Today marks the 80th anniversary of the start of the Jarrow Crusade, led by Ellen Wilkinson.
From a humble background, Ellen Wilkinson ascended to the rank of minister in the 1945 Labour government. Yet she was much more than a conventional Labour politician. She wrote journalism, political theory and novels. She was both a socialist and a feminist; at times, she described herself as a revolutionary. She experienced Soviet Russia, the Indian civil disobedience campaign, the Spanish Civil War and the Third Reich. This study deploys transnational and social movement theory perspectives to grapple with the complex itinerary of her ideas.
Speaking at an anniversary event for the Jarrow Crusade on Saturday, Jeremy Corbyn said: ‘The most famous MP this town had was of course Ellen Wilkinson and the work that Ellen Wilkinson did as an MP and the work she did before is something that should be studied and I’ve just been reading Red Ellen Wilkinson by Matt Perry of Newcastle. It is an amazing book, an amazing story of her life, and the development of her life and her thought process.’
To celebrate Ellen Wilkinson and the anniversary of the Jarrow Crusade, we are offering 50% off ‘Red Ellen’ Wilkinson: Her ideas, movements and world by Matt Perry. Simply enter RED50* at the checkout.