Keir Hardie and the 21st Century Socialist Revival

Book excerpt: 'To remember Hardie is not to look wistfully backwards but to remind ourselves of the absolute necessity of unflinching principles, vision and determination in looking forward to the future we want to build.' Richard Leonard. James Keir Hardie founded and was the first leader of the Labour Party. In this book, Pauline Bryan brings together a varied group of commentators to discuss his legacy, including MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Richard Burgon; Richard Leonard MSP; Ann Henderson, the Rector of the University of Edinburgh; and Sharon Graham, Executive Officer of Unite. In their fascinating and varied essays, each contributor shows the importance of using Hardie's legacy as a foundation for the future. Discussing his support for women's suffrage and his fight to tackle unemployment, as well as his stance on issues of Home Rule and the British Empire, here they show how intrinsic his beliefs are to Labour Party policies to this day.