Labour activism and the political self in inter-war working-class women’s politics

This article explores working-class women’s experiences of political activism in the Labour Party in the 1930s. The article focuses upon the relationships formed with leaders, the bonds with fellow women, and the emotional fulfilment politics could bring, rather than considering the policies and campaigns which drew women into the party. It suggests how working-class women performed a political self which was shaped by but distinctive from a domestic self. Official political party materials from across Britain are drawn upon to uncover how working-class women in the years after equal franchise was won carved out a political space and the meanings of activism. Party members’ private and public portrayals of women’s activism are considered. Although the focus is upon working-class women’s political experiences, the conclusions drawn here have implications for how the creation of a political self can be considered in studies of other political parties and voluntary organizations