In the seventies the British political system was in deep and growing crisis. The leading political parties appeared unable to offer effective solutions to the major problems which confronted the electorate and the electorate was consequently increasingly alienated from politicians who promised so much and delivered so little. The gap between promise and performance had been a persistent feature of Labour Party politics in particular and with the revival of radicalism within the Labour Party during the 1970s it was the opportune time to re-examine the record of the party and its potential. David Coates offers an important analysis of the Labour Party during this time and its history. He examines the roots of the Party and its development up to 1945 and analyses the performance of the 1945–51 Attlee Governments in depth. He traces developments within the Party in the 1950s and offers one of the first detailed accounts of the performance in office between 1964 and 1970.