The British Labour Movement and Imperialism

This book takes the study of the relationship between the labour movement and empire in new and innovative directions. In the past, works have tended to examine the approach of the organized labour movement, particularly the Labour Party, to imperialism. But here we have a range of studies that consider 'labour' in its widest sense, as labouring people, even in the period before organized labour parties emerged. Thus we have studies of soldiers, of the working class and the 'New...
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This book takes the study of the relationship between the labour movement and empire in new and innovative directions. In the past, works have tended to examine the approach of the organized labour movement, particularly the Labour Party, to imperialism. But here we have a range of studies that consider 'labour' in its widest sense, as labouring people, even in the period before organized labour parties emerged. Thus we have studies of soldiers, of the working class and the 'New Imperialism' of the late nineteenth century, of the relationship between Australia and Britain viewed through a transnational and comparative consideration of the labour movement, and of Gandhi's relationship with Lancashire cotton workers. In addition, there are richly thoughtful articles on post-Second World War and post-colonial issues. Like all good books, these chapters raise many intriguing questions and indicate fresh directions in which such studies should be taken. It is an indispensable addition to the literature on labour, and Labour and the empire. John M. MacKenzie, Professor Emeritus, Lancaster University; Honorary Professor, University of St. Andrews The word 'pathbreaking' is often used too easily, but this collection is truly pathbreaking in the strict sense. It shows clearly that the history of the British working class can only be written as a transcontinental history, and that the British labour movement both shaped and was shaped by imperial and Great Power politics. The present essays overcome the insularity that has been typical for much of the older labour history and help to prepare the ground for a globalized labour history. Marcel van der Linden, Professor of Social Movement History, Amsterdam University; Research Director, International Institute of Social History, Amsterdam