Radical Labourism and the Unions

Abstract

There was a long history of Labour rule in Labton. The Party had controlled the Council since its creation in 1963 except for a period of Conservative rule between 1968 and 1971. Labton typified many of the recent political changes within the Labour Party mentioned in Chapter 2. The new ideological politcs appeared on the Council after the 1978 elections when a number of more radical councillors joined the Council and by the time of the 1982 elections the Labour Group had acquired a substantial baggage of policy commitments. These commitments included policies on the decentralisation of council services, economic development initiatives in the Borough, the ethnic monitoring of Council staff and the establishment of a women’s committee and support unit.