right in the Labour Party, trumped by the left for a decade and weakened by defections to the SDP in 1981, fought back organisationally to regain control of the party by 1985, producing an NEC supportive of Neil Kinnock and ready to expel Militant, introduce One-Member-One-Vote and return the party to electability. It describes the Manifesto Group of Labour MPs, Labour Solidarity, Forward Labour and the all-important but secret St Ermins Group of senior trade unionists, each of which strove to ensure that the party represented Labour voters and trade union members. Written by an insider, it draws on extensive interviews with all the key players and unique access to private papers and closed archives to explain how the moderates triumphed over the hard left. |
Contents
Introduction | 3 |
The 1981 deputy leadership contest | 19 |
Militant | 28 |
OneMemberOneVote | 36 |
Manifesto Group of Labour MPs 197483 | 49 |
Labour First | 76 |
Reviewing 1974 to 1988 | 183 |
from 1988 to 2004 | 191 |
Bibliography | 201 |
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Common terms and phrases
activists agreed ballot Basnett Benn's Boothroyd Callaghan Campaign Group candidates cent centre-right Chairman Chapple CLPD CLPs constituency David defeat delegates democratic Denis Healey Denis Howell deputy leader deputy leadership despite Dunwoody EETPU Electoral College favoured February Former MP Forward Labour fringe meetings Giles Radice GMWU Goudie Grantham Healey's Heffer Ian Wrigglesworth interview January John Golding John Silkin John Spellar June Labour government Labour Party Labour Solidarity left-wing left's London majority Manifesto Group March membership Michael Foot Militant moderate NEC elections Neil Kinnock newsletter November October OMOV organisation paper parliamentary party members party's Peter Shore political Report reselection right-wing Rodgers Roger Godsiff role Roy Hattersley seats Secretary Shadow Cabinet Silkin slate Socialist soft-left Solidarity Campaign Solidarity's Spellar St Ermins Group Steering Committee TGWU Tony Benn trade union trade unionists Tribune Group Turnock union leaders victory vote Weighell Wembley whilst Wrigglesworth