"A complex question about the remnants of empire": The Labour Party and the Falklands War

Abstract

This chapter seeks to place the Labour Party’s responses to the Falklands War in the context of the party’s historic anti-imperialism and post-war foreign policy. The positions of the party leadership, backbench MPs, Constituency Labour Parties, and trade unions are considered, revealing the extent to which Labour’s handling of the Falklands issue was shaped by left/right divisions and factional alliances. The contrasting personalities of Foot and Benn underpin the chapter. Emphasizing the importance of media coverage in influencing popular attitudes towards the conflict, it also scrutinizes the Falklands campaign’s impact on Labour’s electoral fortunes. The chapter begins by outlining the nature of the British-Argentine dispute over the Falkland Islands.