Keeping Left. Labour's First Five Years and The Problems Ahead

48 pages. The booklet was a direct sequel to the highly influential 1947 Keep Left pamphlet. While the 1947 manifesto focused heavily on foreign policy—criticising Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin’s pro-American stance and advocating for a European "Third Force"—the 1950 Keeping Left booklet turned its focus to domestic socialist planning after reflecting on five years of Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government.The authors included prominent figures of the Labour Left such as Richard Crossman, Ian Mikardo, Barbara Castle, and Richard Acland. Many within this "Keep Left Group" would eventually form the core of the "Bevanite" faction later in the decade.Core Themes and ProposalsThe booklet laid out a 30-point action programme divided into distinct areas of governance:Domestic Policy & Nationalisation: The authors advocated for a massive push toward deeper public ownership. They explicitly called for the nationalisation of major industries including steel, insurance, road haulage, cement, sugar, and cotton.Democratic Socialism: It argued for a "more vital democracy," drawing concepts from the 1943 Common Wealth Party manifesto to push the mixed economy further toward state control and worker partnership.Foreign Policy: It featured 10 points outlining a world "Fair Deal," balancing international development with a socialist approach to defense and foreign relations (SL#125/14). …