Order and Rebellion - by Emmanuelle Avril & Eric Shaw

About the Book

This book, written by two authors with longstanding familiarity with the party, provides an in-depth and nuanced analysis of the different managerial strategies pursued by three Labour leaders, Ed Miliband, Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer, in the tumultuous years of opposition from 2010 to 2024.

Book Synopsis

This book provides the first nuanced and systematic study of Labour's internal politics in the years in opposition, between 2010 and 2024, under the leaderships of Ed Miliband, Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer. Written by two authors equipped with an intimate knowledge of the party, it offers an authoritative exploration of the politics of party management in one of the most strife-ridden and turbulent periods of the party's history, the Corbyn leadership, and furnishes a timely analysis of the character, purposes and underpinnings of the Starmer managerial regime. In so doing, it shines new light on often ill-understood controversies over antisemitism, the Israel/Palestine issue, and Brexitwhile reflecting on the tension between centralisation and pluralism is a party which continues to define itself as a democratic, membership organisation.

From the Back Cover

The Labour Party, throughout its history, has been riddled with disagreements over policy, ideology and strategy. In response, successive leaders have had to balance two dilemmas: internal party democracy and unity, and the right to dissent, with the preservation of effective party governance. How it has done so has been the province of party management, one of the most vital functions performed by leaders. From 2010 to 2024, under Ed Miliband, Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer, it wrestled with these dilemmas at peak intensity. This book explores the managerial strategies adopted by the three leaders, the challenges they faced and their use of the resources at their command. It examines in detail the two major crises of the strife-torn years of the Corbyn leadership, Brexit and antisemitism, and concludes with a detailed dissection of the tough new managerial regime installed by Starmer.

Written by two experts who have published extensively on the Labour Party, the book draws upon an ambitious programme of interviews, participant observation and rigorous analysis of documentary evidence. It provides an in-depth account of what took place within the party during this period, including how leaders coped with deep divisions over core values, strategy, power structure and, indeed, the very purposes of the party.

Designed to appeal to a general audience, the book provides invaluable insights into Labour's stormy internal politics in these years and the leadership's efforts to manage multiple crises. It is essential reading for all those interested in the party and its recent history.

Review Quotes

What really happened inside Labour during the years of the Jeremy Corbyn leadership? How did Keir Starmer transform the party so quickly and dramatically after election defeat in 2019? Why have Labour politics proved to be so volatile and unpredictable over the last decade and a half? These issues are at the heart of Order and Rebellion, a comprehensive, well-informed, and original analysis of the party's politics in recent years. Emmanuelle Avril and Eric Shaw, two leading scholars of British politics, have come together to offer a meticulously researched, robustly argued, highly readable, and fascinating account. There is nothing like it in print: all those wishing to understand the febrile nature of British politics post-Brexit must read it. This volume is destined to become the standard work on the organisation of Labour politics after the financial crash.
Mark Wickham-Jones

About the Author

Emmanuelle Avril is Professor of British Politics and Society at the Sorbonne Nouvelle
Eric Shaw is Hon. Research Fellow at the University of Stirling