Ben Howarth (LJMU) on anti-fascist mobilisation in 1930s Merseyside

My MA dissertation focuses on the ways in which anti-fascism manifested in 1930s Merseyside, a topic that has received little attention in existing scholarship. I am particularly interested in identifying the key individuals and organisations active in the region, and in exploring how class, religion, and ethnicity intersected in shaping local anti-fascist responses. I am also examining what made Merseyside a significant battleground for fascist … Continue reading Ben Howarth (LJMU) on anti-fascist mobilisation in 1930s Merseyside

Tracing the Labour Research Department’s struggle against fascism in the archives of the TUC Library

The Labour Research Department has been at the forefront of an information war against the far right for the past hundred years. Jeff Howarth tells the story of this century-long struggle through the LRD publications to be found in the TUC Library. Throughout the twentieth century and now into the twenty-first, the trade union movement has monitored the activities of far-right groups in an attempt … Continue reading Tracing the Labour Research Department’s struggle against fascism in the archives of the TUC Library

Thomas Ottley (Edge Hill) visits the Searchlight archive to research the ideology of the National Front

The bursary from the Society for the Study of Labour History allowed me to complete research for my dissertation project that I am undertaking at Edge Hill University. My dissertation assesses how the National Front sought to sell their ideology to difference audiences, with a particular focus on working-class votes. Specifically, it examines how the party used Spearhead (the National Front’s mouthpiece journal) to build … Continue reading Thomas Ottley (Edge Hill) visits the Searchlight archive to research the ideology of the National Front

Dan Horne (Northumbria) on the British Left’s response to fascism at home and in Europe

My dissertation examines the way in which the British Left contributed to the anti-fascist cause in 1930s Europe. I will observe how the British Left reacted to the rise of fascism within Germany, Austria and Italy, whilst also exploring their reaction towards Oswald Mosley and the BUF at home. This dissertation will attempt to draw attention to how key campaigners sought to gain wider support … Continue reading Dan Horne (Northumbria) on the British Left’s response to fascism at home and in Europe