BBC Radio 4 LW

When to Break Up the Party

Factual: Politics

BBC Radio 4 - When to Break Up the Party

Steven Fielding draws on past party splits to assess what's happening in our politics now.

Historian Steven Fielding draws on the five big splits in the British political parties in the last 180 years to make sense of what's happening in our politics right now.

When do parties split and why? – and what happens next? 
 
As the consequences of the creation of the Independent Group of breakaway MPs play out, Brexit continues to put extraordinary pressure on the cohesion of Labour and Conservative Parties alike.  
 
Professor Steven Fielding draws on the few examples from our history of party splits to dissect what forces cause them, and why some are bigger and longer-lasting than others.  He assesses the significance or otherwise of what’s happening now against the background not just of the birth of the SDP in 1981, but all the big splits since 1846.

With: Laura Beers, David Davis, Angus Hawkins, Clive Lewis, Martin Pugh, Chuka Umunna

Producer: Phil Tinline

BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced BBC Home Service.

Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

When to Break Up the Party

Genres

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4