Appearing at a critical juncture in the history of the Labour Party, Martin Pugh provides an original and challenging interpretation of Labour's evolution from its sectional trade union origins to its present status as a national governing party.

Keir Hardie was born just outside Glasgow in 1856. He was the sole earner in his family by the age of ten. He never went to school but was self-taught reading books lent to him by a clergyman. He was a founder and the first parliamentary leader of the Labour Party. This book explores the part Christianity played in his life.