Throughout the past week, frequent reference has been made to the Profumo affair, the benchmark for scandal and outrage in post-war British politics. But what was it? How did it unfold? And does it really deserve its infamous status? In this episode, Lee and Richard look back to the misjudgements of the Secretary of State for War John Profumo in 1961 and how it imploded in 1963 - ruining his career, the lives of many others, and arguably even bringing down the government.

In this episode, the following books are mentioned:

'What Comes Naturally: Miscegenation Law and the Making of Race in America' by Peggy Pascoe. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780199772353

'The Gathering Storm' by Winston Churchill. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780141441726

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac

Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

***

Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - literally since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this mid-week episode, Lee and Richard debate how Labour MPs can trigger a challenge (and maybe even bring about the downfall) of Sir Keir Starmer as Labour Party leader. After disagreeing, they invite rebellious Labour MPs to settle the matter once and for all. They then discuss the Prime Minister's travels, with both defending him from the attack that he is 'Never Here Keir' before exploring what his travel itinerary says about the government and its priorities for Britain in the world.

Joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon offers ad-free listening and bonus episodes, among other perks, and is also a great way to support the production of the podcast. Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/cw/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac

***

Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - literally since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, Lee & Richard look a little further back than usual to discuss the very first Labour government. Ramsay MacDonald 'kissed hands' upon his appointment as Prime Minister after Stanley Baldwin gambled his premiership on a snap election and lost the Conservatives' majority. But even so, Labour didn't have a majority of their own - and weren't even the largest party. So how did MacDonald become Prime Minister? What did his government achieve? How long did it last? And does this government have a legacy worth celebrating?

In this episode, the following books are mentioned:

'Waiting for the Wave: The Reform Party and the Conservative Movement' by Tom Flanagan

'Britain’s First Labour Government' by John Shepherd & Keith Laybourn

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac

Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

***

Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - literally since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.