Liverpool Salon

Category: Previous Events

  • James Callaghan – the book launch

    Film of the event held on Monday 7 December 2020 at 7 pm

    It has been forty years since James Callaghan – the only person to hold all four of the great offices of state – resigned as Leader of the Opposition, bringing to an end over three decades of service on the front bench.

    But what legacy did he leave behind? Critics see him variously as holding back the inevitable tide of economic liberalism or betraying the ‘socialist’ policies on which Labour had been elected (twice) in 1974.  As debates over the future of the Labour Party intensify, this illuminating book offers valuable insights into the party’s past.

    To celebrate the publication of James Callaghan: An Underrated Prime Minister?, the Liverpool Salon and Biteback Publishing are excited to announce an exclusive launch webinar. Meet authors Kevin Hickson and Jasper Miles in conversation with contributors to the book as they reassess Callaghan’s time in office and examine some of the controversies around his premiership. The discussion will shine a light on one of the most forgotten eras of British politics and on a Labour great whose contribution to his party has often been overlooked.

    Register via Eventbrite and we’ll send you a Zoom link and discount for book purchase a week before the event.

    Speakers

    Kevin Bean is a Fellow of the Institute of Irish Studies at the University of Liverpool and has written extensively on the politics of Northern Ireland.
     
    Patrick Diamond was formerly a senior policy advisor to Tony Blair in 10 Downing Street and is now Senior Lecturer in Politics at Queen Mary, University of London.
     
    Pauline Hadaway convenes the Liverpool Salon and has worked in numerous posts in the arts and education in Northern Ireland.
     
    Simon Hannah is author of A Party with Socialists in It: A History of the Labour Left and Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay: The Fight to Stop the Poll Tax and is an active Labour Party member and trade unionist.
     
    Polly Toynbee is a distinguished Guardian columnist and author.  Her latest book is The Lost Decade: 2010-2020 and What Lies Ahead for Britain (2020, with David Walker).

    James Callaghan: An Underrated Prime Minister 

    It has been forty years since James Callaghan – the only person to hold all four of the great offices of state – resigned as Leader of the Opposition, bringing to an end over three decades of service on the front bench. Debate still rages over whether Callaghan was a successful Prime Minister. Critics see him variously as holding back the inevitable tide of economic liberalism or betraying the ‘socialist’ policies on which Labour had been elected (twice) in 1974. Following his downfall in 1979, there were few defenders of his legacy.
    This vital reassessment explores the context within which Callaghan governed and the policies his administration pursued, inviting the reader to draw their own conclusion as to how his premiership should be remembered. It includes contributions from leading politicians, journalists, advisors and academics, including some of those who knew Callaghan best. As debates over the future of the Labour Party intensify, this illuminating book offers valuable insights into the party’s past.

    The Liverpool Salon is a voluntary organisation
    Speakers and organisers give their time freely
    Donations help pay for technical costs and developing the programme