Socialist republic is a timely account of 1980s left-wing politics in South Yorkshire. It explores how Sheffield City Council set out to renew the British Left. Through careful analysis of the Council's agenda and how it interacted with trade unions, women's groups, lesbian and gay rights groups and acted on issues such as peace, environmentalism, anti-apartheid and anti-racism, the book draws out the complexities involved in building a broad-based politics which aimed unite class and identity politics. Running counter to 1980s narratives dominated by Thatcherism, the book examines the persistence of social democracy locally, demonstrating how grassroots local histories can enrich our understanding of political developments on a national and international level. The book is essential reading for students, scholars, and activists with an interest in left-wing politics and history.

Reviews

'If the strongest suit of the book is its lively and detailed narrative of this "complex, inchoate, rich and diverse" politics (15), Payling's book also addresses itself in interesting ways to recent historical scholarship that challenges decadal narratives defined by the ascendancy of Thatcherism and neo-liberalism... There is much, in short, to recommend the book to readers from a wide range of disciplinary fields.'
Journal of British Studies

Introduction: radical Sheffield
1 Building from the bottom: Sheffield City Council and the new urban left
2 The labour movement: marching forward
3 Political women: class, feminism and the labour movement
4 Sexuality, 'race' and the women's movement
5 Singing from the songbook: new social movements and single-issue politics
6 Lesbian and gay politics
Conclusion

Bibliography
Index