03 March 2020
Centre for British politics and government event - after the defeat
Lessons from history for Labour?
On Wednesday 18 March 2020, the Centre for British Politics and Government, in conjunction with the IHR Contemporary British History Seminar, hosted ‘After the Defeat: Lessons from History for Labour?’. The event took take place in Bush House Lecture Theatre One (S)1.01 from 4 to 6pm.
In this event a panel of historians – including Professor Andrew Thorpe – reflected on how the Labour, Conservative and Liberal parties have responded to previous heavy electoral defeats. They sought to determine what, if any, lessons the current Labour Party – on the back of winning its fewest number of seats in Parliament since 1935 – can learn from these.
Three speakers provided papers on the response of each of the main parties to a particular election defeat:
- Dr Iain Sharpe discussed the Liberal Party’s experiences at the turn of the 20th century and the influence of Herbert Gladstone in securing its return to power at the 1906 election
- Professor Andrew Thorpe (Leeds) discussed Labour’s response to its defeat in 1935
- Dr Michael Kandiah (KCL) discussed the Conservative Party and how it dealt with losing power in the 1945 general election