What part has organized labour played in the history of modern Britain? To what extent has British society been shaped by working class organization in industry and labour in politics? A major reinterpretation of the relationship between the history of the working class and the history of British society from 1780 to 1980, Labour in British Society (originally published in 1986) traces two recurrent themes--how the pattern of social relations in industry has developed since the Industrial Revolution, and how these patterns have been affiliated to national political and economic developments. This book is a must read for students and researchers of history.