Britain's Communist Thread

Like fascism, we often think of communism as alien - as an external threat - a threat to the British way of life. But what happens if we challenge that a little - and think about communism as a British story?

In the first programme we visit Maerdy in the Rhondda, one of the industrial towns known as Little Moscow between the wars. Maerdy illuminates an idea of communism rooted in local radical labour traditions and working class education.

Featuring:

Shirin Hirsch, historian at the People's History Museum, Manchester

Kevin Morgan, Emeritus Professor at the University of Manchester

Dai Smith, Raymond Williams Research Chair in Cultural History at Swansea University

Elinor Taylor, Senior Lecturer at the University of Westminster and author of The Popular Front Novel in Britain

Including extracts from an interview with Will Picton, conducted on 18th May 1973, by Hywel Francis and Dai Smith. Courtesy of the South Wales Miners' Library, Swansea University.

For more information about Shapurji Saklatvala, please visit Shirin Hirsch's blog:

https://phm.org.uk/blogposts/shapurji-saklatvala-an-anti-colonialist-in-the-heart-of-empire/

With thanks to Rhian Phillips at the South Wales Miners' LIbrary; and Simon Sheppard and Darren Treadwell at the People's History Museum. And to Joe Mulhall for the idea of the 'thread'.

Producer: Martin Williams

Historian Camilla Schofield explores a century-long thread of communism in Britain.

Like fascism, we often think of communism as alien - as an external threat - a threat to the British way of life. But what happens if we challenge that a little - and think about communism as a British story?

In the first programme we visit Maerdy in the Rhondda, one of the industrial towns known as Little Moscow between the wars. Maerdy illuminates an idea of communism rooted in local radical labour traditions and working class education.

Featuring:

Shirin Hirsch, historian at the People's History Museum, Manchester

Kevin Morgan, Emeritus Professor at the University of Manchester

Dai Smith, Raymond Williams Research Chair in Cultural History at Swansea University

Elinor Taylor, Senior Lecturer at the University of Westminster and author of The Popular Front Novel in Britain

Including extracts from an interview with Will Picton, conducted on 18th May 1973, by Hywel Francis and Dai Smith. Courtesy of the South Wales Miners' Library, Swansea University.

For more information about Shapurji Saklatvala, please visit Shirin Hirsch's blog:

https://phm.org.uk/blogposts/shapurji-saklatvala-an-anti-colonialist-in-the-heart-of-empire/

With thanks to Rhian Phillips at the South Wales Miners' LIbrary; and Simon Sheppard and Darren Treadwell at the People's History Museum. And to Joe Mulhall for the idea of the 'thread'.

Producer: Martin Williams

Like fascism, we often think of communism as alien - as an external threat - a threat to the British way of life. But what happens if we challenge that a little - and think about communism as a British story?

Today's programme explores the crises within the communist movement in the wake of the revelations contained in Nikita Khrushchev's ‘secret speech' in February 1956.

Featuring:

David Aaronovitch, journalist and broadcaster, son of Sam and Lavender Aaronovitch

Lucy Gaster, former social researcher, daughter of Jack and Moira Gaster

Ben Harker, University of Manchester, author of The Chronology of Revolution

Kennetta Hammond Perry, Northwestern University, author of London is the Place for Me

Includes extracts from an interview with Eric Hobsbawm by Michael Ignatieff, first broadcast on The Late Show, 24th Oct 1994, BBC Two.

With grateful thanks to Geoff Andrews, Shirin Hirsch and Kevin Morgan.

Producer: Martin Williams

Historian Camilla Schofield explores a century-long thread of communism in Britain.

Like fascism, we often think of communism as alien - as an external threat - a threat to the British way of life. But what happens if we challenge that a little - and think about communism as a British story?

Today's programme explores the crises within the communist movement in the wake of the revelations contained in Nikita Khrushchev's ‘secret speech' in February 1956.

Featuring:

David Aaronovitch, journalist and broadcaster, son of Sam and Lavender Aaronovitch

Lucy Gaster, former social researcher, daughter of Jack and Moira Gaster

Ben Harker, University of Manchester, author of The Chronology of Revolution

Kennetta Hammond Perry, Northwestern University, author of London is the Place for Me

Includes extracts from an interview with Eric Hobsbawm by Michael Ignatieff, first broadcast on The Late Show, 24th Oct 1994, BBC Two.

With grateful thanks to Geoff Andrews, Shirin Hirsch and Kevin Morgan.

Producer: Martin Williams

Like fascism, we often think of communism as alien - as an external threat - a threat to the British way of life. But what happens if we challenge that a little, and think about communism as a British story?

Today's programme explores the final years of the Communist Party of Great Britain, and the lingering appeal, for some, of the idea of - and the word - communism.

Featuring:

Geoff Andrews, historian and author of Endgames and New Times: The Final Years of British Communism 1964-1991

Beatrix Campbell, writer and activist

Dalia Gebrial, writer and academic

Robert Griffiths, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain

Noah Russell, student and activist

With grateful thanks to Kevin Morgan.

Producer: Martin Williams