The Government/Union Alliance in Postwar Britain

Abstract

The Labour Party in Britain has, throughout the twentieth century, had a number of dilemmas at its core. These have centred around its relationship with the state, with capitalism and with organized labour. Furthermore, the structure, development and the diverse groupings within the Labour Party, have meant that it has been unusually prone to factionalism, and these dilemmas have tended to show themselves through a left–right divide. As Seyd puts it, Ideological argument has been a common feature of the Party’s politics and has provided the basis for an intra-Party Left/Right factionalism. The factional differences can be summarised as being the contrast between the pursuit of transformation and amelioration of society, between the visionary and practical approach to politics, between an emphasis upon class and nation, and between support for industrial militancy and industrial harmony.¹