A History of the Scottish Labour Party by Dr David Torrance, Edinburgh University Press, 2024. 320pp.

The Scottish Labour Party – or rather the Labour Party in Scotland – was the dominant political party in Scotland from the 1950s until the early twenty-first century. It won the largest share of the vote at every UK general election between 1964 and 2010. While its electoral fortunes declined with the rise of the Scottish National Party during the 2000s, the Party has remained a significant force in Scottish politics.

Now published by Edinburgh University Press, Dr David Torrance’s A History of the Scottish Labour Party is the first single-volume history of the Labour Party in Scotland in more than thirty-five years. Dr Torrance was the recipient of a Society for the Study of Labour History research bursary in 2024, and his new book draws on Scottish Labour Party archives held at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow to assess one of the most significant political movements and parties in Scottish history.

The book provides an overview of the early decades of Scottish Labour politics, studying the party’s origins in late nineteenth-century working class politics and trade unionism. It traces the party’s organisation, ideology, personnel and electoral performance over the past century. The book also analyses the party’s often surprisingly limited membership, its links with trade unions and the role of women’s organisations.

Available in hardback, paperback and ebook formats, A History of the Scottish Labour Party can be ordered direct from Edinburgh University Press at a 30% discount on the full price. Cite discount code NEW30 at checkout. 

Order from Edinburgh University Press. 

Read about Dr Torrance’s SSLH-assisted research trips. 

Discover the SSLH bursary programme.