British Labour, Troubles, and Ideas

In the United States, the relationship between socialists—often economic and cultural outsiders—and a more “American” working class has generally been problematic. For much of this century, however, Britain has provided an alluring counterexample. The British Labour party seemed to have achieved a balanced partnership between a mass working-class constituency and a middle-class socialist leadership. This partnership was seen at its best in the 1945-51 Labour governments, which...