Labour in the City: The Development of the Labour Party in Manchester 1918-31 (Labour Movements Critical Studies)

The Labour leadership responded to the introduction of universal suffrage in 1918 by embarking on a plan of reorganization aimed at transforming the organization from a trade union pressure group into an independent, national political party. It equipped the party with a comprehensive political program and determined to create a national network of local branches based on a mass membership. This study assesses how the Labour leadership's plan of reconstruction fared at grass roots level by examining its organizational and electoral development between 1918 and 1931 in Manchester, the quintessential modern industrial city.