The next Labour History Group event is:
The Road to Limehouse: The SDP Breakaway

In advance of the 25th anniversary of the Limehouse Declaration, the next Labour History Group meeting will focus on the events that led to the formation of the SDP. With a distinguished panel of David Owen, George Robertson and Polly Toynbee the evening will provide historical perspectives both from those who stayed within the Labour Party, and those who broke away from it.

7pm, Wednesday 18th January 2006
House of Commons Committee Room 10

Speakers:

• Rt. Hon. the Lord Owen – Former Labour Foreign Secretary and Leader of the SDP
• Rt. Hon. the Lord Robertson of Port Ellen – Former Labour Defence Secretary and Secretary-General of NATO
• Polly Toynbee – Guardian columnist and author of ‘Better or Worse? Has Labour Delivered?’

Past events Labour History Group events have included:

"1955 - Aneurin Bevan: The Man and his Legacy".
Speakers:

• Rt Hon Michael Foot - Former leader of the Labour Party, and friend and biographer of Aneurin Bevan
• Geoffrey Goodman - Former industrial editor of the Daily Mirror, and friend of Aneurin Bevan
• Professor Brian Brivati - Professor of Contemporary History, Kingston University, and editor of the abridged version of Michael Foot's biography of Aneurin Bevan

Labour's second term - lessons from history (July 2002)
Speakers included:

• Dianne Hayter (Fabian Society General Secretary 1976-82)
• Professor the Lord (Kenneth O) Morgan (historian and biographer of James Callaghan and biographer of James Callaghan).
• Tom Sawyer (Labour Party General Secretary 1996-98)

Labour and the Media (May 14, 2003)
Speakers included:

• Tim Allan (Deputy Press Secretary to Tony Blair 1997-98)
• David Hill (Labour Party Director/Chief Media Spokesman 1991-98 & former advisor to Roy Hattersley)
• Joe Haines (Press Secretary to Harold Wilson 1969-76)

• Michael Crick (broadcaster and author of Militant)
• Baroness (Joyce) Gould (former Labour Party National Agent)
• Peter Kilfoyle (MP for Liverpool Walton and former Labour Party NW Regional Organiser)
• Charlie Turnock (NUR Assistant General secretary, Labour NEC member and chair of the inquiry into Militant in Liverpool)

In Place of Strife Labour History Debate (November 2003)
Speakers included:

• Richard Rosser
• Geoffrey Goodman
• Anne Perkins

Hugh Gaitskell - Labour's lost leader?(December 2003)
Speakers included:

• Lord (Bernard) Donoughue) - Head of the Prime Minister's Policy Unit 1974-79
• Rt. Hon Dr Dickson Mabon - first Labour MP to pledge his support for Gaitskell during the 1955 leadership election; subsequently a minister 1964-70 and 1976-79.
• Rt. Hon Lord (Bill) Rodgers - organiser of Gaitskellite 'Campaign for Democratic Socialism' during early 1960s, Labour Cabinet Minister 1976-79 and SDP founder.

Thirty Years since the Blackouts: the February 1974 election remembered (March 2004)
Speakers included:

• Robin Cook - former Cabinet Mnister, first elected to Parliament, February 1974
• Michael White - Political Editor, The Guardian
• Robert Worcester - founder of MORI and polling adviser to Labour leadership during 1974 general elections.

• The Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (Labour Party Deputy Leader 1992-94)
• Pat McFadden, Director of Political Operations, 10 Downing Street, and Former Adviser to John Smith
• Mark Stuart, Biographer of John Smith

Memories of Jim Callaghan (July 2005)

Speakers included:

• Lord Morgan, Historian and biographer of Jim Callaghan
• Michael Cockerell, Documentary film maker
• Lord Graham of Edmonton, Former Opposition Chief Whip, 1990-97 and Government Whip 1976-79