Lewis Minkin’s Labours: The Developing Party–Trade Union Relationship

Abstract

In this article, I examine critically the themes raised by Lewis Minkin in his 2014 volume about Labour politics, The Blair Supremacy, within the context of his earlier work concerning the party’s relationship with its affiliated trade unions. I outline his argument concerning the development of party management, especially that regarding ‘a Blair coup’. I discuss the role of norms in political explanation, the importance of formal rules in understanding Labour politics, the significance of wider changes to the party’s character, how best to conceptualise the nature of Tony Blair’s leadership, and, finally, the historical development of the party’s trajectory. I conclude with an overall assessment of Minkin’s corpus and some pointers as to an alternative conceptualisation of Labour’s relationship with its affiliated unions.