In the aftermath of World War I and the Russian Revolution of 1917, the nature, aims and trajectories of the Labour parties of Europe were fundamentally altered and transformed. In this compelling and thoughtful analysis of the Labour parties of Britain and Norway, David Redvaldsen offers an insight into the successes and failures of these two parties as they faced the challenges of the economic and political situation of the interwar era and their relentless pursuit of power and influence.

Redvaldsen's comparative approach is twofold: firstly he compares the contexts of each party in the years after World War I, through the turbulent era of the Great Depression, and in the lead .up to World War II. As in other countries the early 1930's was a key period for political struggle, as the dire economic situation loomed large over the left-wing parties of Europe. Secondly, he explores and contrasts the internal politics and resources of the Labour parties, the nature of central control, their attempts to promulgate their message, their press networks, the strength of their supportive labour movements, and the funding they had ù or crucially, lacked.

The Labour Party in Britain and Norway offers an in-depth analysis of the fate of each party as they approached the crucial general elections of the 1920's and 1930's, and the way in which they responded to the realities of power under the leaderships of Ramsay MacDonald and Clement Attlee in Britain, and Christopher Homsrud and Johan Nygaardsvold in Norway. It asks what made each party successful, and by proposing that the Labour Party of Norway was the more successful of the two, draws important conclusions that have resonance for the study of socialist and political parties in general. Here, Redvaldsen offers a unique insight into the rise and expansion of the Labour parties of Britain and Norway, something which will have utmost relevance not only to students and researchers of left-wing politics but also to those interested in the nature of the pursuit of power itself in the crucial interwar period. --Book Jacket.