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The incredible story of the first Labour administration and the
'wild men' who shook up the British establishment. Writing to The
Times from the Carlton Club in early 1924, the Conservative MP
George Terrell railed against the ‘Communists, the wild men, the
work-shy, the ignorant and the illiterate’ – in other words the
people who, in the first election since all adult men had gained
the vote, had voted for a radically different sort of government.
It was a revolution against the top-hatted landed gentry who had
run Britain for centuries. But just who were these ‘wild men’?
Ramsay MacDonald, their leader and Labour’s first Prime Minster,
was the illegitimate son of a Scottish farm labourer; Arthur
Henderson was a Scottish iron moulder; J. H. Thomas, a Welsh
railwayman; John Wheatley, an Irish-born miner and publican; and
William Adamson, a Fife coal miner. Never before had men from such
backgrounds occupied the corridors of power in Westminster. Wild
Men tells the story of that first Labour administration – its
unexpected birth, fraught existence, and controversial downfall –
through the eyes of those who found themselves in the Houses of
Commons, running the country for the people. Blending biography and
history into a compelling narrative, David Torrance reassesses the
UK’s first Labour government a century after it shook up a
British establishment still reeling from the First World War. Full
of fascinating insight, The Wild Men shines a light on an amazing
period in British political history, when the establishment fought
back and won.
How have the Scottish Conservatives influenced Scottish politics?
Only single-volume history of the party over nearly two centuries
Draws on extensive research including archival sources Plugs a
major gap in the literature Examines the party's rising popularity
in between the 1920s and 1950s as well as its decline The Scottish
Unionist Party was the dominant party of inter-war Scotland, and
while its electoral fortunes declined with the rise of the Labour
and Scottish National parties during the 1960s, it remained a
significant force in Scotland after its 1965 rebranding as the
Scottish Conservative Party. More recently, it experienced a modest
electoral revival under the leadership of Ruth Davidson (2011-19).
Yet while aspects of the party's history have received attention
from historians and political scientists, it remains relatively
neglected, with most publications either out of print or out of
date. Strikingly, there exists no up-to-date, accessible
single-volume history of the party from its origins in the late
nineteenth century until present. Furthermore, a lot of Scottish
Conservative history is coloured by mythology and political
prejudice. This volume, the second in a series of Scottish party
histories, plugs this significant gap in the literature.
Great Scottish Speeches is a collection of around one-hundred of
the most stirring and memorable speeches in Scottish history,
either delivered by Scots or in Scotland by important figures. From
the political oratories of Jimmy Reid, Donald Dewar and Margaret
Thatcher, to emotive addresses by the nation's celebrated poets,
writers and musicians, all of the speeches had a remarkable impact
on the course of Scottish and UK history. An anthology with many
voices - patriots and sceptics, radicals and conservatives,
debaters and polemicists, campaigners and crusaders - Great
Scottish Speeches presents a history of Scotland through its most
defining moments.
What does ‘masculinity’ mean today? On Being a Man brings
together four men to consider the condition of Scottish men,
reflect on their own backgrounds and experiences, and confront some
of the most difficult issues men face. These include the changing
roles of men in Scottish society, the role of work and employment.
What it means to be a man is very different from forty years ago:
in terms of expectations, relationships, how men relate to
partners, bring up children and what constitutes a modern family.
However, there is a dark side of Scottish masculinity – seen in
the drinking, violent, abusive behaviour of some Scots men, and
this book addresses this directly, getting into issues many of us
often shy away from confronting. Draws on the wide-ranging voices
of: journalist, writer and broadcaster, David Torrance; founder of
a youth employment and mentoring charity, Sandy Campbell; public
health researcher, Pete Seaman; and former policeman and head of
the violence reduction unit, John Carnochan.
Great Britain, (abbreviation: UK) England, Wales and Scotland
considered as a unit. The name is also often used loosely to refer
to the United Kingdom. reboot, ri-bu:t , verb to restart or
revive… give fresh impetus to… federal, fed ar-al, adj. having
or relating to a system of government in which several states form
a unity but remain independent in internal affairs. Would
federalism work in the UK? Wouldn’t England dominate a British
federation? How would powers be distributed between federal and
home Nation level? What about the House of Lords? In the run up to
the historic referendum on Scottish independence there has been a
plethora of tracts, articles and books arguing for and against, but
there remains a gap in the literature: the case for Scotland
becoming part of a ‘rebooted’ federal Union. It is an old,
usually Liberal, dream, but one still worth fighting for. It is
often assumed that federalism is somehow ‘alien’ to the
Scottish and British constitutional tradition but in this short
book journalist David Torrance argues that not only has the UK
already become a quasi-federal state but that formal federation is
the best way of squaring the competing demands of Nationalists and
Unionists. He also uses Scotland’s place within a federal UK to
examine other potential reforms with a view to tackling
ever-increasing inequality across the British Isles and create a
more equal, successful and constitutionally coherent country.
What makes a speech great? In this second volume of Great Scottish
Speeches, more than 60 speeches made by Scots or by others in
Scotland have been drawn together, not necessarily for their
heart-stopping eloquence (although many have that), but as a
testament to their enduring historical significance. These speeches
each provide a snapshot of the social, cultural or political
context in which they were made, a celebration of the power of
great oratory across the ages. As you fight for fairness, you will
always find in me a friend, a partner and a brother. Gordon Brown O
sister, rule your realm in peace; I give up every claim to these
domains. Mary Queen of Scots Such in my opinion is the true gospel
concerning wealth, obedience to which is destined someday to solve
the problems of the rich and the poor. Andrew Carnegie Vote, Jock.
Vote, Sweaty Sock. Talk properly. Alan Bissett
Examining the startling revival of the Scottish Conservative Party
under Ruth Davidson's leadership Key features First book to examine
the recent revival of the Scottish Conservative Party Analyses the
Scottish Conservative Party and Ruth Davidson's leadership in
ground-breaking ways, for example in the context of gender and LGBT
politics; its relationships with the SNP, Northern Ireland, the
Scottish media and the UK Tory Party; its use of Scottish national
identity in promoting itself electorally Complements and updates
David Torrance's 2012 edited volume for Edinburgh University Press
on the decline of the party, Whatever Happened to Tory Scotland?
Helps inform Scottish political and academic discourse ahead of the
2021 Holyrood elections When Ruth Davidson was elected leader of
the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party in 2011, it was
considered something of a joke: in electoral decline for decades,
politically irrelevant and apparently beyond the point of no
return. But by 2017, 'Ruth Davidson's Conservatives' had become
Scotland's second party at Holyrood and Westminster, and its leader
spoken of as a future leader of the UK Conservative Party, if not
the next Scottish First Minister. This book, which brings together
leading academics and analysts, examines the extraordinary revival
of the Scottish Conservative Party between 2011 and Ruth Davidson's
shock resignation in 2019. Contributors look at the importance of
gender and sexuality, the 2014 independence referendum, the
Scottish media and the UK Conservative Party's 'territorial code'
to the changing fortunes of the party and its leader, asking if it
can be sustained amid the turbulence of two ongoing constitutional
debates.
How have the Scottish Conservatives influenced Scottish politics?
Only single-volume history of the party over nearly two centuries
Draws on extensive research including archival sources Plugs a
major gap in the literature Examines the party's rising popularity
in between the 1920s and 1950s as well as its decline The Scottish
Unionist Party was the dominant party of inter-war Scotland, and
while its electoral fortunes declined with the rise of the Labour
and Scottish National parties during the 1960s, it remained a
significant force in Scotland after its 1965 rebranding as the
Scottish Conservative Party. More recently, it experienced a modest
electoral revival under the leadership of Ruth Davidson (2011-19).
Yet while aspects of the party's history have received attention
from historians and political scientists, it remains relatively
neglected, with most publications either out of print or out of
date. Strikingly, there exists no up-to-date, accessible
single-volume history of the party from its origins in the late
nineteenth century until present. Furthermore, a lot of Scottish
Conservative history is coloured by mythology and political
prejudice. This volume, the second in a series of Scottish party
histories, plugs this significant gap in the literature.
The 2015 General Election is just two months away and whilst the
debates are heating up, experts are unanimous on one thing: that
this is set to be the most important and unpredictable election
since World War Two. So who's who in the current landscape of UK
party politics? Who most represents your views? What would a
country governed by that party look like? Co-author of Scotland's
Referendum: A Guide for Voters and author of 100 Days of Hope and
Fear, David Torrance is here to give you all the information you
need to make your vote count. This pocket-sized guide features a
chapter on Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the
Green Party, the SNP and UKIP, and another dedicated to the other
parties contesting seats. The guide is rounded off with a
prediction of possible outcomes and an overview of the
constitutional implications the election has for Scotland.
The Scottish Liberal Party was the dominant party of Victorian
Scotland. While its electoral fortunes declined with the rise of
the Labour and (Scottish) Unionist parties during the 1920s, it
remained a significant 'third' force in an increasingly crowded
'Scottish political system', particularly during the latter half of
the 20th century. This was especially true following its 1988
merger with the Social Democratic Party to form the Scottish
Liberal Democrats, when it helped shape the modern devolution
settlement via the Scottish Constitutional Convention. This book
examines both parties via a chronological presentation of their
histories. Each chapter includes themes such as organisation,
relations between the Scottish and UK parties, the deployment of
'nationalist' arguments and rhetoric, and strategic approaches
(after 1922) to recover electorally and pursue certain
constitutional aims including devolution for Scotland. It also
presents a detailed examination of the party's record in devolved
and Westminster government after 1999.
Examining the startling revival of the Scottish Conservative Party
under Ruth Davidson's leadership Key features First book to examine
the recent revival of the Scottish Conservative Party Analyses the
Scottish Conservative Party and Ruth Davidson's leadership in
ground-breaking ways, for example in the context of gender and LGBT
politics; its relationships with the SNP, Northern Ireland, the
Scottish media and the UK Tory Party; its use of Scottish national
identity in promoting itself electorally Complements and updates
David Torrance's 2012 edited volume for Edinburgh University Press
on the decline of the party, Whatever Happened to Tory Scotland?
Helps inform Scottish political and academic discourse ahead of the
2021 Holyrood elections When Ruth Davidson was elected leader of
the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party in 2011, it was
considered something of a joke: in electoral decline for decades,
politically irrelevant and apparently beyond the point of no
return. But by 2017, 'Ruth Davidson's Conservatives' had become
Scotland's second party at Holyrood and Westminster, and its leader
spoken of as a future leader of the UK Conservative Party, if not
the next Scottish First Minister. This book, which brings together
leading academics and analysts, examines the extraordinary revival
of the Scottish Conservative Party between 2011 and Ruth Davidson's
shock resignation in 2019. Contributors look at the importance of
gender and sexuality, the 2014 independence referendum, the
Scottish media and the UK Conservative Party's 'territorial code'
to the changing fortunes of the party and its leader, asking if it
can be sustained amid the turbulence of two ongoing constitutional
debates.
The Scottish Liberal Party was the dominant party of Victorian
Scotland. While its electoral fortunes declined with the rise of
the Labour and (Scottish) Unionist parties during the 1920s, it
remained a significant 'third' force in an increasingly crowded
'Scottish political system', particularly during the latter half of
the 20th century. This was especially true following its 1988
merger with the Social Democratic Party to form the Scottish
Liberal Democrats, when it helped shape the modern devolution
settlement via the Scottish Constitutional Convention. This book
examines both parties via a chronological presentation of their
histories. Each chapter includes themes such as organisation,
relations between the Scottish and UK parties, the deployment of
'nationalist' arguments and rhetoric, and strategic approaches
(after 1922) to recover electorally and pursue certain
constitutional aims including devolution for Scotland. It also
presents a detailed examination of the party's record in devolved
and Westminster government after 1999.
This book reassesses the relationship between 'nationalism' and
'unionism' in Scottish politics, challenging a binary reading of
the two ideologies with the concept of 'nationalist unionism'.
Scottish nationalism did not begin with the SNP in 1934, nor was it
confined to political parties which desired independent statehood.
Rather it was more dispersed, with the Liberal, Conservative and
Labour parties all attempting to harness Scottish national identity
and nationalism between 1884 and 2014, often with the paradoxical
goal of strengthening rather than ending the Union. The book
combines nationalist theory with empirical historical and archival
research to argue that these conceptions of Scottish nationhood had
much more in common with each other than is commonly accepted.
This book explores the history and ideas of the Scottish
Conservative Party since its creation in 1912. You might not
believe it now, but the Scottish Conservative Party played a
significant role in the politics of Scotland during the last
century. The party governed Scotland and the UK for much of the
20th century. But their support has nosedived from a majority of
votes and seats at the 1955 general election to just a single
constituency and 17 per cent of the vote in May 2010. This
collection brings together academics, writers, commentators and
analysts of Scottish politics to address the nature of the Scottish
Conservative Party on its centenary. They look at its standing in
Scotland, its influence on the Union, its role in the Scottish
Parliament and why it fell so out of favour with the Scottish
electorate.
David Torrance reassesses the relationship between 'nationalism'
and 'unionism' in Scottish politics, challenging a binary reading
of the two ideologies with the concept of 'nationalist unionism'.
Scottish nationalism did not begin with the SNP in 1934, nor was it
confined to political parties that desired independent statehood.
Rather, it was more dispersed, with the Liberal, Conservative and
Labour parties all attempting to harness Scottish national identity
and nationalism between 1884 and 2014, often with the paradoxical
goal of strengthening rather than ending the Union. The book
combines nationalist theory with empirical historical and archival
research to argue that these conceptions of Scottish nationhood had
much more in common with each other than is commonly accepted.
This book explores the history and ideas of the Scottish
Conservative Party since its creation in 1912. You might not
believe it now, but the Scottish Conservative Party played a
significant role in the politics of Scotland during the last
century. The party governed Scotland and the UK for much of the
20th century. But their support has nosedived from a majority of
votes and seats at the 1955 general election to just a single
constituency and 17 per cent of the vote in May 2010. This
collection brings together academics, writers, commentators and
analysts of Scottish politics to address the nature of the Scottish
Conservative Party on its centenary. They look at its standing in
Scotland, its influence on the Union, its role in the Scottish
Parliament and why it fell so out of favour with the Scottish
electorate.
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