New Books Network 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 of modern British and Irish politics at Queen Mary University, shares insights from his book on the Labour Party's transformation from 1973 to 1997. He discusses the importance of pluralism and coherence in leftist politics, how think tanks shaped policy, and the contentious definition of 'modernisation.' Murphy also explores the impact of globalisation on national strategies, the shift from manufacturing to human capital, and the role of gender and race in Labour's modernization efforts, revealing a nuanced narrative of 20th-century social democracy.
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Modernisation As Contested Political Tool
- Modernisation was a contested political weapon, not an inevitable march of history.
- Competing modernisations explained why New Labour was contingent, not simply betrayal or salvation.
Balance Pluralism With Coherent Strategy
- Do balance plural idea-sourcing with maintaining a coherent agenda when remaking a party.
- Avoid leaving policy incoherent by relying solely on external think tanks for raw ideas.
Think Tanks Shifted Policy Power
- The rise of autonomous think tanks let leaders pick ideas without committing the party.
- That autonomy empowered leaders but reduced internal accountability and intellectual coherence.
