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Historian Camilla Schofield explores a century-long thread of communism in Britain.

Like fascism, we often think of communism as alien – as an external threat – a threat to the British way of life. But what happens if we challenge that a little – and think about communism as a British story?

In the first programme we visit Maerdy in the Rhondda, one of the industrial towns known as Little Moscow between the wars. Maerdy illuminates an idea of communism rooted in local radical labour traditions and working class education.

Featuring:
Shirin Hirsch, historian at the People’s History Museum, Manchester
Kevin Morgan, Emeritus Professor at the University of Manchester
Dai Smith, Raymond Williams Research Chair in Cultural History at Swansea University
Elinor Taylor, Senior Lecturer at the University of Westminster and author of The Popular Front Novel in Britain

Including extracts from an interview with Will Picton, conducted on 18th May 1973, by Hywel Francis and Dai Smith. Courtesy of the South Wales Miners' Library, Swansea University.

For more information about Shapurji Saklatvala, please visit Shirin Hirsch’s blog:
https://phm.org.uk/blogposts/shapurji-saklatvala-an-anti-colonialist-in-the-heart-of-empire/

With thanks to Rhian Phillips at the South Wales Miners’ LIbrary; and Simon Sheppard and Darren Treadwell at the People’s History Museum. And to Joe Mulhall for the idea of the 'thread'.

Producer: Martin Williams