Red Ellen: The Life of Ellen Wilkinson, Socialist, Feminist, Internationalist

569 Pages·2016·282.178 MB·English

by  Laura Beers

RED ELLEN

Red Ellen
THE LIFE OF ELLEN WILKINSON,
SOCIALIST, FEMINIST, INTERNATIONALIST
Laura Beers
Cambridge, Mas sa chu setts • London, E ngl and 2016
Copyright © 2016 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Printed in the United States of Amer i ca
First printing
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Beers, Laura, 1978– author.
Title: Red Ellen : the life of Ellen Wilkinson, socialist, feminist,
internationalist / Laura Beers.
Description: Cambridge, Mas sa chu setts : Harvard University Press,
2016. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifi ers: LCCN 2016012438 | ISBN 9780674971523 (alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Wilkinson, Ellen Cicely, 1891–1947. |
Stateswomen— Great Britain— Biography. | Statesmen— Great
Britain— Biography. | Feminism— Great Britain— History—20th
century. | Internationalists— Great Britain— Biography. |
Communist Party of Great Britain— History. | Labour Party
( Great Britain)— History.
Classifi cation: LCC DA566.9.W459 B44 2016 | DDC 328.41092—d c23
LC rec ord available at http:// lccn . loc . gov / 2016012438
For Gabriel, my angel

CONTENTS
Introduction 1
1 The Only Girl Who Talks in School Debates 7
2 Ellen’s Great War 37
3 On the Road to Radicalization 61
4 From Ireland to Rus sia 83
5 A Woman Candidate with Communistic Views 105
6 The Mighty Atom Bursts into Parliament 133
7 Nine Days That (Almost) Shook the World 165
8 No Longer Upsetting the Apple Cart 195
9 Out of Parliament 227
10 On the International Stage 247
11 A Fight for Humanity Itself 279
12 Pursuing Social Justice in Britain and Beyond 311
13 The Anti- Fascist Tribune 347
14 Ellen Is Now a Minister 383
15 Reforming Education 411
16 Death of a Good Comrade 449
Notes 457
Acknowledgements 509
Index 513
viii CONTENTS
RED ELLEN