Ebook: Popular Politics and Political Culture: Urban Scotland, 1918-1939

A fresh perspective on the history of the radical left in inter-war Scotland

This book presents a distinctive reading of inter-war Scottish politics, reinterpreting the consequences of the expanded electorate after 1918 by focusing on changing perceptions of the radical political culture of urban Scotland. It re-evaluates the factors behind the decline of the Scottish radical left in the inter-war years, demonstrating the role of changing conceptions of political representation, and explores the extent to which national party loyalties replaced local class identities. Drawing upon a range of untapped sources including local newspapers, cartoons, and contemporary accounts of demonstrations, the book illuminates the political perspectives of ordinary Scots in an age of mass democracy.

Key Features

• Examines the history of the radical left in Scotland from a new perspective, looking at the relationship between political legitimacy and identity, conduct and tactics
• Illuminates the electoral failure of the radical left between the wars, emphasising changing understandings of political participation, behaviour and representation
• Deploys a range of untapped sources, including local newspapers, political literature, cartoons and contemporary accounts of rallies