Labour in the City : The Development of the Labour Party in Manchester 1918-31

In 1918 the Labour party began to build for power by embarking on a plan of reorganisation aimed at creating a national network of local branches through which it would recruit, engage and mobilise a 'mass membership'. This study assesses how that ambitious project played out in Manchester, a 'model' industrial city between 1918 and 1931.

It concludes that despite significant electoral progress the goal of building a mass membership party organisation was largely frustrated by the unwillingness of more than a small minority of the public to embrace political activism.

The study offers important evidence about Labour's growth in the immediate post-1918 period and provides useful insights into the nature of political activism and engagement which have a contemporary resonance. -- .