New Books in British Studies Colm Murphy, "Futures of Socialism: ‘Modernisation', the Labour Party, and the British Left, 1973–1997" (Cambridge UP, 2023)
Dec 13, 2025
Colm Murphy, a historian at Queen Mary University of London, dives deep into the transformative years of the Labour Party from 1973 to 1997. He reveals how intellectual debates shaped modern socialism and how think tanks empowered Labour leadership. The discussion explores globalization's impact on Labour thinking, the evolution of gender policy activism, and the black sections controversy. Murphy highlights the lessons of pluralism and coherence for today's left, ultimately reflecting on the complex legacy of modernization within social democracy.
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Modernisation As A Political Weapon
- Modernisation was a contested political weapon that framed rivals as outdated and justified sweeping change.
- Colm Murphy shows multiple modernisations competed, so New Labour was contingent, not inevitable.
Balance Pluralism With Coherence
- Avoid intellectual isolation and draw from diverse currents because creativity isn't factional.
- But pair pluralism with internal coherence to prevent policy incoherence in government.
Think-Tank Ecosystem Shifted Policy Power
- Think-tank ecosystems let leaders adopt outside ideas selectively while avoiding full commitments.
- That system increased leadership autonomy but reduced accountability to party activists and intellectual coherence.
