Political parties and party platforms Books

Book SynopsisWith Trump's four years in the White House now in the rearview, an unprecedented period in American political history is concluded. The transition, however, has set off a mad scramble for control of a Republican Party that for so long has reflected the domineering image of one man-and might even still in the years ahead. Who emerges from the warring factions and familial rivalries that proliferated and quietly festered during Trump's presidency could determine the fate of the GOP for a generation, and the first hint of what's to come begins with the 2024 campaign to crown the first Republican nominee, and national party leader, of the post-Trump era.With Trump's exit, a singular era in American political history has ended-and the Republican Party, whose identity had for so long been centered around one man, will be forced to redefine itself for the future.Featuring profiles of everyone from Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, and Nikki Haley to Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and those in the Trump family, IN TRUMP'S SHADOW tells the story of a GOP under-and after-the forty-fifth president, and all of those jousting for influence over the party's direction in the wake of Donald Trump.

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Book SynopsisBrexit - a revolutionary moment in British politics. Voters in long-forgotten English towns made their disenchantment clear, overwhelmingly voting to `take back control' from a remote and defective economic system. Despite this decisive message in 2016, the concerns of these forgotten towns have continued to be all but ignored. David Skelton grew up in Consett, a north-eastern town where the steel industry has deep roots. When the steelworks closed almost forty years ago it lost everything, a story echoed in towns across England. Skelton uses Consett's experience to discuss what has gone wrong and how we can put it right. He considers a broken social contract and the economic and identity liberalism which has neglected the needs of a great bulk of the population. Little Platoons calls for a revival of One Nation to recognise the needs of people in such towns. It argues that a brave Tory Party can shatter decades-old boundaries and redraw the political map by marrying social reform with private enterprise, enhancing community values and allowing long-ignored voters to genuinely take back control.Trade Review"Digs deep into the challenges facing Britain's struggling towns and the trends that delivered Brexit." The Financial Times

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Book SynopsisAs we rebuild our lives in the wake of Covid-19 and face the challenges of ecological disaster, how can the left win a world fit for life? Planet on Fire is an urgent manifesto for a fundamental reimagining of the global economy. It offers a clear and practical road map for a future that is democratic and sustainable by design. Laurie Laybourn-Langton and Mathew Lawrence argue that it is not enough merely to spend our way out of the crisis; we must also rapidly reshape the economy to create a new way of life that can foster a healthy and flourishing environment for all. Planet on Fire offers a detailed and achievable manifesto for a new politics capable of tackling environmental breakdown.Trade ReviewWe now face an environmental crisis that has to be confronted. This book sets out the scale of the emergency as well as marks out the route to a better society. This is an essential read. -- John McDonnell, MPFor all who would build tomorrow not merely suffer it; for all who would heal the rifts that threaten us today between the generations and among the peoples; for all who know that human beings and human societies alike stand always within Nature never above it; for all who know that we must now turn our backs once and for all on domination, oppression, and exploitation, of Nature and of each other: this book is a manifesto and a call to arms. Please read it." -- John Ashton, UK climate change envoy 2006-12This book lays bare how capitalism led to the age of environmental breakdown and what this will mean for human societies. Most importantly, it focuses on explaining what an eco-socialist future would look like and that this future is a realistic, achievable and hopeful alternative to the predominant narrative of doom which typically surrounds discussions of environmental destruction. -- Carola Rackete, activist and author of It's Time to ActEloquent, clear-sighted and erudite, Planet On Fire is an important analysis of the interlocking political and economic forces driving us towards ecological catastrophe, and a credible route-map towards an alternative -- Will DaviesThis clear and incisive book starts from the immensely important insight that we cannot understand climate breakdown outside of the capitalist social relations that produced it. Planet on Fire reminds us that climate breakdown is intimately linked to all the overlapping crises humanity faces - from the rise of the far right, to growing socioeconomic inequality, to the COVID-19 pandemic - and that ecosocialism is the only route to an equal and sustainable world. -- Grace BlakeleyFor all who would build tomorrow not merely suffer it; for all who would heal the rifts that threaten us today between the generations and among the peoples; for all who know that human beings and human societies alike stand always within Nature never above it; for all who know that we must now turn our backs once and for all on domination, oppression, and exploitation, of Nature and of each other: this book is a manifesto and a call to arms. Please read it. -- John Ashton"Capitalism would create a desert and call it profit." Halfway through Planet on Fire, Mathew Lawrence and Laurie Laybourn-Langton drop this devastating judgement-but they don't stop at doom. Instead they offer blueprints, rally-points for energies, and chronicles of useful pasts for a decarbonized future. In the end, the climate crisis, they remind us, is not about individual morality or scientific authority but power and politics. This is a handbook for the fights to come. -- Quinn SlobodianThis book lays bare how capitalism led to the age of environmental breakdown and what this will mean for human societies. Most importantly, it focuses on explaining what an eco-socialist future would look like and that this future is a realistic, achievable and hopeful alternative to the predominant narrative of doom which typically surrounds discussions of environmental destruction. -- Carola RacketeA clear, powerful vision for ecosocialist transition. Don't miss this book. -- Jason HickelTrump may have left, but Trumpism is here to stay. In response, a transformative Green New Deal is more urgent than ever, charting a course beyond fossil fuel capitalism and deepening eco-apartheid and inequality. This vital contribution is a roadmap for how we get there and a political guide for the times ahead. -- Kate AronoffThe authors' vision of the path to climate justice is an antidote to disaster politics in so many ways, not least because it is both fair and unexpectedly luxurious. Each page is absolutely brimming with ideas as they meticulously take us through every important sector of the economy and reveal carefully thought through recommendations for reform. By focusing on power and who wields it they correctly identify the levers for change and who must now be empowered to push them. * Michelle Meagher, author of Competition is Killing Us: How Big Business is Harming Our Society and Planet - and What To Do About It *Reading Planet on Fire feels like traversing a humming, interdependent ecosystem of ideas, porous to the post-crash movements and thinkers shaping today's progressive environmentalism ... Starkly realistic whilst unflinchingly radical, Planet on Fire is a guidebook of hope for this crucial decade. -- Flora Parkin * LSE International Development *A practical starting point for reworking power structures that are dependent on extraction and initiating the new, society-oriented systems ... essential reading. -- Martha Dillon * It's Freezing in LA! *Offers an urgent alternative. -- George Eaton * New Statesman *Framing the situation in terms of the global inequality that fuels extractive global capitalism, and its roots in colonialism, Lawrence and Layborne-Langton put this power imbalance at the heart of their analysis. It enables them to offer some worthwhile answers for how we might solve our interconnected crises. -- Ann Pettifor * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisClimates of Migration offers a transcultural, transhistorical, transcolonial and transnational analysis of the interplay between migration and climate change.

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Book SynopsisAt first glance, issues like economic inequality, healthcare, climate change, and abortion seem unrelated. However, when thinking and talking about them, people reliably fall into two camps: conservative and liberal. What explains this divide? Why do conservatives and liberals hold the positions they do? And what is the conceptual nature of those who decide elections, commonly called the "political middle"?The answers are profound. They have to do with how our minds and brains work. Political attitudes are the product of what cognitive scientists call Embodied Cognition the grounding of abstract thought in everyday world experience. Clashing beliefs about how to run nations largely arise from conflicting beliefs about family life: conservatives endorse a strict father and liberals a nurturant parent model. So-called middle voters are not in the middle at all. They are morally biconceptual, divided between both models, and as a result highly susceptible to moral political persuasion.In this brief introduction, Lakoff and Wehling reveal how cognitive science research has advanced our understanding of political thought and language, forcing us to revise common folk theories about the rational voter.

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Book SynopsisThe Conservative Party have been in power for 47 of the 65 years since the end of the Second World War. During that time the division within the party over Europe has been the enduring drama of British politics - from Churchill's decision not to join the original European Coal and Steel Community in 1951 to Cameron's decision to hold an In/Out referendum in 2016. Other leaders came and went, but the issue was always there - sometimes centre-stage, at others behind the scenes - destabilising foreign policy, corroding the body politic, and destroying several of the party's leaders. These questions, and how they panned out, created a deep, grumbling discontent - the worm in the apple - that, over time, turned the Conservative Party and, by extension, a significant section of the electorate against British membership of the EU. By telling the story of the arguments and divisions within the Conservative Party, The Worm in the Apple explains why Britain voted to leave in 2016. It is by no means the whole story, but they are an important part of it.Trade ReviewBritain has 'left' and re-joined Europe a dozen times over the past two thousand years. The latest swing has been among the bitterest. Tugendhat's survey is a masterful injection of sanity into this perennial argument. -Simon Jenkins; The switch of Conservative Party opinion on Europe was of profound and enduring significance to the UK and the EU. At the heart of this absorbing narrative of how and why it happened is a superb insider's account of a critical moment in the story and one of the great might-have-beens of British history if Margaret Thatcher had been treated differently by the big figures in Europe after 1979. - Peter Hennessy; `Europe has been a poisoned chalice for the Conservatives. Six of the last seven Conservative Prime Ministers have been ruined by it. Few could be better qualified to explain the reasons why than Christopher Tugendhat. The Worm in the Apple is a contribution to understanding of the first importance. It will fascinate everyone who enjoys the world of politics.' Vernon Bogdanor, Professor of Government, King's College, London and author of Britain and Europe in a Troubled World'.

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Book SynopsisHamas won an overwhelming electoral victory in January 2006, overturning many assumptions regionally and globally. Branded as terrorist by Israel and the West, it is the largest Palestinian militant Islamist organization, formed fifteen years ago at the beginning of the first intifada. Its short-term objective is to drive Israeli forces from the West Bank and Gaza, an aim it hopes to realize through attacks on Israeli troops and settlers in the Occupied Territories and - more controversially - civilians. It also has the long-term aim of establishing an Islamic state on all of historic Palestine. In the post-Oslo world, Hamas gained power and influence as Israel steadily destroyed the power structure of the avowedly secular Yasser Arafat and his Palestinian Authority. A grass-roots organization that commands wide respect among Palestinians for its incorruptibility, Hamas is divided into two main sections, one responsible for establishing schools, hospitals and religious institutions, the other for military action and terror attacks carried out by its armed underground wing the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades. This book charts the origins of Hamas among the Muslim Brotherhood, details the influence of its exiled leadership in Syria and elsewhere, and sets out its internal structure and political objectives. This new edition includes an additional chapter covering events since the book's original publication in November 2006.Trade ReviewThis is an important book, and I encourage both Israelis and diaspora Jews to read it. -- Gabrielle Rifkind, Specialist in Conflict Resolution and Human SecurityAn excellent history, deeply researched, the story is dramatic, and Tamimi tells it well... gives access to fascinating detail. -- Victoria Brittain * Palestine News *In this trenchant history spanning from the first days of the 1987 intifada to the sweeping democratic victory of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Palestinian elections of January 2006, London-based scholar Tamimi argues that seeing Hamas as merely another face of Al Qaeda obscures more than it elucidates. A successor to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas comes out of a transnational Islamic reform movement that grew among Palestinians in the 1970s, largely in reaction to Arab nationalism's failure to champion the Palestinian cause. Increasingly, against a string of failed peace processes and the corruption and concessions of the PLO-led secular leadership, Hamas's popular support has rested heavily on its stance as a militant resistance movement wedded to the Palestinian dream of regaining pre-1948 Palestine, and as provider of essential social services. Tamimi draws extensively on the words of insiders in carefully charting and contextualizing the development of Hamas's highly resilient organization, shifting outlook and embrace of various tactics, including the offer of a truce with Israel and, most controversially, suicide bombing. It will be a key resource in English for any serious assessment of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. * Publishers Weekly starred review *Provides facts on Hamas' struggle in Palestine from real sources in the organisation. * Malaysian National News Agency *Tamimi's book is the most authoritative account yet published of the origins, rise and impact of Hamas. -- Abdel Bari Atwan, editor-in-chief, Al-Quds Al-Arabi

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsContents List of Illustrations Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction 1 • Internationalizing Struggle, 1977–1979 2 • Triumph and Consolidation, 1979–1980 3 • The Revolution under Attack, 1981–1982 4 • Creative Defense, 1983–1984 5 • Fundraising for the Revolution, 1985–1986 6 • Peace and Elections, 1987–1990 Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis''though a great many men and not a few women knew Ferdinand Lopez very well, none of them knew whence he had come''Despite his mysterious antecedents, Ferdinand Lopez aspires to join the ranks of British society. An unscrupulous financial speculator, he determines to marry into respectability and wealth, much against the wishes of his prospective father-in-law. One of the nineteenth century''s most memorable outsiders, Lopez''s story is set against that of the ultimate insider, Plantagenet Palliser, Duke of Omnium. Omnium reluctantly accepts the highest office of state; now, at last, he is ''the greatest man in the greatest country in the world''. But his government is a fragile coalition and his wife''s enthusiastic assumption of the role of political hostess becomes a source of embarrassment. Their troubled relationship and that of Lopez and Emily Wharton is a conjunction that generates one of Trollope''s most complex and substantial novels. Part of the Palliser series, The Prime Mi

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Book SynopsisJodi Dean unshackles the communist ideal from the failures of the Soviet Union. In the new capitalism of networked information technologies, our very ability to communicate is exploited, but revolution is still possible if we organise on the basis of our common and collective desires. Examining the experience of the Occupy movement, Dean argues that such spontaneity can't develop into a revolution and it needs to constitute itself as a party. An innovative work of pressing relevance, The Communist Horizon offers nothing less than a manifesto for a new collective politics.Trade ReviewThis is what everyone engaged in today's struggles for emancipation needs: a unique combination of theoretical stringency and a realistic assessment of our predicament. To anyone who continues to dwell in illusions about liberal democracy, one should simply say: read Jodi Dean's new book! -- Slavoj ZizekJodi's sharp analysis of the impasses of the left is also a kind of requiem for much of the 2.0 bluster of the last decade. -- Mark Fisher, author of Capitalist RealismOne of the most significant books in recent critical theory to theorize a powerful leftist politics. Its spirit and argument are energizing,and Dean's analysis is likely to intensify desires for transnational solidarity toward ending exploitation. The book's message is especially important in the present moment, when so many people despair over their political and economic powerlessness. * Political Theory *

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Book SynopsisIn this book, Senator Bernie Sanders explains where he comes from. He describes in detail how, after cutting his teeth in the Civil Rights movement, Sanders helped build an extraordinary grassroots political movement in Vermont, making it possible for him to become the first independent elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in forty years and now the longest-serving independent in U.S. political history. An extensive afterword by The Nation's National Affairs correspondent John Nichols continues the story with Sanders's entrance into the Senate, the drama of the 2016 Democratic Primary, his ongoing resistance to Trump, and the thrilling launch of his 2020 bid for the White House. A new foreword by Nina Turner, former president of Our Revolution and co-chair of the Sanders for President campaign, provides a rare glimpse of Bernie as a person. Outsider in the White House tells the story of a passionate and principled political life.Trade Review"I endorse Brother Bernie Sanders because he is a long-distance runner with integrity in the struggle for justice for over fifty years. Now is the time for his prophetic voice to be heard across our crisisridden country." --Cornel West, author of Race Matters "Bernie's been in the forefront of all the crucial environmental fights of recent years." --Bill McKibben, cofounder of 350.org "Bernie is the real thing. He's not about reading the polls and finding out what he needs to say in order to get elected. He's about an unwavering commitment to basic justice, equality and sound financial sense." --Ben Cohen, cofounder of Ben & Jerry's and founder of Stampede: Stamp Money out of Politics "I feel weird using words like 'values' and 'morals' because those are words that have been co-opted to justify terrible things like bigotry and greed. I'd like to take those words back and use them to describe Bernie Sanders because his moral compass and sense of values inspire me." --Sarah Silverman, comedian and social commentator Praise for the original edition, Outsider in the House "A clear, compelling and comprehensive vision for reinvigorating democracy, reducing poverty, rebuilding the middle class and restructuring our health care and education systems. Sanders gives us a vision of the day when 'we will no longer be outsiders in the House.'" --In These Times "Outsider in the House is a rare achievement: a concise, compelling book that both tells an interesting story and provides a readable, down-to-earth blueprint for political change." --The Onion "A road map for how progressives can win elections and not be a part of the two party duopoly." --Ralph Nader "A grass-roots 'how-to' guide, especially helpful and inspirational for prospective independent candidates--a firsthand description of the career of the most successful American socialist politician in modern times." --The Hill

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Book SynopsisThis book addresses the challenges facing socialists and the recent shift from protest to politics. It examines the limits and possibilities for class, party and state transformation and the democratic and socialist insurgencies inside the Labour Party in Britain, and the Democratic Party in the USA.Table of ContentsCONTENTS: Introduction: The revival of democratic socialism; class, party, state: the twentieth century socialist experience; From protest to party to state: lessons from Syriza; Corbyn's challenge: from party insurgency to state transformation?; Sanders challenge: economic democracy beyond `responsible capitalism'?; Planning for democratic socialism.

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Book SynopsisThis new edition of Donald Sassoon's magisterial history of the Left in the twentieth century includes a substantial new introduction by the author. With unique authority and unparalleled scholarship, Sassoon traces the fortunes of the political parties of the left in Western Europe across 14 countries, covering the fortunes of socialism from the rise of the Bolsheviks through two World Wars to the revival of feminism and the arrival of "green" politics.Trade Review'A genuinely major contribution to political understanding.' New York Times 'A remarkable new work of historical analysis, which will soon establish itself as a classic, Donald Sassoon's lucid and erudite One Hundred Years of Socialism, demonstrates that...the effective parties of the left, whether social democratic or (in a few cases such as France and Italy) communist...have served to regulate and socialise the wealth-creating and directionless economic dynamism of capitalism, not replace it.' Eric Hobsbawm, Guardian 'A majestic work. Nothing like this great survey exists in any language...stylishly written, with an ironic wit and vivid gift of metaphor, the book is an unfailing pleasure to read.' The Economist 'Epic...and encyclopedic comparative work drawing freely on the histories of countries as diverse as Britain, Germany, Greece, Denmark and Finland...its greatest strength lies in his placing of the left-right ideological batle within the context of the change and development of a capitalist system. Thus, [Sassoon] says, there has been no defeat of socialism by capitalism; the crisis of socialism was precipitated by the expansion of and changes in capitalism.' Alan Thompson, Times Higher Education Supplement 'Brilliant...Sassoon's view is based on quite phenomenally extensive reading and knowledge. Yet we never feel ourselves to be drowning in a morass of unconnected or undigested detail. Nor does learning here preclude liveliness and wit...an astonishing achievement, whish deserves to become a classic of socialist history.' Anthony Arblaster, Tribune 'Sassoon's book is remarkable. A massive and original synthesis which deserves to become a classic, there is nothing comparable to it in the English language.' David Marquand '[An] extraordinary achievement...Sassoon constantly stresses, with and amazing and enviable width of scholarship, how the pre-existent cultures of different countries made the socialist project so different in each...this book is a small masterpiece. It is vastly informative...and wise in its conclusions...I have not felt so sure that a work would be a standard book in a long time'. Sir Bernard Crick 'An astonishing achievement. One Hundred Years of Socialism is so learned and wide-ranging, so densely packed and yet so readable, so subtle and refined in its judgements and scholarship, it is a constant source of inspiration.' Hugo Young 'I read it with unflagging interest and appetite never wishing it a page shorter. After reading Sassoon's enthralling account, glib capitalist triumphalism seems as historically misconceived as the naive socialist millenarianism of an earlier generation.' Peter Clarke 'Donald Sassoon tells his kaleidoscopic story with ease and urbanity as he guides his readers, with great skill, through the complex issues of ideology and industrial development, diplomacy and war, which have shaped one hundred years of European socialism.' Paul Preston 'Admirable...based on vast reading (the sixty-page bibliography is no exercise in vanity, but is copiously exploited in ninety pages of helpful notes), the book is an authoritative guide to the recent history of Social Democratic parties and governments not only in the major Western European states but also in the many smaller countries.' Tony Judt, Time Literary Supplement 'The panoptic history of the European left, from Oslo to Athens, and 1900 to 1995, is uninterruptedly interesting...the author has scaled a mountain of scholarship and returned with an indispensable work of reference and reflection.' Norman Birnbaum, Political Quarterly 'A compelling account.' Malcolm Rutherford, Financial Times 'This history of the western European Left, recounted by Donald Sassoon with style and sympathy, is the history not of revolution but of reform'. Stephen Tindale, Prospect 'Compelling...an antidote to the fin de siecle gloom and modish talk of the end of ideology.' Fabian Review 'The major political book of the year...Sassoon offers an extraordinary, wide-angle focus on socialist parties over a century and across the industrialized world.' Patricia Hewitt, New Statesman Books of the Year 'A brilliant and scholarly work.' Tony BennTable of ContentsList of Tables List of Figures Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations New Introduction Introduction to the First Edition Book One: Expansion Part One: The Hard Road to Political Power 1. The Establishment of Socialism Before 1914 2. From War to War (1914-40) 3. Thwarted Alternatives 4. The War, Resistance and Its Aftermath: The Rise and Fall of West European Communism 1939-48 Book Two: Consolidation Part Two: The Construction of Western Socialism 1945-50 5. The Socialists After 1945 6. Building Social Capitalism 1945-50 7. External Constraints: A Socialist Foreign Policy? Part Three: Toward Revisionism 1950-69 8. The Golden Age of Capitalism 9. Between Neutralism and Atlanticism 10. The Foundations of Revisionism Part Four: The Perplexing Sixties: 'Something in the Air' 11. The Return of the Left 12. The Establishment of a Foreign Policy Consensus Part Five: The Great Contestation 13. The Revival of Working Class Militancy 1960-73 14. The Revival of Ideology and the Student Contestation 15. The Revival of Feminism Book Three: Crisis Part Six: The End of the Great Capitalist Boom 1973-89 16. The Crisis and the Left: An Overview 17. Social Democracy in Small Countries: Austria, Sweden, Holland and Belgium 18. Germany and Britain: SPD and Labour in Power 19. The French Experiment 20. The Failure of Italian Communism 21. The End of Authoritarian Regimes in Western Europe: Portugal, Spain and Greece Part Seven: The Great Crisis of Socialism 22. Workers, Women and Greens 23. The 1980s: Radicalism in its Last Redoubt 24. The New Revisionism Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisEssential reading for anyone interested in Turkey and its future' Literary ReviewEssential reading full stop' Peter FrankopanIt is a must' The TimesWho is Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and how did he lead a democracy on the fringe of Europe into dictatorship? How has chaos in the Middle East blown back over Turkey's borders? And why doesn't the West just cut off Erdogan and his regime?Offering extraordinary, eye-opening insight into a country that often hides its cards, Hannah Lucinda Smith combines a history of modern Turkey with close-up studies of its mercurial leader, its tumultuous politics and the broader political currents playing across Europe.Trade Review‘A brilliant guide, filled with insights … Not only essential reading for those wanting to understand contemporary Turkey, its politics and those of the wider region; essential reading full stop.’ Peter Frankopan ‘An engagingly written and factually scrupulous portrait … She captures his essence: the charisma and the paranoia, the skill of the political natural … Smith’s narrative has an empathetic and fair-minded grasp of Turkey’s colliding narratives … Full of dazzling cameos and incidental delights.’ Financial Times 'A comprehensive and nuanced account of Erdogan’s rule and the way he has ridden the tides of politics. For anyone interested in Turkey it is a must, but it also roams widely through the study of power and populism, full of revealing detail … Smith has a subtle intelligence; she deftly weaves the blowback from the collapse of Syria into her contemporary story … She writes very well, with an engaging mix of personal anecdote, acute observation, interviews and well-informed research; there’s no fat on this book and never a dull page.' Times ‘Fascinating … Much more than just a political biography … Essential reading.’ Literary Review ‘Does a brilliant job of revealing what has been going on in Turkey … Written in a lively and inviting style, her book records journeys throughout Turkey and its borders in search of those who can help to explain, or at least illuminate, Erdogan’s years in power.’ TLS ‘A fine book showing an aptitude to look way beyond the surface, and an eye for telling details which comes from her being an accomplished journalist based in Turkey’ Independent ‘One should begin by applauding Smith’s courage and determination in remaining in both Syria and Turkey during their upheavals and keeping her cool as a journalist … Could not be timelier … Excels in explaining elements of recent Turkish history.’ New Statesman

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Book SynopsisGUARDIAN AND NEW STATESMAN BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2017**Winner of best memoir at the Parliamentary Book Awards**Now with a new epilogue for the paperback''Compelling ... She has guts to spare ... An important story ... Role model? You bet'' Tim Shipman, Sunday Times''So human and inspiring, and my favourite book of the year so far'' Rohan Silva, GuardianWhen Harriet Harman started her career, men-only job adverts and a ''women''s rate'' of pay were the norm, female MPs were a tiny minority - a woman couldn''t even sign for a mortgage. But, she argues, we should never just be grateful that things are better now. There''s still more to do. In A Woman''s Work Harriet, Britain''s longest-serving female MP, looks at her own life to see how far we''ve come, and where we should go next. This is an inspiring and refreshingly honest account of the part she has played (and the setbacks Trade ReviewA personal memoir but also the story of women in politics and public life. Since Harriet entered parliament in 1982 ­ pregnant with her first child ­ she has seen the number of women MPs increase to more than 200. Many of us are there because of her -- Rachel Reeves, 'Books of the Year' * New Statesman *A Woman's Work is a fantastic and inspiring read which I would recommend to anyone interested in overcoming prejudice and promoting fairness. Over her 35 year career in Parliament no-one has fought harder or more effectively for gender equality than Harriet Harman. She is an outstanding role model -- John Bercow, Speaker of the House of CommonsIf I had a teenage daughter, especially one who didn't see the point of politics, this is the book I'd buy her. Chatty, accessible and occasionally eye-opening, it's a history of the things conventional political memoirs miss out ... a lively account of the one subject most political memoir writers know next to nothing about: how it felt to be a woman working in one of the least forgiving careers around -- Gaby Hinsliff * Guardian *Compelling ... She has guts to spare and is interesting on the difficulties of a work-life balance in parliament ... Her own judgments on her performance are commendably unsparing ... An important story ... Role model? You bet -- Tim Shipman, Political Editor * Sunday Times *A painfully honest memoir ... where lesser politicians would have slunk from public gaze, Harman reacted by getting tougher -- Mary Riddell * Sunday Telegraph *Countless blows have tempered Harman into something fearless and indestructible. Hell, why shouldn't this be her prime? -- Janice Turner * The Times *Fantastic - I can't recommend it highly enough * Open Labour *

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Book SynopsisA look at the increasing political polarization of America that locates its roots in, among other things, our increasing physical isolation from those with different views.Trade Review"Uncivil Agreement opens a window to a better understanding of the 'why' behind the polarization of contemporary American politics. This is a groundbreaking book, combining an interesting and important theoretical approach with strong empirical data, and it will have real impact."---David P. Redlawsk, University of Delaware

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Book SynopsisThe concluding volume of David McCullagh's new life of Eamon De Valera.In this, the concluding volume of David McCullagh's monumental new biography of the revolutionary and statesman, we join de Valera in 1932 as he takes the reins of power in the first Fianna Fáil government and follow him as he confronts one challenge after another the Economic War, the drafting of Bunreacht na hÉireann, the Emergency, the North, the declaration of the Republic, economic stagnation in the 1950s and sets about gradually remaking a sovereign Ireland in his own image.Beautifully written and deeply researched, McCullagh's De Valera is a provocative and nuanced portrait of Ireland's most enigmatic leader, as well as a balanced assessment of his role in shaping our national self-image.

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Book SynopsisThe second part of the landmark trilogy documenting modern-day Northern Ireland, by the author Provos and BritsBased on a three-part BBC TV series, this is an inside account of the thinking, strategies and ruthless violence of the paramilitaries in Northern Ireland. The author draws on a series of interviews both with the paramilitary leaders who mapped out the loyalist strategy and the gunmen who carried out the bombing and killing. There are also revealing interviews with loyalist and unionist politicians who operated centre stage while the paramilitaries remained in the shadows. The loyalists believe it was their clinically targeted offensive against senior members of the IRA and Sinn Fein that brought the Republican movement to the negotiating table and made the Good Friday agreement possible.*PRAISE FOR PETER TAYLOR*Only a journalist of Peter Taylor's standing could have persuaded people from all sides in the conflict to cooperate in such a manneTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR PETER TAYLOR: Peter Taylor should be ranked alongside David Attenborough in any panoply of TV grandees … To report on the region since 1972 and have all sides still talking to you with trust and respect is quite an achievement. As perhaps is the fact that he is still breathing * The Times *Taylor has built a justified reputation as by far the most knowledgeable British – or Irish – television reporter on Northern Irish affairs * Irish Times *A reporter who can face human horror and help us comprehend it * Radio Times *

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisA history of the British left and its Communist Party.

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Book SynopsisVolume 1 of this series of documents with commentary covers the period from the founding of the Nazi Party in 1919 to Hitler's assumption of the office of Fuhrer and Reich Chancellor of 1 August 1934.Table of ContentsTable of Contents Preface Introduction 1 From the Founding Party to the Putsch 1919-23 (i) The founding of the Party (ii) Hitler takes over the Party leadership, August 1921 (iii) The Development of the Party, 1921-23 (iv) The Hitler-Putsch 8-9 November 1923 2 The Creation of a Nationwide Party Organisation 1924-28 (i) The Refounding of the Party 27 February 1925 (ii) The assertion of the Primacy of the 'Fuhrer' (iii) The creation of the Party Cadre 3 The Emergence of Nazism as a Mass Movement 1928-1933 (i) The Breakthrough 1928-30 (ii) Propaganda 1930-32 (iii) Statistics and the Social and Geographical Bases of Nazism 4 The Struggle for Power 1930-33 (i) The Path of Legality and the problem of the SA (ii) Relations between Nazis and Nationalists in 1931-32 (iii) From Bruning to Papen (iv) The Crisis Months, August-December 1932 The Appointment of Hitler as Chancellor, 30 January 1933 5 The 'Seizure of Power' 1933-34 (i) The 'National Uprising'-The Election Campaign of February-March 1933 (ii) The Seizure of Power in the States and the SA/Party 'Revolution from Below' of March 1933 (iii) The 'Coordination' of the Reichstag and of the Political Parties, March-June 1933 (iv) The Revolution Stabilised: Conflict with the SA List of Sources A Selective Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe revised 2nd edition of this successful textbook explores Japanese politics in the postwar era from theoretical and comparative perspectives. After providing historical context, it offers an in-depth exploration of postwar political institutions, political reform in the 1990s, the policymaking process, and the politics of economic growth and stagnation. By delving into Japan's international relations, the book sheds light on Japan's security and foreign policies, and Japan's role in Asia. The textbook concludes by addressing what has changed since party alternation in 2009, the triple disaster in March 2011 and the global Covid pandemic.Themes and questions addressed throughout the text include: How and why did Japan modernize so successfully when so many other countries fell prey to colonialism and authoritarianism? What explains the Japanese economic miracle and its subsequent economic stagnation? What accounts for Japan's successful Table of Contents1. Introduction: Why Japan matters 2. The making of a modern state 3. The postwar settlement 4. The postwar political system 5. Political parties 6. Elections and electioneering 7. The economic miracle 8. Economic slowdown 9. Policymaking 10. State-society relations 11. Prime ministerial leadership 12. National security and foreign policy 13. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisFrom Boogaloo Bois and Rassemblement National, to Nordic Resistance Movement and Forza Nuova, majoritarian ethnonational movements and extreme-right politics are growing in different national contexts and continue to challenge democratic norms around the globe.This collection brings together research by prominent senior scholars and up-and-coming junior researchers to present an up-to date examination of the rightâs resurgence in Europe and North America. Its chapters focus on movement-party intersections, social media, identity work, extremism, anti-immigration rhetoric, and theoretical approaches and methodologies to studying the right.Bringing together several studies originally presented as plenary talks at the Mobilization Conference, the editors combine their expertise and scholarly networks to offer a collection of research on the extreme right that will be significant for years to come and which should be widely acquired by both sociologists and political scientists who are sensitive to and interested in current trends.

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2022 VICTORIA SCHUCK AWARD, GIVEN BY THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION Why Democratic women far outnumber Republican women in elective officesFrom Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren to Stacey Abrams and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, women around the country are running inand winningelections at an unprecedented rate. It appears that women are on a steady march toward equal representation across state legislatures and the US Congress, but there is a sharp divide in this representation along party lines. Most of the women in office are Democrats, and the number of elected Republican women has been plunging for decades. In The Partisan Gap, Elder examines why this disparity in women's representation exists, and why it's only going to get worse. Drawing on interviews with female office-holders, candidates, and committee members, she takes a look at what it is like to be a woman in each party. From party culture and ideology, to candidate recruitment and the makeup of rTrade Review"Laurel Elder's excellent book authoritatively shows how structural forces and the realignment of the parties along racial, ideological, and regional lines both promotes the advancement of Democratic women in office and hinders such opportunities for Republican women. Her approach also teaches us much about the state of the two parties in America today and makes a convincing case for why the voices of all women are needed in government. A must-read!" -- Melissa Deckman, author of Tea Party Women: Mama Grizzlies, Grassroots Leaders, and the Changing Face of the American Right"The Partisan Gap is a most comprehensive, insightful and historical exploration of partisanship and women’s quests for political office in the United States. Laurel Elder describes and explains the growth in the partisan gap in women’s election to state legislative and congressional office, with Democratic women advancing their numbers and representation while Republican women ‘s numbers have stagnated. This book expertly explains the structural forces that have reshaped the American party system resulting in this contemporary partisan gender gap." -- Barbara C. Burrell, author of The Women of 2018: The Pink Wave in the US House Elections ... and Its Legacy in 2020"In this book, Laurel Elder shines a light on a phenomenon that hasn’t received enough attention. Her meticulous documentation of the partisan gender gap in political representation establishes a new standard of scholarly excellence. It serves as a stark reminder of how much gender equality is hindered in the U.S. by the struggles of women to win elected office as members of the Republican Party." -- Brian Frederick, author of American Presidential Candidate Spouses: The Public’s Perspective"Elder’s careful analysis clarifies that the expansion of elected female Democrats is likely to be self-perpetuating and that Republicans are likely to continue electing men. An illuminating read for anyone concerned for the future of women in US electoral politics." -- T. Marchant-Shapiro, Southern Connecticut State University * Choice *

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Book SynopsisOver the last year, award-winning journalist and videographer Max Blumenthal has been behind some of the most sensational (and funniest) exposes of Republican machinations. Whether it was his revelation that Sarah Palin was "anointed" by a Kenyan priest famous for casting out witches, or his confronting Republican congressional leaders and John McCain's family at the GOP convention about the party's opposition to sex education (and hence, the rise in teen pregnancies like that of Palin's daughter), or his expose of the eccentric multimillionaire theocrat behind California's Prop 8 anti- gay marriage initiative, Blumenthal has become one of the most important and most constantly cited journalists on how fringe movements are becoming the Republican Party mainstream. Republican Gomorrah is a bestiary of dysfunction, scandal and sordidness from the dark heart of the forces that now have a leash on the party. It shows how those forces are the ones that establishment Republicans-like John McCain-have to bow to if they have any hope of running for President. It shows that Sarah Palin was the logical choice of a party in the control of theocrats. But more that just an expose, Republican Gomorrah shows that many of the movement's leading figures have more in common than just the power they command within conservative ranks. Their personal lives have been stained by crisis and scandal: depression, mental illness, extra-marital affairs, struggles with homosexual urges, heavy medication, addiction to pornography, serial domestic abuse, and even murder. Inspired by the work of psychologists Erich Fromm, who asserted that the fear of freedom propels anxiety-ridden people into authoritarian settings, Blumenthal explains in a compelling narrative how a culture of personal crisis has defined the radical right, transforming the nature of the Republican Party for the next generation and setting the stage for the future of American politics.Trade Review"With scarcely more than a pith helmet, a notebook, and a tattered copy of Escape from Freedom, Erich Fromm's great study of authoritarian psychology, the dauntless Max Blumenthal set forth years ago to explore the dank forests of American Christianism. Now he has returned to civilization, bringing back a fine collection of shrunken heads and a riveting account of a religio-political subculture that's even weirder than you thought it was. Republican Gomorrah is an irresistable combination of anthropology and psychopathology that exerts the queasy fascination of (let's face it) something very like pornography." -Hendrik Hertzberg, senior editor, The New Yorker "A brave and resourceful reporter adept at turning over rocks that public-relations-savvy Christian conservative leaders would prefer remain undisturbed." -Rick Perlstein,

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Book SynopsisA Revelatory Account Of The 2020 Election—The Most Secure, Verifiable, And Transparent In American History—And The Heroes Brave Enough To Get It RightThe Big Truth illuminates a crowning achievement in America’s quest for a robust democracy in the face of slander by sore losers and opportunists. Filled with interviews of the guardians of democracy—election workers, January 6th Committee members Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) and Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland), Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and more—it is an overpowering counterattack against the Big Lie. CBS Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett and National Election Expert David Becker, the Executive Director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research, reveal why Big Lie “fraud” allegations evaporate under scrutiny. They report what actually happened in 2020 while calling out each Trumpian misdirection designed to con and beguile Americans into chasing phantom allegations of election crimes. The 2020 election was not what Trumpist deniers claim. Our political parties knew the rules and procedures. We had record turnout and few election snarls. The result: an accurate count, a seven-million-vote margin of victory, 306 electoral votes for Joe Biden, and Republican gains in congressional and state races. But then-President Trump stoked paranoia—never looking for evidence, contesting results even before anyone cast a ballot, and seeking to bend our system until it almost broke with a violent Capitol riot. The Big Lie—the true corruption of American democracy—has shaken our confidence in stable self-government. On the heels of voter-fraud claims, the Capitol siege, and damaging voting laws, the next midterm and presidential election will test our democracy more severely than at any time since the Civil War. How we react may well determine if we are led into another war against ourselves. The Big Truth debunks the 2020 election conspiracy myth once and for all, while celebrating those who held up our democracy under arguably the most intense scrutiny in American electoral history. Trade Review“A second civil war? What once was the plot device of fiction writers now seems all too thinkable. In a deeply reported look at the corrosion of American democracy, Major Garrett and David Becker see a nation on a ‘springboard’ to civil war—and describe what can be done to stop it, before it’s too late. The Big Truth is provocative and sobering, but it’s not hopeless.” —Susan Page, Washington Bureau chief, USA TODAY, and New York Times bestselling author of Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power “The Big Truth shows with precision and depth why elections—including those held in 2020 that produced President Biden and sizable down-ballot Republican gains—can and should be believed. And it challenges all political actors to step back from the abyss of election denialism, which spread like wildfire in 2020. Ultimately, The Big Truth poses the grand question we all must ask ourselves as Americans: do we really want to be a democracy, or do we just want our side to win?” —Chris Krebs, Former United States Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency “The Big Truth provides us with a compass to navigate through the minefield of partisan agendas and hyperbole that permeate our political discourse and equips us with the tools we need to identify and share truthful, trusted information. It is one of the most definitive accounts of what really happened in 2020 and essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the depths and nuances of the challenges facing our American democracy and what we can collectively do to overcome them.” —Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Secretary of State “Will America survive as a unified nation until its 300th birthday in 2076? In this urgent, timely and passionate book, Major Garrett and David Becker persuasively argue that the answer will turn on what happens between now and its 250th in 2026. With razor-sharp argument and encyclopedic command of the evidence they dismantle Donald Trump’s wild claims of 2020 fraud and document the full sweep of what they accurately call his ‘attempted coup.’” —Ron Brownstein, Senior Political Analyst at CNN and New York Times bestselling author of Rock Me on the Water: 1974—The Year Los Angeles Transformed Music, Movies, Television and Politics “If American democracy has a modern mirror, Major Garrett and David Becker hold it up and brazenly stand behind it. From its very first page, the authors argue the fragility of the American experiment and the need to defend it, connecting the past to our turbulent present. From their posts in journalism and election law, Garrett and Becker narrate the facts of the election and call out the lies perpetrated by the craven grifters seeking to undermine our democracy.” —Kyung Lah, Senior National Correspondent, CNN “Concerned that the sanctity of the 2022 midterm elections are at stake, if not democracy itself, Major Garrett, CBS’s Chief Washington Correspondent and elections expert David Becker have written one of the definitive books on the subject. Vivid, doggedly researched, and deeply important, it is a crucial work at an important time. It will be of interest to citizens of all parties and political persuasions alike.” —Jay Winik, historian and New York Times bestselling author of April 1865: The Month That Saved America and 1944: FDR and the Year That Changed History “The Big Truth shows how American democracy is threatened, even as everyone claims to be defending and protecting it. This book is a stark warning for every American who thinks that it can’t happen here, that our nation cannot turn against itself. Major Garrett and David Becker show that our union is closer to dissolving than we might think and our democracy is very much at risk. The political project of our time is to rebuild national trust and defend democracy.” —Jennifer Mercieca, award-winning historian and author of Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump "A thoughtful consideration of how and why to protect the vote—and, with it, American democracy."—Kirkus Reviews "The story of our times...Essential reading."—Anderson Cooper, anchor of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360°

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Book SynopsisWhy do we always assume it was the New Right that was at the centre of constructing neoliberalism? How might corporatism have advanced neoliberalism? And, more controversially, were the trade unions only victims of neoliberal change, or did they play a more contradictory role? In How Labour Built Neoliberalism, Elizabeth Humphrys examines the role of the Labour Party and trade unions in constructing neoliberalism in Australia, and the implications of this for understanding neoliberalism's global advance. These questions are central to understanding the present condition of the labour movement and its prospects for the future.Trade Review"Humphry's brilliant How Labour Built Neoliberalism utterly transforms our understanding of modern Australian politics and compels us to rethink established ideas about the role of the trade union movement in the making of neoliberalism. I consider this to be a landmark work in Australian political sociology and an invaluable contribution to the literature on global neoliberalism."—Melinda Cooper, University of Sydney, Author of Family Values: Between Neoliberalism and the New Social Conservatism(2017, Zone Books)."In this fascinating book, Elizabeth Humphrys challenges the narrative that neo-liberalism was generally imposed onto labour by right-wing governments such as the Thatcher government in the UK and the Reagan government in the US during the 1980s. Through a detailed analysis of the Australian political economy between 1983 and 1996, she demonstrates how restructuring was also carried out by a Labour Party in close co-operation with trade unions.Written in a beautiful and highly accessible prose, she makes clear that trade unions are not automatically progressive or reactionary. Ultimately, trade unions too are sites of class struggle, which decides on whether a particular trade union is a force for social justice or not. Humphrys' book is a must-read in guiding our explorations of this question and the search for alternative, progressive strategies."— Andreas Bieler, Professor of Political Economy, University of Nottingham, UK"This is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the emergence of neoliberalism in Australia, or the contradictory role trade unions can play during an economic crisis."—Alfredo Saad-Filho, Professor of Political Economy, SOAS, University of London"How Labor Built Neoliberalism is a scholarly, erudite and persuasive account of Labor's neoliberal turn and of the Accords. It should be widely read by labour historians, political economists, unionists and Labor politicians."—Tim Lyons, Labour History Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsList of IllustrationsList of Abbreviations 1 Introduction 1 The ALP & ACTU Accord 2 The Social Contract's Gala Dinner 3 Neoliberalism's Corporatist Origins 4 A Hegemonic Political Project 5 Corporatist &' involucro' 6 A Note on Method 7 Structure of the Book 2 Theorising the State-Civil Society Relationship 1 Introduction 1.1 Some Preliminary Comments 2 Marx's Critique of Hegel 3 From Critique of Politics to Critique of Political Economy 4 From Marx to Gramsci 4.1 Lo stato integrale 5 Gramsci contra Marx? The Limits of Integration 6 Conclusion 3 Corporatism in Australia 1 Introduction 2 Understanding Corporatism 3 Panitch's Approach 4 Corporatism and the Accord 5 The Context of Arbitration 6 Conclusion 4 Destabilising the Dominant Narrative 1 Introduction 1.1 Conceptual Diversity 2 The Dominant Narrative 2.1 Harvey: A Brief History of Neoliberalism 2.2 Klein: The Shock Doctrine 2.3 Peck, Theodore, Tickell and Brenner: &'Neoliberalisation' 2.4 Destabilising the Dominant Narrative 3 A Class Approach to Neoliberalism 3.1 Harvey: &'The restoration of class power' 3.2 Davidson: &'An entirely new political regime' 3.3 A Hegemonic Political Project 4 Conclusion 5 Periodising Neoliberalism 1 Introduction 2 Periodising Neoliberalism in Australia 3 Proto-neoliberal stage: 1973-1983 3.1 The Economic Crisis 3.2 The Whitlam Government 3.3 The Fraser Government 4 Vanguard Neoliberal Stage: 1983-1993 4.1 The Impasse of the 1970s 4.2 Developing the Accord 5 Piecemeal Neoliberalisation Stage: 1993-2008 5.1 Howard's Piecemeal Neoliberalism 6 Crisis stage: 2008 Onwards 7 Conclusion 6 The Disorganisation of Labour 1 Introduction 2 The Accord Agreement 3 Wages and the Accord 3.1 The First Accord (1983) 3.2 Accord Mark II (1985-1987) 3.3 Accord Mark III (1986-1987) 3.4 Accord Mark IV (1988-1989), V (1989-1990) & VI (1990-1993) 3.5 Accord Mark VII (1993) & VIII (Draft Only) 4 Wage Suppression 4.1 Labour Disorganisation 5 Conclusion 7 An Integral State 1 Introduction 2 Accord Divergences 2.1 The National Economic Summit and Communiqué 2.2 Prices 2.3 &'Big bang' and Other Neoliberal Reforms 2.4 Trade Liberalisation 3 Privatisation 4 Social Wage and Contested Understandings 4.1 Medicare 4.2 Superannuation 4.3 Worth the Cost? 5 The Concord of Neoliberalism and the Accord 5.1 A Brace against Neoliberalism? 5.2 Theorising the Corporatism-Neoliberalism Connection 5.3 An &'informal Accord'? 5.4 The Accord as involucro 6 Conclusion 8 How Labour Made Neoliberalism 1 Introduction 2 From Worker Agency to State Agency 2.1 The Shift to Support the Accord 2.2 Planning as a Solution to Crisis? 2.3 Consultation on, and Support for, the Accord 2.4 Sticking with the Accord 2.5 Industry policy and Australia Reconstructed 3 Managing Dissent and Disorganising Labour 3.1 Civil Legal Action against Labour Disputes 3.2 Deregistration of the Builders Labourers' Federation 3.3 Pilots' Dispute 4 Enterprise Bargaining and the Antinomies of the Accord 4.1 Hegemony Unravelling 5 Conclusion 9 A Return to the International 1 Introduction 2 A Brief Detour in the Antipodes 3 The British Social Contract (1974-1979) 4 The Carter Administration (1977-1981) and Prior 5 New York City Council Fiscal Crisis (1975-1981) 6 Contemporary Finland 7 Conclusion 10 Conclusion: Neoliberalism at Dusk 1 Internal Relations 2 Antinomies and Residues 3 Neoliberalism at Dusk Appendices Appendix B: Timeline of Predecessors to the AMWU ReferencesIndex

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Book Synopsis'…as the Labour candidate I prepared for every possible question on the local radio Election Phone-In. What I had not prepared for was my mum ringing up to say that she agreed with John O’Farrell. On EVERYTHING.'Where Did We Go Right? is the personal story of one political activist helping Labour progress from its 1997 landslide to the unassailable position it enjoys today. Along the way, he stood for Parliament against Theresa May but failed to step into her shoes; he was dropped from Tony and Cherie’s Christmas card list after he revealed he always sent their card on to a friend from the SWP; and he campaigned for a new non-selective inner-city state school, then realised this meant he had to send his kids to a non-selective inner-city state school. The long-awaited sequel to the best-selling Things Can Only Get Better is for everyone who could use a good laugh after Brexit, Boris and Trump. A roller-coaster ride through the last two decades via the very best political jokes (excluding the ones that keep getting elected).Trade ReviewHilarious, insightful and has that rare quality of making politics fun. A brilliant book everyone should read, whoever you vote for. -- Owen Jones, author of The EstablishmentEven Conservatives will like this -- Roland White * The Sunday Times *Reading this book is like reliving the last twenty years as a Labour supporter. John O’Farrell has, in his own unique and hilarious way, captured the highs and lows, pride and embarrassment, joy and frustration of being Labour. -- Sadiq Khan, Mayor of LondonO’Farrell hasn’t lost his touch. There are laughs as well as large doses of common sense. -- Chris Mullin * Guardian *John O'Farrell couldn't be unfunny if he tried but this book is even better than his famous take on Labour's 18 years in opposition. Hilarious and insightful in equal measure this is vintage stuff from Maidenhead's finest political brain. -- Alan Johnson

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERA life in and out of politics – from the despatch box to the stage on Strictly – by one of Britain’s most influential and well-loved political figures. 'Full of anecdote, insight and authenticity’ Evening Standard BOOKS OF THE YEAR'Witty, reflective and engaging' Nick Robinson'Honest and revealing' Michael Palin'Fascinating, heartfelt' Kay Burley'Insightful, funny, unexpectedly moving' Jonathan FreedlandOn the night of 7 May 2015, Ed Balls thought there was a chance he would wake up the next morning as the new Chancellor of the Exchequer. Instead, he woke up without a job.Twenty-one years earlier he had left a promising career in journalism to work for Labour in opposition. Moving through the ranks, from adviser to Cabinet minister and on to Shadow Chancellor, he occupied a central and influential position in and out of power during a pivotal period in British history. Speaking Out is a record of a life in politics, but also much more. It is about how power can be used for good, and the lessons to be learned when things go wrong. It is about the mechanics of Westminster, and of government. It is about facing up to your fears and misgivings, and tackling your limitations – on stages public and private.It is about the mistakes made, change delivered and personalities encountered over the course of two decades at the frontline of British politics. It is a unique window into a rarely seen world. Most importantly, it sets out what politics is about, and why it matters.Trade ReviewIn a year rich in political memoirs, Speaking Out by Ed Balls is my pick of the bunch, full of anecdote, insight and authenticity’ -- Matthew d’Ancona * Evening Standard, BOOKS OF THE YEAR *Self-deprecating . . . often poignant. * Sunday Times Culture Magazine, BOOKS OF THE YEAR *An engaging, highly readable and on occasion moving portrayal of life in the Westminster madhouse. * The i, BEST POLITICAL BOOK OF THE YEAR *[U]nusually expansive on the emotional aspects of politicians’ relationship with the voters, it feels somehow timely. * Guardian, BOOKS OF THE YEAR *A Christmas cracker of a book * Tablet, BOOKS OF THE YEAR *An easy-going, sharp-eyed guide to the world of politics: its madnesses, its triumphs, its disappointments. A book which is insightful, funny and, at key moments, unexpectedly moving. -- Jonathan FreedlandWitty, reflective and engaging Ed Balls peels back the politicians' thick skin (and smashes their protective shell) to reveal that underneath lie real-life human beings. -- Nick RobinsonIf you want to know why people go into politics and, despite all the ups and downs, do everything to stay there, I’d recommend Ed Balls' honest and revealing autobiography. -- Michael PalinSpeaking Out is an enjoyable read... the essays stand alone as little gems of insight and reflection. The book illuminates someone who makes generous and nuanced judgements of foes as well as friends and tries hard to understand the motives of people who have crossed him. Passionate and telling... Balls is very clear that his defeat in his constituency in 2015 was a prelude to a funeral and a life outside politics. I suspect that the funeral was a prelude to a resurrection. This book will help him rise from the dead. -- Vince Cable * New Statesman *Intriguing... compelling and affecting... has the poignant ring of truth. -- Rafael Behr * Guardian *Personal and moving... I enjoyed reading it. It's pretty candid, full of amusing anecdotes and makes for a breezy canter through the last 20 years of British politics... original and effective. -- George Osborne * Daily Mail *A thoughtful memoir, sometimes self-deprecating... always rational and balanced. -- Chris Mullin * Observer *A fascinating, heartfelt and first-hand account of the brutality of British politics on the frontline. When Game of Thrones meets the Palace of Westminster, not even the strongest can survive. -- Kay BurleyAmusing, insightful and self-deprecating. -- Alice Thomson * The Times *Balls tells his story with warmth, and spares us the self-justification of many political memoirs. -- Roland White * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisWhen it was originally published in 1984, Militant was widely acclaimed as a masterly work of investigative journalism. Although the rise of Jeremy Corbyn is to be attributed to more than hard-left entrism, to some within the party, Crick's book must seem like a lesson from history.Militant was a secret Trotskyite organisation that consistently denied being a party, though at its peak in the mid-1980s it could boast around 8,000 members, all of whom also belonged to the Labour Party. Militant operated clandestinely inside the Labour Party, edging out moderates at grass-roots level and recruiting people to its own ranks. Whilst eventually most of its leaders were expelled, it caused damaging rifts within Labour. Crick's book explores the origins, organisation and aims of Militant. It also explores the famous boss politics of Derek Hatton and Militant in Liverpool, and the party hierarchy's determined and ultimately successful attempts to squash the tendency.An important historical document, it is today seen as a field guide to how hard-left factions can infiltrate the Labour party, with some in the centre of the party allegedly urging its supporters to treat the long unavailable book as a 'war manual'.Trade Review"A compellingly good read." - London Review of Books; "An admirable book ... [a] readable and meticulous report from difficult territory." - Hugo Young, The Times Literary Supplement; "A must-read for Labour activists." - Tom Watson MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party

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Book SynopsisDemolishing the Blairite opposition in 2015, Jeremy Corbyn saw off an attempted coup against his leadership under the banner of the "soft left" one year on. This unassuming antiwar socialist now leads Labour with a huge mandate. For the first time in decades, socialism is back on the agenda-and for the first time in Labour's history, it defines the leadership.This book tells the story of how Corbyn's rise was made possible by the long decline of Labour and a deep crisis in British democracy. It surveys the makeshift coalition of trade unionists, young and precarious workers, and students who rallied to Corbyn. It shows how a novel social media campaign turned the media's "Project Fear" on its head, making a virtue of every accusation thrown at him. And finally it asks, with all the artillery that is still ranged against Corbyn, given the crisis-ridden Labour Party that he has inherited, the devastating impact of the coup attempt and the fall-out from Brexit, what it would mean for him to succeed.Trade ReviewRichard Seymour has a brilliant mind and a compelling style. Everything he writes is worth reading. -- Gary YoungeOne of our most astute political analysts turns his attention to Corbyn, and the result is predictably essential: not just to make sense of how we got to this unlikely situation, but for his thoughts on what the left might do next. -- China MiévilleSeymour is an essential voice on the left, and this book is a necessary intervention, explaining this daunting political moment and bringing the focus back to strategy. Not so much a call to arms as a call to brains. -- Laurie PennyNo one writes about politics the way Richard Seymour does. He takes a very British story of the rise of Jeremy Corbyn, with all its peculiarities and details, and turns it into a revelation of the international crisis of parliamentary democracy. Whether you love Corbyn -- or Sanders or Podemos or Syriza -- or loathe him (and them), you'll find here the most sophisticated diagnosis of why men and women across the globe are turning to the left and why their aspirations are so continuously being frustrated. Seymour is a magnificent explainer: pointed without being pedantic, funny with out being flip, and always insisting that we take in the whole. -- Corey RobinThe Anglophone left has been cheered by the surprising rise of Bernie Sanders in the U.S. and Jeremy Corbyn in Britain. Richard Seymour's elegantly written book is a reminder of all the obstacles facing Corbyn. Even if you're not as pessimistic as Seymour about his prospects, you really need to pay attention to this critique. It will make you a better fighter of the necessary class war. -- Doug Henwood, author of My Turn: Hillary Clinton Targets the PresidencyLong after the Labour left was thought to be dead, Jeremy Corbyn's emergence has inspired millions. There is no one better positioned than Richard Seymour to take a look at his emergence and whether Corbyn can actually turn Labour into a force for radical change. -- Bhaskar Sunkara, editor of JacobinCorbyn: The Strange Rebirth of Radical Politics is the fullest and fairest account of Jeremy Corbyn's rise released to date. In avoiding much of the rhetoric espoused in similar accounts focusing on Corbyn's early career this book provides a frank account of how the unlikely leader took charge of the Labour party. It is a very readable account too. Richard Seymour writes plainly but effectively and his writing is both accessible and incredibly informative. -- Liam Young * New Statesman *Laser-sharp analysis of British 'Labourism' and its contradictions... This book is terrifically astute -- Jamie Maxwell * The National *Corbyn: The Strange Rebirth of Radical Politics is the first serious analysis of Jeremy Corbyn's unexpected ascent. -- Yohann Koshy * Vice *A must-read for militants inside and outside the Labour Party. * rs21 *Corbyn is not about Corbyn in much the same way that Richard Seymour's earlier and much shorter book, The Meaning of David Cameron, wasn't really about its eponymous anti-hero. Rather it is an analysis - and an astute one - of the socio-political conditions which have given rise to Corbynism, its future prospects and the substantial obstacles it will inevitably face. -- Tom Mills * Ceasefire *The best, and the definitive, account of what Corbyn's victory the first time round meant. One year on the essential summer 2016 read. * Philosophy Football *A brilliant and incisive analysis by a long-term watcher of the party. -- Asa Winstanley * Middle East Monitor *It is a point of contention whether the politics represented by Jeremy Corbyn offers a pathway out of the crisis or we are instead witnessing the last hurrah of Britain's harried and diminished workers' movement. That is one of the questions Richard Seymour tries to answer in his excellent new book.Seymour's analysis remains indispensable -- Alex Doherty * New Statesman *The finest study of Corbyn yet written -- Stephen Bush * New Statesman *Seymour provides a rich narrative of the Labour Party's history, including its early socialism, its post-WWII achievements, and the long period of its stagnation and decline. -- Norman Markowitz * Socialism and Democracy *

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The nature of conservative ideology is and will continue to be warmly contested. In this short history, Mark Garnett contends that the disagreements have been particularly strong in the instance of British conservatism because the ideological label continues to be used by a prominent political party. Whether hostile or friendly in intent, commentators on conservatism have found it difficult to avoid the assumption that British "conservatism" must, at all times, be reflected at least to some degree in the policy platforms of the Conservative Party. This book presents an account of British conservatism which avoids the usual confusion between the ideology and the stated principles of a party which prides itself on an ability to change its views according to circumstances. It shows, since the Tory Party adopted the name "Conservative" in the 1830s it has become increasingly difficult to associate its varying positions with a coherent "conservative" position, so that it is more profitable to discuss its ideological history from the perspective of liberalism and nationalism. This argument is presented by tracing the histories of the party and the ideology in separate chapters, whose themes and cast of characters rarely coincide.

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Book SynopsisWhy won’t Scots simmer down?Why batter on about independence when folk voted No a decade back?After all. Scotland’s not as populated as Yorkshire, nor as wealthy as London. But it’s also not as Conservative, as keen on Brexit, or as willing to flog public assets to Tory party pals.So does Nicola Sturgeon’s departure terminally damage the case for independence?The answer, with all respect to her legacy, is no.Scotland has bigger fish to fry.In this book, Lesley Riddoch makes an impassioned call to action, weaving academic evidence with story, international comparison and anecdote to explain why Scotland is ready to step forward as the world’s newest state.We need optimism. And contagious stories of inspiration. Told out loud. In the open. Repeatedly. So, folk can engage emotionally, dare to dream of better – and go get it. Scotland is a social democracy stuck in a Conservative state that’s preoccupied with its own lost imperial status. And stuck, Scotland cannae thrive.Let’s cast aside preconceptions. Whichever way you voted in 2014 – if you did – the world, Europe, the UK, Ireland and our Nordic neighbours have all changed. Scots need the freedom to change too – the freedom to flourish.Trade ReviewExcellent read. ALEX NEIL Former MSPIt’s essential reading for anyone who wants something better for everyone living in Scotland, who needs that reminder it’s not silly or naive to dream, and is ready to spark those conversations of 2014 back to life. NIAMH MCNULTY, BellacaledoniaI loved it - felt very inspired! SARA SHERIDAN, AuthorThrive is concise, quotable, persuasive & often funny. If every voter could read a copy we'd be independent, simple as. It's all in there. A breath of fresh air to the cause. ANDREW SCOTT, AuthorThe final chapter envisages Scotland Ten Years after Independence with our children ‘finally digging where they stand.’ It makes me greet every time I read it. ELAINE C SMITHIf you are interested in Scottish independence you need to read this from Lesley Riddoch. The first chapter will, by itself, amply reward your spend. Then read the rest. RICHARD MURPHY

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Book SynopsisNUMBER 1 BESTSELLER IN THE IRISH NON-FICTION CHARTS "Rough Beast is shocking, important and unputdownable." Roddy Doyle Rough Beast is Máiría Cahill's harrowing story of her life and of what she went through at the hands of what is now Ireland’s largest and richest party. That story is told here for the first time in full detail and with unsparing honesty. It is a story of unimaginable trauma and political corruption. It brings to life a world of paramilitary secrecy and parallel laws, but above all it is the story of one young woman’s defiance of the power wielded by ex-gunmen inspiring fear and silence, and their influence over elected politicians. Máiría Cahill grew up steeped in the traditions of Irish republicanism and the shadowy world of the IRA: her great-uncle Joe was one of the main founders of the Provisional IRA and her grandfather was Gerry Adams's mentor in the republican movement. From an early age she seemed destined for a glittering career within the increasingly successful political machine of Sinn Féin, which was then enjoying the aftermath of the Good Friday Agreement. She worked in a radio station alongside leading republicans; the Sinn Féin offices were her second home. She knew Gerry Adams and other senior republicans as family friends. But at the age of 16, she was sexually abused by a prominent Belfast IRA man. When she confided in some friends she trusted about the abuse, one of them told the IRA without Máiría's knowledge. A year later the organisation came calling, and forced her to take part in an inept and grotesquely insensitive internal investigation. She was subjected to round after round of interrogations by senior IRA men and women, usually in a network of safe houses around Belfast. Doubt was cast on her account of what had been done to her. Her assailant was allowed to confront and denounce her. Eventually her rapist was permitted to vanish from Belfast while Sinn Féin and the IRA professed bafflement about his whereabouts.Trade ReviewRough Beast is shocking, important and unputdownable. * Roddy Doyle *A true story of crime, memory, and justice, Rough Beast is absorbing and endlessly moving. It is a meteor of a book, blazing and unforgettable. * Flynn Berry *[A] searing account of sexual abuse * The Telegraph *Remarkable and shocking...Cahill writes with clarity and describes events in a direct, no-nonsense way * Irish Times *A book which everyone in the British Isles should read * Impartial Reporter *The most perceptive and devastating insight into the deranged morality of the Sinn Fein/IRA movement of recent years * Sunday Independent *Cahill’s uncompromising account of her abuse should make any Sinn Féin supporter feel deeply uncomfortable * Business Post *[A] s searing memoir of rape and abuse at the hands of the Irish Republican Army * Financial Times *A book that goes head to head with republicans like no other, because she knows the situation from the inside. * Olivia O'Leary *Cahill’s modest story is an important record. It hints at an adjacently possible world that doesn’t have to repeat the poisonous cycles of the past... The book momentary clears the pall of forgetfulness on less regarded acts that fall outside the shiny allure of grand narratives. As such, it’s worth its weight in gold. * Slugger O'Toole *Ms Cahill writes in harrowing detail of her treatment by Sinn Féin when she went public and why she feels let down by the PSNI. For all those with an interest in how society treats women, republicanism or modern Irish politics, this book is a must read. * Newstalk *

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Book SynopsisPolitical Correspondent Gavan Reilly takes us inside Dáil Éireann to discover what it takes to survive in Ireland's political cauldron. With unprecedented access to political insiders,The Secret Life of Leinster Houselifts the lid onthe corridors of power as never before.

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Book SynopsisToday, it is not a question of if, but when? What we are watching is the collapse of the most successful political party in Europe. Despite winning the December 2019 General Election, the parliamentary conservative and unionist party is facing its own demise. It no longer speaks for, or to, the British people. Its leadership has sacrificed the long-standing commitment to the Union to 'Get Brexit Done'. And beyond this, it is an intellectual vacuum, propped up by half-baked doctrine and magical thinking. Burton-Cartlege's account starts with the Thatcher era, and show that swiftly the party struggled to find a popular vision for the United Kingdom. He charts the flaws an failings of each successive leader, all the way to Sunak. He also examines the state of the membership and shows that they have become increasingly old. Their values have not been adopted by the younger voters, who are unable to share the benefits. Furthermore, the coalition between the countryside and the City interests is under pressure, and the latter is split by Brexit.Trade ReviewA masterful account of the long view. Fewer people are benefitting from Conservative policies each decade. The party then has to rely more and more on the fears of older voters for support. Phil Burton Cartledge persuasively explains how the Tories are running out of rope even while appearing to poll so well. -- Danny Dorling, author of Inequality and the 1%As the UK enters its 11th successive year of Conservative majority rule, Falling Down is an important and timely intervention. Burton-Cartledge breaks through the self-referential debates on the left to provide a rigorous and acute analysis of British Conservatism, filling a significant lacuna in left strategic thought. Falling Down should be considered critical reading socialist academics, activists and politicians alike.' -- Grace Blakeley, author of The Corona CrashFalling Down's autopsy of the Conservative Party is ... a timely one ... an important contribution to the kind of militant political science the left desperately needs. -- Alfie Steer * Tribune *Enjoyable and revealing. Burton-Cartledge does a fine job of putting forward a bold thesis * On Magazine *Astute -- Oscar Rickett * i news *Falling Down provides a useful overview of Conservative politics throughout the decades since Thatcher, and of the leading political actors that have shaped Britain. -- Sabrina Huck * Red Pepper *Excellent -- Chris Bambery * Counterfire *A welcome respite from the short-termism of other commentators -- Freddie Hayward * New Statesman *A must-read ... this book offers exquisite, well-sourced chronicles of the events under-pinning [Burton-Cartledge's] thesis -- Peter Kenyon * Chartist *Burton-Cartledge has a good point to make: one of the reasons for the Tories' continuing success is that their opponents never take them seriously enough. * Economist *

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Book SynopsisThe Care Manifesto puts care at the heart of the debates of our current crisis: from intimate care-childcare, healthcare, elder care-to care for the natural world. We live in a world where carelessness reigns, but it does not have to be this way.The Care Manifesto puts forth a vision for a truly caring world. The authors want to reimagine the role of care in our everyday lives, making it the organising principle in every dimension and at every scale of life. We are all dependent on each other, and only by nurturing these interdependencies can we cultivate a world in which each and every one of us can not only live but thrive.The Care Manifesto demands that we must put care at the heart of the state and the economy. A caring government must promote collective joy, not the satisfaction of individual desire. This means the transformation of how we organise work through co-operatives, localism and nationalisation. It proposes the expansion of our understanding of kinship for a more 'promiscuous care'. It calls for caring places through the reclamation of public space, to make a more convivial city. It sets out an agenda for the environment, most urgent of all, putting care at the centre of our relationship to the natural world.Trade ReviewWhy do we live in a world that rewards the uncaring, the care-free and the care-less? How long can we tolerate such a state? Not long according to this vital, urgent and compelling book about why radical change is needed. The manifesto not only critiques uncaring governments and corporations, but also offers an alternative. There is one and we desperately need it. * Bev Skeggs, Distinguished Professor, Lancaster Univeristy *This manifesto is a call to action for global progressives. The Care Collective shows the "systemic carelessness" of existing political, economic, and kinship orders are broken both for humans and the planet. They demonstrate that capacious care offers a practical and already existing starting point for change on all levels. -- Joan Tronto, author of Caring DemocracyAn inspiring and revolutionary call for an economy and society based on caring for the earth and each other . . .rings with both freshness and familiarity, moral clarity and political necessity. It's wonderful. -- Avi Lewis * The Leap *Rais[es] fundamental questions about care and caring in the contemporary context. * Morning Star *Robustly analytical ... the current crisis has forced the always urgent issue of care into the spotlight. * Observer *The Care Manifesto is a radiant invitation to transform our economy and society, a roadmap for how we can emerge from overlapping crises and weave a new social fabric. The ethic of universal care is an antidote to the spiralling carelessness that our current system shows towards people and the planet. The authors understand that care is not a commodity: it's a practice, a core value, and an organizing principle on which a new politics can and must be built. -- Naomi Klein, author of On FireFinally a 'care manifesto' that shows how powerful caring can and should be in changing global practices and institutions and in transforming our world! No longer a private concern nor the exclusive preoccupation of moralists speculating about the essential feminine, care is given by this text in the form of a bracing critique of neo-liberal profit-making. The Care Manifesto charts a path toward the transformation of kinship, the gendered division of labor, ecological activism, and secures the principles of interdependence that should guide progressive transnational institutions. The Care Collective writes with a compelling clarity, a capacity for reflection in the midst of urgent times, and remind us that care brings with it a complex history and a promising future. As they note, among the meanings of the Old English caru, are care, concern, anxiety, sorrow, grief, trouble - all terms that resonate with our times. Care implicates our lives in each others lives, mapping and animating a politics of promise for our times. -- Judith Butler, author of The Force of NonviolenceThe book of 2020 because not only does it find a way out of the crisis but it lays the basis for something better in its place. * Labour Hub *The ideas in the book are laudable and important -- Emily Kenway * Red Pepper *In showing us the power of mutual aid, coalition-building and solidarity, this book aids us in ensuring our activism is enacted through our daily actions within our communities and that whilst change starts within us, it doesn't end there. -- Adele Walton * gal-dem *

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Book SynopsisIn 2012 Narendra Modi became the first Hindu nationalist politician thrice elected to lead a state of the Indian Union, his stewardship as Chief Minister of Gujarat being the longest in that state's history. Modi and his BJP supporters explained his achievement by pointing to economic growth under his leadership, yet detractors point out that Modi has been more business-friendly than market-friendlyto the benefit of large industrial corporations, and at the cost of great social polarisation. In 2002, an anti-Muslim pogrom of unparalleled ferocity occurred in Gujarat, leading to the biggest number of Muslim deaths since Partition. The state's Hindu majority immediately rallied around Modi. No serious riot has occurred in Gujarat since, but polarisation was key to Modi's strategy there, and he has deployed that strategy again and again since he became Prime Minister of India in 2014. For Modi has cultivated a communal image. A marketing genius, his messaging combines

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Book SynopsisImagine what it’s like to effectively organise and develop a political party with over 65 million (65m) members – that’s bigger than the total populations of many of the world’s most developed countries such as the UK (65m), France (64m), and Australia (24m).Then imagine that, if the Communist Party of China (CPC) was a country, its population would rank as the 21st biggest in the world. In addition to developing and organising its 65m party members, it had to embed them among a population of 1.38bn people so that the party could lead and guide the world’s biggest population to develop from economic backwardness after years of war and destruction to become the 2nd largest economy in the world within nine decades.Now, imagine what it takes to achieve that in terms of structure and organisation and you have a good grasp of the scale of the CPC’s achievement from its founding with just 50 members in 1921 until 2015 with some 65m members.The Communist Party of China: the Past, Present and Future of Party Building gives a blow-by-blow and chapter-by-chapter account of how the CPC got from where it was in 1921 shortly after the founding of the party to where it is now.

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Book SynopsisRecent years have seen a populist wave across the Western world, exposing the vulnerabilities of liberal democracy and driving the political agenda to the right. In 2017 the far-right populist party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), swept into the Bundestag, claiming to be the voice of the people against a corrupt liberal elite and making waves with a series of extremist statements and overturning the delicate post-war political consensus. ‘We are the People’ examines the sudden growth and radicalisation of the AfD, from Eurosceptic beginnings in 2013 to a far-right populist party with an influential extremist, ethno-pluralist wing. The AfD’s use of inflammatory, xenophobic and even Nazi-era language has raised fears that, once again, Germany has a right-extremist party in parliament. Bochum lucidly explains the group's ideology and how their brand of populism is distinct and based on German experiences and history. Worldwide political and economic insecurity make it possible support for the AfD will grow in coming years and Bochum examines ways in which experiences both in Germany and the UK illustrate how the populist tide can be stemmed, warning against the adoption of populist policies by the political mainstream.Trade Review"The book offers readers a valuable insight into the development of the AfD and its various factions, providing a useful springboard from which readers can broaden their understandings of the contemporary German political landscape and its recent controversies." * LSE Review of Books blog *"A well-written introduction to the subject." * The Chartist Magazine *"We Are the People provides a timely attempt to analyse what is driving [the AfD], and how to counter its appeal." * The World Today *“Penny Bochum offers a timely analysis of the rise and radicalisation of the AfD. As ‘never again’ comes dangerously close to ‘once again,’ many Europeans have yet to avail themselves fully of the threat the new far right poses to our democratic politics. The book shines a light on this danger. It is an important contribution to efforts to protect European societies from these new authoritarians.” -- Dr. Luke Cooper, consultant researcher at the London School of Economics“This extremely insightful work not only expertly charts the rise of the AfD in Germany, but puts forward a convincing prospectus to deal with the populist challenge in advanced democracies. We Are the People argues that established parties must become more effective at speaking to voters, bridging social divides, while combating declining faith in government and political institutions. The book is a must-read.” -- Dr. Patrick Diamond, Queen Mary, University of LondonTable of ContentsRecent years have seen a surge of populism across the Western world, exposing the vulnerabilities of liberal democracy and driving the political agenda to the right. In 2017 the far-right populist party – the Alternative for Germany (AfD) – swept into the Bundestag, claiming to be the voice of the people against a corrupt liberal elite and overturning the delicate post-war political consensus in Germany.‘We are the People’ examines the sudden growth and radicalisation of the AfD, from eurosceptic beginnings in 2013 to its increasing extremism. Its leaders’ use of inflammatory, xenophobic and even Nazi-era language mirrors that of emerging far-right forces acrossmuch of the Western world. Bochum lucidly examines the group’s ideology, showing that their brand of populism is distinct and based on German experiences and history.

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Book SynopsisThe biblical adage that 'if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand' remains sound theological advice. It is also essential counsel for any political party in Britain that aspires to win elections. Though both major parties have been subject to internal conflict over the years, the Labour Party has been more given to damaging splits. The divide exposed by the Corbyn insurgency is only the most recent example in a century of destructive infighting. Indeed, it has often seemed as if Labour is more adept at fighting itself than defeating the Tory party. This book examines the history of Labour's civil wars and the underlying causes of the party's schisms, from the first split of 1931, engineered by Ramsay MacDonald, to the ongoing battle for the future between the incumbent Labour leader, Keir Starmer, and those who fundamentally altered the party's course under his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn.Trade Review'meticulously fair' Times Literary Supplement; '[A] thought-provoking book'Literary Review; 'Patrick Diamond and Giles Radice's vivid account of Labour's many civil wars should make for sobering reading' House Magazine; '[a] fascinating history' Fabian Review; 'The British tradition of social democracy has needed a powerful shot of political and analytical adrenaline for a long time. Patrick Diamond and Giles Radice, bearing a large syringe, are about to administer it.' Peter Hennessy; 'Two renowned commentators, historians - and players - in Labour's life, offer a cool assessment of times past together with some wise suggestions on how not to repeat past failings to avoid future civil wars. These insiders, albeit with academic detachment, write in a time of peace but draw on battles fought and lost to offer new insights into some troubled years.'Dianne Hayter; 'Patrick Diamond and Giles Radice have written the best, highly readable history of the Labour party and its civil wars that I have ever come across. Coming from different political generations but with a shared commitment to the success of social democratic politics, Diamond and Radice tell as sad but gripping story of repeated cycles of political failure, bitter division, and Left self-destructiveness, broken only by Attlee's victory in 1945, Wilson's in 1964 and Blair's three election victories starting in 1997. It is a must read for anyone who cares about Labour's future. In its concluding chapter it sets out a compelling vision of what Labour should stand for today and how the Labour party that Keir Starmer has so bravely reformed, can win and hold power to achieve profound and lasting political change.'Roger Liddle; 'Bloodcurdling strife has bedevilled the Labour party, as social democrats and socialists found fighting each other easier than defeating the real enemy. Here is a riveting account of that warfare: from Ramsay McDonald, to Bevan, Benn, and Blairites v Corbynism, these are tales of woe that helped keep Conservatives in power for most of our lives. But lifting our sights, these two fine writers, historians and Labour aficionados offer ways to avoid an internecine future, if "diverse ideological perspectives are welcomed and not merely tolerated". One side winning is no answer: Blair was too controlling, Corbynites too insular when Labour needs to be a "national party of the widest coalition of interests". Enjoy the riveting stories of bygone battles - and take hope that Labour can avoid repeating that fratricide in future.' Polly Toynbee.

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Book SynopsisSince the end of WWI, one party has held the momentum of political and social change in south Wales: the Labour Party. Its triumph was never fully guaranteed. It came quickly amidst a torrent of ideas, actions, and war. But the result was a vibrant, effective and long- lasting democracy. The result was Labour Country. In this bold, controversial book, Daryl Leeworthy takes a fresh and provocative look at the struggle through radical political action for social democracy in Wales. The reasons for Labour's triumph, he argues, lay in radical pragmatism and an ability to harness lofty ideals with meaningful practicality. This was a place of dreamers as well as doers. The world of Arthur Horner and Aneurin Bevan. And yet, as the author shows, this history is now over. Although a trajectory leads from the end of the Miners' Strike both to the advent of devolution and the circumstances that led to the Brexit vote in 2016, these are exits from Labour Country, not a continuation. Sustained by a powerful synthesis of scholarship and original research, passionate and committed, this book brings the cubist epic of south Wales and its politics to life.Trade Review"...the vast amount of evidence is brought together to build a narrative which brings the history of this period to life and emphasises the vitality of community politics in south Wales." Nye Davies, Wales Arts Review

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Book SynopsisAfter 1979, Labour lost eight of the next eleven general elections. Working-class voters deserted, starting in 1970 when widespread abstention began, and the Conservatives won a majority of the working-class vote in 2019. Brexit was a consequence, and not the cause, of these massive changes. The number of manual workers, Labour’s heartland vote, has collapsed and Britain is now a nation where the biggest occupational groups are shopworkers, education and NHS staff. Demographics have challenged Labour’s ability to win. But that’s not all. Labour’s Parliamentary Party is now overwhelmingly middle class, and Labour has left the working class as the working class has left Labour. It is now a Party of Councillors and Special Advisers, with a membership dominated by the public sector middle class. Labour has been the author of its own troubles too. It failed to adapt to change in the 1970s and 80s, attacked the low paid and appeased the powerful, and at a local level is disorganised and sometimes sleazy. Its failures are structural. There is no strategic plan, sectarianism is rife, it has regular financial crises, fragile or unelectable leaders are appointed, and disastrous rule changes are made in an age when social media and the internet can disrupt politics on a daily basis. Power has been turned upside down as a consequence. Political parties matter. Badly organised, ineffective leaderships create policy failures in government, and Labour has failed to ensure a supply of its own working-class or capable candidates too. ‘Goodbye to the Working Class’ explains why and how this happened. It is a human story of significant consequence for our politics.Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and credits 5 PICTURE CREDITS 15 FIGURE CREDITS 16 PREFACE 17 INTRODUCTION The Long View 24 A Homogeneous Country 26 Decline of Class 27 Voting Against your Class 27 Middle Class Takeover 28 Parliamentary Dominance 29 Bureaucracy no Longer in Control 30 Labour’s Approach to Capitalism 30 Internal Revolts 32 Credibility and Authority 33 CHAPTER 1 MANCHESTER IN THE HIGH NOON OF BUTSKELLISM 36 My family and Other Workers 37 The Quakers 38 No Social Contact 39 Not Noticing 40 Newton Heath 42 Across the Mersey 43 Accelerating Decline 44 The Fading of the Working Class 46 The Politics of Croslandism 48 Profumo 51 The Real Manchester 52 Escaping from the Narrow World 54 CHAPTER 2 GLAD CONFIDENT MORNING AND AFTER: THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW MIDDLE CLASS 58 Templeman 60 First Contact 60 Unpaid Labour 62 A Long History of Failure 65 Decisive Events 68 The Great Change 70 Making it Stick 72 The New Middle Class: First Stirrings 73 Local Action Works Locally – but Only Locally 75 CHAPTER 3 THE 1970s BREAKDOWN OF KEYNESIANISM 76 Jobs 77 Industrial Unionism that Wasn’t 78 The Deaths Column 80 Beginning of the End 82 Labour’s Response 84 The Developing Crisis 86 Based on Rubbish Data 88 The Pivotal Point of Post-War Politics 90 NUPE’s Engagement Plan 91 The National Minimum Wage 93 The Endless Problem of Wage Control 94 The Statutory National Minimum Wage Emerges 97 1974 and All That 99 5% of Bugger All is Bugger All 100 Going Outside the TUC Box 101 Government Strategy Implodes 104 Government Nonsense 106 Callaghan and Healey Make the Jump 108 Reaction and Counter Reaction 110 Crunch Time: the Winter of 1978-79 112 Testing the Temperature of the Water and Heating It Up at the Same Time 114 Failures of Leadership 115 Biggest Wage Shock in Modern History 116 The Powerful Do What They Can 118 1.6 Million on Strike 119 Going to the Top 120 Fisher Fails to Organise, Callaghan Digs In 121 Why This was Pivotal 123 CHAPTER 4 WORKING IN PARLIAMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REBEL ALLIANCE 125 Getting Started 126 The Patch 128 The PLP 132 Elitism and Control 135 The Campaign for Labour Party Democracy 136 Revolts and Structural Change 137 CLPD, the Original Form 138 Open Revolt for the First Time 140 Special Conference: the Irony of Victory 142 Slow Motion Train Wreck 144 No One in Charge 146 The Absent Issue 147 Hard Graft: Multiple Roles 149 Policy Development 150 Low Pay 151 Hospital Closures and Public Health 152 The Black Report 154 Abortion 156 Women’s Rights and the Outrageous Attitude of Some Labour MPs 160 Dealing with the Sex Industry – and the F-Word 162 The Forgotten History of Women’s Rights Legislation 164 Abducted Children and ‘Seema’s Laws’ 165 Low Pay and Public Service Issues Rumble on 167 Stasis and Indolence 169 The 1982 Wage Dispute 171 The Economy and the Move to Deregulation, Unemployment and a Smaller State 172 Social Security Front Line 174 Deflation and Sod the Consequences: Learning to Win Elections with Mass Unemployment 175 Nuclear Power and Climate Change in the 1980s 177 Transport: the Attack on Subsidies 181 School Meals and Milk: the Education Bill 1980 182 The Falklands Crisis 184 Eastern Europe: Opposing Stalinism and Repression 186 Decay of the Tribune Group and Creation of the Socialist Campaign Group 188 Always Getting it Wrong 192 Leaving the Place 195 CHAPTER 5 THE FAILURE OF LOCAL LEADERSHIP 199 Ken’s failing policies 200 Abolition: Victory and Ultimate Defeat 201 Defeat for Thatcher and Jenkin 205 Money and Who Controlled What 207 Rate Capping: the Year Zero Pol Pot strategy 208 Victory for Common Sense 210 Protecting London 215 Stopping the Bonkers Nonsense 217 Propaganda on the Rates: the Outreach Team 218 Legislation, Legislation, Legislation 220 Failing to Deal with the Poll Tax 222 Derbyshire: The Ultimate Horror Show 224 Unreformed Bureaucracy and Libel Actions as Control 226 Let’s Build a Holiday Resort – in the Soviet Union 229 No Governance: Personal Rule 232 The Very Worst of Local Authorities 235 Lambeth: a Different Kind of Problem 236 Deliberate Concealment 237 Outright Corruption, Brown Paper Envelope Style 240 Local Government in the 1980s 241 The National Response: Tiny 242 Reforming the Local State 244 Malevolence in Action 246 The Last Benn Initiative 247 Twin Track Strategy, Failing 248 CHAPTER 6 BLAIR/BROWN AND THE TRIUMPH OF CROSLANDISM 251 Social Change in the 1990s: The Influence of Social Class and other Variables on Social Attitudes 251 The changing Size and Shape of the Classes 254 A Nation of Shopkeepers at Last 255 Political Generations 256 Uncontrollable Change 260 1997 and After 261 Preparation Low 262 Governing Blair Style 265 Lapses of Judgement – and Very Good Luck 265 Cassandras and Failure to Take Note 270 Important History Lessons 272 On the Ground in Derbyshire: the Divine Right to Rule 273 Trying and Failing to Create an Infrastructure 276 Huge Fight over Methane 278 Constructive Threats 280 £26m Victory 282 The Labour Establishment 283 A Limited Talent Pool 285 Fissures and Factions 287 Charges Withdrawn and then Reinvented 288 The 2001 Election: the Benn Factor 290 Selection and Payback 294 Nothing to Go On 297 CHAPTER 7 THE ACCIDENTAL LEADER EMERGES 299 Anger and Vacuum 300 The Unsupportable Friend 301 Not Learning 304 The PLP Candidates Fail 305 Chaos and Inertia 309 The Disappearances 314 Definitely Not Planned 315 Analysing the Corbyn Problem 316 The Strategic Opportunity. 316 Strengths and Weaknesses of Team Corbyn 319 Risk Profile 321 Key Objectives 324 The Narrative 325 Coordination and Action 327 Destabilising 330 Saving Labour 331 Decay and Poison 334 The 2016 Leadership Election 336 Inversion of Power: Permanent or Not? 338 Embourgeoisement – or Not? 341 It’s Not the Ultra-Left Wot Won It 342 A Very Large Sub Culture 344 CHAPTER 8 THE DESTRUCTION OF WORKING CLASS REPRESENTATION AND THE ULTIMATE TRIUMPH OF PRESSURE GROUP POLITICS 346 Uncertain Start and Searching for a Role 347 The PLP in Charge – for a While 348 Revolts and Resolution 350 A Transformed Membership – the Working Class Largely Gone 352 Sub Culture Development 354 Is the Revolt Repeatable? 357 Power decisions 1945: Ushering in the Dominance of the PLP 358 Return to Normalcy? 360 Class Structure and Party Identification 361 Voters Switching Between the Conservative and Labour Parties 362 Small Parties Don’t Hold on to Voters 362 Left Wing Right Wing All in One Person 363 The Disappearing Working Class – in Labour’s Leadership Cadre 364 From a Party of Outsiders to a Party of Insiders 365 Support and Training 368 The Effectiveness Deficit 369 Experience of Running Absolutely Nothing 370 Parliamentary Reform Fails 373 PLP: A Tool of Pressure Groups? 376 The Minimalist Blair Revolution Inside the Party 378 The Upending of Internal Power 378 The Problems of Sharing Power 379 Working Class Candidates Gone 380 The Most Middle Class Party in Britain 380 The Working Class Say Goodbye 382 No Voter Loyalty 382 Right and Left – Can’t Tell the Difference 383 The Elephant in the Room 384 Defining and Defending the Boundaries 385 Communities Largely Gone 386 From the Top Judgements and Misjudgements 387 Leaden-Footed Responses 389 CHAPTER 9 THE FAILURE OF PARTIES AS INSTITUTIONS 392 From Social Class to the Internet 395 Parties and Government 396 The Cult of Amateurism 399 Better Political Parties Mean Better Government 400 Poor Ministers Cause Problems 402 Labour has a Problem with its Culture 406 Labour In 2050 410 APPENDIX A A NOTE ON STATISTICS 413 APPENDIX B A NOTE ON THE SELECTION OF CANDIDATES 417 INDEX 423

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Book SynopsisThis book charts the economic, social and political rise of the Justice and Development Party (JDP) as well as its political resilience over the last sixteen years. Going beyond the standard dichotomy debate of political Islam versus secularism, the author shows how the JDP, a political party with substantial roots in political Islam, came to power in 2002 as an outcome of the socioeconomic transformation process that started in the country in the 1980s. The book further illustrates how the party consolidated its ruling power by catering to its core constituencies via a multifaceted set of policies that gave rise to the emergence of a powerful political machine. A careful analysis of the JDP’s policy agenda highlights the discrepancy between the party's discourse and its supply of policies. Furthermore, the author shows how the party has skilfully (re-)framed its ideological stance by changing alliances, and in analysing this hybrid ideological framing she presents key underpinnings of the party that paved the way to a fundamental restructuring of the Turkish party system and establishment of a new regime that replaced the old guard. This book will be of interest to academics, graduate students and researchers interested in comparative politics, political science and sociology.Table of ContentsChapter 1 - IntroductionChapter 2 - Turkish Party System through Volatile Social and Political CleavagesChapter 3 - Game Changer: Socio-Economic Transformation and Emergence of the JDP in 2002Chapter 4 - Meeting the Demands of Ordinary People: Electoral Consolidation via Catering to its Core ConstituenciesChapter 5 - Hybrid Ideology: Anchor for Electoral Consolidation and Further Entrenchment in Turkish Society and PoliticsChapter 6 - JDP and Dominant Party System in Light of the Turkish-Ottoman/Republican-Imperial CleavageChapter 7 – Conclusion

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Book Synopsis

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