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Since Attlee & Churchill
How did the Brighton bomb change British politics?
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The bomb planted by the IRA at the Grand Hotel in Brighton in 1984 is one of the near-misses in British political history. Its target, Margaret Thatcher and her Cabinet, all survived, but 5 people died and 33 people were injured. How did the bomb get into the hotel? What damage did it cause? And how did these dramatic and murderous events change British politics? Lee and Richard discuss in this latest episode.
In this episode, the following books are mentioned:
'Attlee and Churchill: Allies in War, Adversaries in Peace' by Leo McKinstry. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781848876613
'Defying Dixie: The Radical Roots of Civil Rights, 1919-1950' by Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780393335323
Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill
Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac
Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!
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Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - literally since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.
Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill
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Matters of Interest: Denmark’s Migration Management & Britain’s Voting Rights
42:45|In this mid-week Matters of Interest, Richard discusses how the Danish Social Democrats, a party once confronted with losing its historic working-class base, re-oriented itself to maintain their traditional supporters. What lessons could Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party learn from its Scandi counterparts? And Lee reflects on Reform UK’s policy announcement, after the Gorton & Denton by-election, that only British citizens should be able to vote in UK Parliamentary elections. Is this reaction to by-election defeat the right one? Joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon offers ad-free listening and bonus episodes, among other perks, and is also a great way to support the production of the podcast. Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/cw/SinceAttleeAndChurchillEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacHow did Theresa May become Britain’s most pro-LGBT Prime Minister?
01:03:36|Having started life as a vicar’s daughter, and casting socially conservative votes in her first years as a Member of Parliament, by the mid-2000s Theresa May had begun embracing the cause of LGBT rights. As party chairman, she recognised the Conservative campaign group for homosexual equality, and then as Home Secretary and Prime Minister she embraced a range of policies advocated for by gay and trans rights groups. Why did May go on this journey? And what impact did it have on government and the country? Lee and Richard discuss in this episode.In this episode, the following books are mentioned:'A source book of Conservatism' by Geoffrey D. M. Block'Statecraft: Policies and Politics under Prime Minister Theresa May. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9783031324741Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchillBuying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!Matters of Interest: From ‘Remainer’ to ‘Leaver’ & Cameras in the Commons
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01:06:48|The Poll Tax is one of the defining policy failures in post-war British politics - almost universally dismissed as unfair and often credited with bringing down Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister. In this week's episode, Lee and Richard talk about the old 'rates' system that Thatcher sought to replace; the gestation of the idea of introducing the poll tax; and how the public and political backlash rocked Thatcher's last years as Prime Minister.In this episode, the following books are mentioned:'Liberalizing Lynching: Building a New Racialized State' by Daniel Kato. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780190232573'The Road to the Scottish Parliament' by Brian Taylor. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780748617593Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchillBuying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!Matters of Interest: Refurbishing Parliament & the Value of Voting Lobbies
45:36|In this midweek episode, Lee and Richard focus on the Palace of Westminster. First, Lee raises the staggering timescales and price tags proposed for refurbishing Parliament. Are either of the plans acceptable to Parliamentarians or the public? He thinks not. Next, Richard shares some evidence he recently submitted on the importance of voting in lobbies in the British Parliament - and what would be lost if it was swapped for voting in the chamber or, worse, remotely.Joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon offers ad-free listening and bonus episodes, among other perks, and is also a great way to support the production of the podcast. Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/cw/SinceAttleeAndChurchillEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacHow much power did Marcia Williams have over Harold Wilson?
01:07:43|In recent weeks political advisors - especially those who have departed Keir Starmer's Downing Street - have never been out of the headlines. In this episode, Lee asks Richard about one of the most famous, celebrated and criticised political advisors in post-war politics: Marcia Williams. Having first met Harold Wilson when she was just in her 20s, she remained by the Labour Prime Minister's side until the end of his political life. What was the true nature of their relationship? Did they have an affair? And how did she become so invaluable to Wilson? Those questions, and more, are discussed in this episode.In this episode, the following books are mentioned:'Wyndham and Children First' by Lord Egremont.'Making Do: Britons and the Refashioning of the Postwar World' by Susan Carruthers. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781009464284Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchillBuying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!Matters of Interest: ‘Caretaker’ Prime Ministers & Political Promises
41:31|In this week's Matters of Interest, Richard explores what would happen if Keir Starmer didn't just announce he was going resign, but actually resigned as Prime Minister before a new Labour leader was chosen. The Labour rulebook says one thing, but the British constitution might have other ideas! Then Lee raises political promises and governing reality - including whether or nor our politicians are actually willing to deliver the sorts of policies that would make their rhetoric come true.Joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon offers ad-free listening and bonus episodes, among other perks, and is also a great way to support the production of the podcast. Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/cw/SinceAttleeAndChurchillEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacDoes the Profumo scandal deserve its infamy?
01:15:06|Throughout the past week, frequent reference has been made to the Profumo affair, the benchmark for scandal and outrage in post-war British politics. But what was it? How did it unfold? And does it really deserve its infamous status? In this episode, Lee and Richard look back to the misjudgements of the Secretary of State for War John Profumo in 1961 and how it imploded in 1963 - ruining his career, the lives of many others, and arguably even bringing down the government. In this episode, the following books are mentioned:'What Comes Naturally: Miscegenation Law and the Making of Race in America' by Peggy Pascoe. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780199772353'The Gathering Storm' by Winston Churchill. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780141441726Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchillBuying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saacEnjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!