Keir Hardie and the 21st Century Socialist Revival by Pauline Bryan

Keir Hardie and the 21st Century Socialist Revival by Pauline Bryan

In this collection of essays, each of the authors draw inspiration from the words of Keir Hardie, exploring the context of his writing and the lasting legacy of his work, demonstrating the continuing relevance to the present day. The writers are from different backgrounds and countries but come together because they recognise that Keir Hardie has so much to contribute in their areas of interest and that his writings and speeches are a source of inspiration today.

Pauline Christina Bryan, Baroness Bryan of Partick, is a Scottish writer and socialist campaigner. She was nominated for a life peerage by the Leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, in May 2018. Bryan is part of the Red Paper Collective, a group of Labour activists who aim to provide an alternative from the perspective of the Labour movement to the ‘sterile nationalist vs. unionist debate’ around the Scottish independence referendums. In a review of Neil Findlay’s book, Socialism & Hope: A Journey Through Turbulent Times, Bryan wrote that the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party ‘was a lifeline for the left. It rebuilt friendships and enthusiasm... By the 2017 election, we saw the beginnings of a renewed Scottish Labour Party and a renewed activist base who, regardless of what their MPs and MSPs thought, were committing themselves to a radical Labour Party’. Bryan is a founding member of the Keir Hardie Society, and was the editor of the 2015 book What Would Keir Hardie Say?. She is also a founding member of the Campaign for Socialism.