Labour Country

Since the end of WWI, one party has held the momentum of politicaland social change in south Wales: the Labour Party. Its triumph wasnever fully guaranteed. It came quickly amidst a torrent of ideas,actions, and war. But the result was a vibrant, effective and long-lasting democracy. The result was Labour Country.In this bold, controversial book, Daryl Leeworthy takes a fresh andprovocative look at the struggle through radical political action forsocial democracy in Wales. The reasons for Labour's triumph, heargues, lay in radical pragmatism and an ability to harness loftyideals with meaningful practicality. This was a place of dreamersas well as doers. The world of Arthur Horner and Aneurin Bevan.And yet, as the author shows, this history is now over. Althougha trajectory leads from the end of the Miners' Strike both tothe advent of devolution and the circumstances that led to theBrexit vote in 2016, these are exits from Labour Country, not acontinuation. Sustained by a powerful synthesis of scholarship andoriginal research, passionate and committed, this book brings thecubist epic of south Wales and its politics to life.