Trade Unions in British Politics: The First 250 Years
Title
Trade Unions in British Politics: The First 250 Years
Description
How did British trade unions become the most politically influential in the western world? Have they exercised an arbitrary power? How effective have legal constraints been on their activities? Will the 1990s see the marginalization of the unions, or their resurgence? What problems and opportunities face British unions in Europe?
Seen as an instrument of radical change by some, and as an obstacle to social or economic reform by others, trade unions are seldom out of the news, Concern about their political influence has existed since the days of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, and their role in the 1990s remains as bitterly controversial as ever.
This carefully researched book by many of the best-known experts in the field examines that role – looking at the turbulent political history of trade unions from their earliest beginnings.
The first section considers unions and politics from the Industrial Revolution until the early postwar period. The second takes the story through the Thatcher administration and discusses different aspects of union political behavior in contemporary Britain.
Much has happened since Trade Unions in British Politics, now widely regarded as a standard work, first appeared in 1982. This revised and expanded Second Edition contains three additional chapters: on government-union relations during Thatcher years (by William Brown); on unions and Europe (by Denis MacShane); and on unions and the labour party at the end of the twentieth century (by Philip Bassett). Other chapters also include extensive revisions, to bring them up to date and to take account of the most recent scholarship.
Seen as an instrument of radical change by some, and as an obstacle to social or economic reform by others, trade unions are seldom out of the news, Concern about their political influence has existed since the days of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, and their role in the 1990s remains as bitterly controversial as ever.
This carefully researched book by many of the best-known experts in the field examines that role – looking at the turbulent political history of trade unions from their earliest beginnings.
The first section considers unions and politics from the Industrial Revolution until the early postwar period. The second takes the story through the Thatcher administration and discusses different aspects of union political behavior in contemporary Britain.
Much has happened since Trade Unions in British Politics, now widely regarded as a standard work, first appeared in 1982. This revised and expanded Second Edition contains three additional chapters: on government-union relations during Thatcher years (by William Brown); on unions and Europe (by Denis MacShane); and on unions and the labour party at the end of the twentieth century (by Philip Bassett). Other chapters also include extensive revisions, to bring them up to date and to take account of the most recent scholarship.
Creator
Ben Pimlott and Chris Cook
Publisher
Longman Group UK Limited
Date
1991
Format
PDF
Language
English
Original Format
Paper
Files
Collection
Citation
Ben Pimlott and Chris Cook , “Trade Unions in British Politics: The First 250 Years,” NCI Archive, accessed June 24, 2026, https://archive.ncirl.ie/items/show/1114.