James Callaghan: An Underrated Prime Minister?

by Kevin Hickson (Editor), Jasper Miles (Editor), Roy Hattersley (Preface)

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.

Genres: Politics

309 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 2020

About the author

Kevin Hickson is Senior Lecturer in British Politics at the University of Liverpool, UK.

Reviews

[Bradley Endsor · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book that tries to look at Callahan and put him in the context. Yet as Labour last ‘old-conservative Labour’ priminister today’s leadership could learn a lot from that tradition.