Political Trials

Abstract

When he became Chair of the Labour Party in May 1945 Laski appeared to have fulfilled the personal ambitions that he had held as a young man. He was close to the centre of political affairs, he enjoyed a world-wide reputation as a Socialist theorist, he had a vast international circle of acquaintances, he was an influential populariser of Left-wing causes, and he was secure in his academic role. He was also confident that the Labour Party would win the forthcoming General Election and that there was, at the very least, a good chance that it would implement the ‘revolution by consent’ that he had urged throughout the war. Four years later, when he finally left the Labour Party National Executive the position seemed quite different. He was, of course, still a well-known figure and he was generally satisfied with the domestic achievements of the Labour Government. But he no longer carried any influence with the leadership, his public image had been undermined, his academic contributions were often attacked or ignored, and even his following amongst the Labour Party rank-and-file was greatly reduced. This dramatic decline in prestige was tragic. In the first place, it dealt a crippling blow to Laski’s own self-esteem and certainly contributed to his early death in 1950. Secondly, it meant that his views at this time have never received the attention that they deserve.