The story of a municipal socialist

by John Kotz

£9.95 (+£2 p&p) 132 pp illustrated
ISBN 978-1-907464-06-5

Foreword by Rodney Bickerstaffe

The post-war Labour government was the defining event in the life of John Kotz. Leaving school as Labour took office he lived the positive changes that it wrought in the lives of working people. His early recollections contrast an East End childhood, defined by the delights and despairs of the family and working life of the Jewish working class, with wartime evacuation to the English countryside – for which he retains a deep affection.

He remains rooted in real life and in the practical politics of working-class life. His recollections throw a human cast over the post-war history of the British Labour movement and highlight the complex interplay of pragmatism and principle that challenges a left-wing socialist who accepts municipal office.