This book explores the central paradox of British democracy - the fact that Conservative governments have held office for nearly 50 of the 70 years since manhood suffrage was introduced in 1918 - as well as the dilemmas and ambiguities of the 20th century British left. The book analyzes the reasons why the Labour Party of the 1920s failed to construct a Labour-dominated coalition which held power before World War I and examines the roles of individual socialist and social democratic politicians, from Ernest Bevin and Stafford Cripps to Anthony Crosland and David Owen. The author ends this work with a plea for a new progressive coalition, based on the values of community and citizenship.