The Labour Party and European Integration: A Biographical Approach

by N. Piers Ludlow (Contribution by), Richard Johnson (Contribution by), Larissa Kraft (Contribution by), Helen Parr (Contribution by), Edoardo Vaccari (Contribution by)

Overview

This book uses a biographical approach to explore the Labour Party's relationship with European integration, moving beyond simple 'pro' or 'anti' labels to showcase the complexity of views that have existed.

Its positioning within the 'biographical turn' emphasizes the importance of formative experiences in shaping such viewpoints - held by both familiar figures and more underappreciated voices. Taking a broad view of Labour history, the book covers the roots of Labour’s diverse thinking on integration from the 1920s to the recent past. Its significant intervention in the fields of Labour Party history, European integration studies, and history through biography, helps provide essential historical context for understanding Labour's current European policies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781529243895
Publisher:	Bristol University Press
Publication date:	11/18/2025
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x (d)

About the Author

Matthew Broad is Assistant Professor in History and International Studies in the Institute for History, Leiden University, the Netherlands.

William King is a Core Fellow at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki, Finland.

Table of Contents

1. A Biographical Approach to the Study of Labour and European Integration – Matthew Broad and William King

2. R.W.G. Mackay: The Lone Federalist – Tommaso Milani

3. Fenner Brockway: A Barrier to War and a Bridge to Peace – Edoardo Vaccari

4. Denis Healey: Agnostic or the Original Eurosceptic? – Ettore Costa

5. Hugh Gaitskell: Reassessing the Roots of ‘A Thousand Years of History’ – Matthew Broad

6. Harold Wilson: ‘No More Difficult Task’ than Europe – Lindsay Aqui

7. Shirley Williams: ‘Breaking the Mould' – Helen Parr

8. Douglas Jay: After the Common Market? – Larissa Kraft

9. Judith Hart: Labour’s Internationalist Eurosceptic – Richard Johnson

10. Richard Crossman: From Europeanist to Little Englander – James Ellison

11. Roy Jenkins: The Frustrations of Pro-European Constancy – N. Piers Ludlow

12. Barbara Castle: Fighting All the Way – William King

13. Tony Blair: A European Journey – Daniel Furby

14. Diane Abbott: Complex Ambivalence and European Integration – Maxine David

15. Reflections on a Biographical Approach to the Labour Party and European Integration - William King and Matthew Broad