For the past century, many of the most prominent left-wing politicians in Britain, especially Labour leaders, have judged that the institution of monarchy is compatible with their vision of a more equal Britain. Why? In this episode, Richard and Lee discuss the socialist case for monarchy, from the earliest days of the Labour Party right up to the present day. Richard, a socialist himself, makes the fascinating argument that the monarchy is a pre-capitalist institution which sits outside of what socialists want to achieve.

In this episode, the following books are mentioned:

'Britain in Pictures: The Conservative Party (122) by Nigel Birch.

'The First Brexiteer: The Diaries of Sir Neil Marten, 1970-79' edited by Tim Aker. Available at: https://amzn.to/4lyqbfk

Support the show

Since Attlee & Churchill is the podcast all about post-war British political history, hosted by:

Lee David Evans is an historian of the Conservative Party and the John Ramsden Fellow at the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary, University of London. He is on social media @LeeDavidEvansUK.

Richard Johnson is a Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London, and among his other areas of expertise is an historian of the Labour Party. He tweets at @richardmarcj.

In 1963, Harold Macmillan resigned as prime minister and triggered one of the most dramatic fights for the Tory leadership in modern history. Four men jockeyed for position at the party's annual conference in Blackpool, with an unassuming fourteenth earl eventually coming out on top. Why did Macmillan resign? Who should have succeeded him? And did the 1964 general election, which brought Harold Wilson to power, get decided by these combustible events a year earlier? That's the theme of this week's podcast.

In this podcast, the following talks and books are mentioned:

'The Rule of Law: at home, abroad – and in Westminster' by Lord Wolfson. Available at: https://policyexchange.org.uk/events/the-rule-of-law-at-home-abroad-and-in-westminster/

'People Without Power: the war on populism and the fight for democracy' by Thomas Frank. Available at: https://amzn.to/43yImuS

'Public Servant, Secret Agent: The elusive life and violent death of Airey Neave' by Paul Routledge. Available at: https://amzn.to/4hRXZ3G

Support the show

Since Attlee & Churchill is the podcast all about post-war British political history, hosted by:

Lee David Evans is an historian of the Conservative Party and the John Ramsden Fellow at the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary, University of London. He is on social media @LeeDavidEvansUK.

Richard Johnson is a Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London, and among his other areas of expertise is an historian of the Labour Party. He tweets at @richardmarcj.

For almost 40 years, Austin Mitchell was a staple of the House of Commons. At the beginning of his career, he was an up-and-coming star with a successful media career. Yet for the vast majority of his time as an MP, he was overlooked by successive leaders and confined to the backbenches. In this episode, Richard and Lee look back on Mitchell's career and consider what lessons can be learned from the life of a political maverick.

In this episode, the following books are mentioned:

'Could it Happen Here? The Day a Prime Minister Refuses to Resign' by Peter Hennessy and Andrew Blick. Available at: https://amzn.to/4iTyD6N

'Trump, the Administrative Presidency, and Federalism' by Frank Thompson, Kenneth Wong, and Barry Rabe. Available at: https://amzn.to/4iBbhD1

Support the show

Since Attlee & Churchill is the podcast all about post-war British political history, hosted by:

Lee David Evans is an historian of the Conservative Party and the John Ramsden Fellow at the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary, University of London. He is on social media @LeeDavidEvansUK.

Richard Johnson is a Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London, and among his other areas of expertise is an historian of the Labour Party. He tweets at @richardmarcj.