Studies in Welsh History (Hardcover): Labour's Crisis : Plaid Cymru, the Conservatives, and the Decline of the Labour Party in North-West Wales, 1960-74 (Hardcover)

While the rise and success of the Labour party in Wales during the twentieth century has received a significant amount of attention from historians, this is the first book to provide an in-depth analysis of its fragility and decline during the post-war period. Focussing on the understudied political terrain of north-west Wales the book explores the social, cultural and economic factors that undermined Labour's popularity and led to its defeat at the hands of both Plaid Cymru and the Conservative party. The book also challenges some popular myths in Welsh political history, notably the reasons for the 'rise of nationalism' in the 1960s and 1970s, and the limitations of the Conservative party's reputation as the 'English party in Wales'. Andrew Edwards is lecturer in modern Welsh and British history at Bangor University.