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Abstract

The link between the trade unions and the Labour Party is crucial to any understanding of the past, present and future of the unions. As Andrew Taylor emphasises, this link has always involved contradictions which stem from the different roles which the unions play. Taylor’s primary concern has been the contradiction between the unions’ sectional interest group role and their role in boosting the electoral chances of the Labour Party (A.Taylor, 1986, p. 15). However, as he would acknowledge, the situation is considerably more complicated. In particular, the relationship between the two branches of the Labour Movement is clearly different in opposition than in power.

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© 1992 David Marsh

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Marsh, D. (1992). Trade Unions and the Labour Party. In: The New Politics of British Trade Unionism. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-21921-6_6

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