On the 50th anniversary of
In Place of Strife, this scholarly study makes extensive use of previously unpublished archival and other primary sources to explain why Harold Wilson and Barbara Castle embarked on legislation to regulate the trade unions and curb strikes, and why this aroused such strong opposition, not just from the unions, but within the Cabinet and among backbench Labour MPs. This opposition transcended the orthodox ideological divisions, making temporary allies of traditional adversaries in the Party. Even Wilson’s threats either to resign, or call a general election, if his MPs and Ministers failed to support him and Castle, were treated with derision. His colleagues called Wilson’s bluff, and forced him to abandon the legislation, in return for a ‘solemn and binding’ pledge by the trade unions to ‘put their own house in order’ in tackling strikes.
Table of Content
List of tables
Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations
Introduction
1 Emergence and Identification of the Problem
2 The Donovan Commission and its Report
3 The Initial Political response
4 Cabinet Demurrals and Diminishing Ministerial Support
5 Increasing Antipathy in the Parliamentary Labour Party
6 The Trade Unions’ Implacable Hostility
7 A ‘Solemn and Binding’ Agreement
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Peter Dorey is Professor of British Politics in the School of Law and Politics at Cardiff University
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