DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

Socialist Republic

Remaking the British Left in 1980s Sheffield

Daisy Payling author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Manchester University Press

Published:21st Mar '23

Should be back in stock very soon

Socialist Republic cover

Socialist republic is a timely account of 1980s left-wing politics in South Yorkshire. It explores how Sheffield City Council set out to renew the British Left. Through careful analysis of the Council’s agenda and how it interacted with trade unions, women’s groups, lesbian and gay rights groups and acted on issues such as peace, environmentalism, anti-apartheid and anti-racism, the book draws out the complexities involved in building a broad-based politics which aimed unite class and identity politics. Running counter to 1980s narratives dominated by Thatcherism, the book examines the persistence of social democracy locally, demonstrating how grassroots local histories can enrich our understanding of political developments on a national and international level. The bookis essential reading for students, scholars, and activists with an interest in left-wing politics and history.

'If the strongest suit of the book is its lively and detailed narrative of this “complex, inchoate, rich and diverse” politics (15), Payling's book also addresses itself in interesting ways to recent historical scholarship that challenges decadal narratives defined by the ascendancy of Thatcherism and neo-liberalism... There is much, in short, to recommend the book to readers from a wide range of disciplinary fields.'
Journal of British Studies

ISBN: 9781526150301

Dimensions: 216mm x 138mm x 14mm

Weight: 431g

248 pages