After 13 years in government, the 2010 general election saw Labour ejected from office and on the hunt for a new leader. Curiously, two brothers - David and Ed Miliband - stood against each other in a five-way battle to lead the party. This divisive leadership contest led to accusations of fratricide and, when Ed won, many in Labour conclude that the party had chosen the wrong brother to lead it. Is that fair? In this episode, Richard and Lee look back on the 2010 leadership election and interrogate the decision made by MPs, members and trade unions about who would lead the Labour Party in opposition.In this episode, the following books are mentioned:'Ed: The Milibands and the making of a Labour leader' by James Macintyre and Mehdi Hasan. Available at: https://amzn.to/4mJcNFN'Steeple Chasing: Around Britain by Church' by Peter Ross. Available at: https://amzn.to/4mCBYJYSupport the showSince Attlee & Churchill is the podcast all about post-war British political history, hosted by:Lee David Evans is an historian of the Conservative Party and the John Ramsden Fellow at the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary, University of London. He is on social media @LeeDavidEvansUK. Richard Johnson is a Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London, and among his other areas of expertise is an historian of the Labour Party. He tweets at @richardmarcj.
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1:14:47
How did Viscount Stansgate become Tony Benn MP?
In 1961 and 1963, two by-elections took place that changed British politics, and the fortunes of Tony Benn, forever. The first came after Benn was removed from the House of Commons following the death of his father. This elevated Benn to the peerage as the second Viscount Stansgate and meant, although Benn won the by-election, he was denied his seat in the Commons. After years of political and legal battles, Benn fought a second by-election and became an MP once more. In this week's podcast, Richard and Lee chart this dramatic time in British political history and discuss the consequences for Benn, for other peers, and for British politics.In this episode, the following articles and books are mentioned:'Labour must learn to love Brexit' by Richard Johnson in The Spectator. Available at: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/labour-must-learn-to-love-brexit/'These are the British' by Drew Middleton. Available at: https://amzn.to/3ZAOQq3'Britain’s Conservative Right since 1945: Traditional Toryism in a Cold Climate' by Kevin Hickson. Available at: https://amzn.to/4k5LFikSupport the showSince Attlee & Churchill is the podcast all about post-war British political history, hosted by:Lee David Evans is an historian of the Conservative Party and the John Ramsden Fellow at the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary, University of London. He is on social media @LeeDavidEvansUK. Richard Johnson is a Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London, and among his other areas of expertise is an historian of the Labour Party. He tweets at @richardmarcj.
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1:02:47
Does Michael Foot deserve a kinder verdict from historians?
From 1980-1983, Michael Foot led the Labour Party through a disastrous and divisive period in its history, culminating in the famous landslide defeat of 1983. That result has marred how people think of Foot ever since. But Richard believes that Foot's long and remarkable career - as a journalist and a politician - deserves a more generous appraisal from historians. Is he right? In this episode we look back at Foot's long life to find out.In this episode, the following books, journals and articles are mentioned:'The President's Kill List: Assassination and US Foreign Policy since 1945' by Luca Trenta.'The Conservative History Journal'. Find out more: https://conservativehistory.wordpress.com/journal/'The Life and Legacy of Michael Foot' by Richard Johnson, as published in Tribune. Available here: https://tribunemag.co.uk/2021/07/the-life-and-legacy-of-michael-foot Support the showSince Attlee & Churchill is the podcast all about post-war British political history, hosted by:Lee David Evans is an historian of the Conservative Party and the John Ramsden Fellow at the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary, University of London. He is on social media @LeeDavidEvansUK. Richard Johnson is a Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London, and among his other areas of expertise is an historian of the Labour Party. He tweets at @richardmarcj.
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1:06:04
Do private members clubs still matter in British politics?
Private members clubs once played a crucial role in British politics, even acting as the organising hubs of the Conservative and Liberal parties. For centuries, politicians of every shade have drunk, dined and gossiped together behind the closed doors of London clubs. But do they still? And do clubs still influence our politics? In this week's episode, Lee and Richard tackle that question and identify the one post-war prime minister who, it seems, has never been a member of any club.In this episode, the following books are mentioned:'Ten Years to save the West' by Liz Truss.'Active and Passive Citizens' by Richard Tuck.If you are interested in learning more about clubs, we also recommend:'Behind Closed Doors' by Seth Thévoz.Support the showSince Attlee & Churchill is the podcast all about post-war British political history, hosted by:Lee David Evans is an historian of the Conservative Party and the John Ramsden Fellow at the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary, University of London. He is on social media @LeeDavidEvansUK. Richard Johnson is a Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London, and among his other areas of expertise is an historian of the Labour Party. He tweets at @richardmarcj.
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1:02:51
Which foreign leaders should be invited to address Parliament?
Since the end of WWII, an increasing number of foreign leaders have been invited to address MPs and peers - whether in Westminster Hall, the Royal Gallery or elsewhere in Parliament. In 2017 and again today, a debate raged about whether Donald Trump should be among them. Lee and Richard look back on the history of foreign leaders addressing Parliament and consider whether it would be reasonable for Trump to be prevented from making an address to Parliament.in this episode, the following books are mentioned:'Vassal State: How America Runs Britain' by Angus Hanton. Available at: https://amzn.to/4lWVBMF'The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness' by Jonathan Haidt. Available at: https://amzn.to/4cZ29WOSupport the showSince Attlee & Churchill is the podcast all about post-war British political history, hosted by:Lee David Evans is an historian of the Conservative Party and the John Ramsden Fellow at the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary, University of London. He is on social media @LeeDavidEvansUK. Richard Johnson is a Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London, and among his other areas of expertise is an historian of the Labour Party. He tweets at @richardmarcj.
The podcast about post-war British politics - since Attlee & Churchill. Hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party. Since Attlee & Churchill is also available as a Substack, which includes special bonus podcast episodes for premium subscribers. Visit www.sinceattleeandchurchill.com to find out more. Got a question? You can contact Richard and Lee on sinceattleeandchurchill@substack.com.
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