Modernising colonialism

The British Labour movement and Africa

Bibliographic Data

ID11944296
AuthorsPaul Kelemen (0000-0003-4094-2214, corresponding author)
Year2006
Volume34
Issue2
Pages223-244
Publication date2006-05-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of Imperial & Commonwealth History (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0308-6534 • E-ISSN: 1743-9329
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03086530600633439
OpenAlexW2028858077
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited31

The article evaluates the widely held view that the Attlee governments lacked a distinctive approach to colonial affairs by examining the Labour movement's post-war, institution building activities in Kenya. In Labour's colonial policy deliberations, Kenya was the focus of particular attention and is used as a case study to shed light on the Labour leadership's wider imperial concerns and objectives. From the 1920s, the Labour party advocated that the colonies be encouraged to develop trade unions, co-operatives and local government. Some tentative moves in this direction were made in 1930 by Ramsay MacDonald's administration but it was not until Labour came to power in 1945 that, in response to international pressure and the nationalist challenge, significant steps were taken to promote institutions which would organise the African masses. The argument advanced is that Labour leaders drew on their movement's historical traditions to encourage forms of African economic and political activism which were likely to stabilise colonial rule

Administration (probate law · Argument (complex analysis · Colonial rule · Colonialism · Government (linguistics · Indirect rule · Institution · Nationalism · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Sociology · Australian History and Society · Colonial History and Postcolonial Studies · Law · World Wars: History, Literature, and Impact

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