Breaking the law at the House of Lords
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Over a hundred people, including Professor Ian Gordon, Dr Rohan McWilliam and an enthusiastic party of Anglia Ruskin University History students packed into Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords in February to participate in a panel discussion on the politics and life of the Labour leader George Lansbury (1859-1940). Speakers included leading historian, Professor Kenneth O Morgan, Roy Hattersley, former Deputy Leader of Labour Party, Alun Michael MP and Professor John Shepherd (Labour History Research Unit). Some fierce debate ensued, particularly over the Lansbury's pacifism in the 1930s and his leadership in 1921 of the thirty Poplar councillors, who willingly went to prison for deliberately breaking the law in defence of their impoverished local East London community.
This special occasion was one of four events organised in London as a collaborative historical venture between the George Lansbury Anniversary Committee (GLAC) and the Labour History Research Unit (LHRU) to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Christian socialist and pacifist. As his biographer, Professor John Shepherd represented the LHRU on the GLAC, which comprised members of the Lansbury family and representatives of the many causes George Lansbury campaigned for in British democratic politics. The project attracted generous sponsorship from the Co-operative Movement, trade unions and many individuals.
Professor Shepherd commented:
"George Lansbury was a remarkable and highly popular politician. A party rebel, Christian socialist editor of the Daily Herald and an unstinting ally of the suffragettes, he suffered imprisonment twice for his political beliefs. At 73 he took over the helm of the Labour party leader and nearing 80 he undertook an international peace campaign in attempt to prevent the drift to prevent the Second World War. Lansbury was one of the few politicians to always draw large crowds at his public meetings. The four events this year in his memory were no exception with over 100 people at each occasion. 140 went on the guided History walk around his East End constituency, St Mary's Church in Bow was crowded for his memorial service and the panel discussion in Parliament was followed a similar event with 155 present at Bromley Public Hall to hear the veteran politician, Tony Benn. This high level of support, which included Lansbury's grandchildren, film producers Edgar and Bruce and their wives Louise and Gail, who travelled from the United States, was really pleasing. Grand daughter Angela Lansbury, starring in the Broadway production of Blythe Spirit was a GLAC patron and sent her best wishes. Altogether it was a marvellous week, the impetus of which will be continued by the George Lansbury Memorial Fund."
This special occasion was one of four events organised in London as a collaborative historical venture between the George Lansbury Anniversary Committee (GLAC) and the Labour History Research Unit (LHRU) to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Christian socialist and pacifist. As his biographer, Professor John Shepherd represented the LHRU on the GLAC, which comprised members of the Lansbury family and representatives of the many causes George Lansbury campaigned for in British democratic politics. The project attracted generous sponsorship from the Co-operative Movement, trade unions and many individuals.
Professor Shepherd commented:
"George Lansbury was a remarkable and highly popular politician. A party rebel, Christian socialist editor of the Daily Herald and an unstinting ally of the suffragettes, he suffered imprisonment twice for his political beliefs. At 73 he took over the helm of the Labour party leader and nearing 80 he undertook an international peace campaign in attempt to prevent the drift to prevent the Second World War. Lansbury was one of the few politicians to always draw large crowds at his public meetings. The four events this year in his memory were no exception with over 100 people at each occasion. 140 went on the guided History walk around his East End constituency, St Mary's Church in Bow was crowded for his memorial service and the panel discussion in Parliament was followed a similar event with 155 present at Bromley Public Hall to hear the veteran politician, Tony Benn. This high level of support, which included Lansbury's grandchildren, film producers Edgar and Bruce and their wives Louise and Gail, who travelled from the United States, was really pleasing. Grand daughter Angela Lansbury, starring in the Broadway production of Blythe Spirit was a GLAC patron and sent her best wishes. Altogether it was a marvellous week, the impetus of which will be continued by the George Lansbury Memorial Fund."
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