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Squatting in Britain 1945-1955 Don Watson

Squatting in Britain 1945-1955 By Don Watson

Squatting in Britain 1945-1955 by Don Watson


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Summary

Britain in 1946 witnessed extraordinary episodes of direct action. Tens of thousands of families walked into empty army camps and took them over as places to live. A nationwide squatters' movement was born and it was the first challenge to the 1945 Labour government to come 'from below'.

Squatting in Britain 1945-1955 Summary

Squatting in Britain 1945-1955: Housing, Politics and Direct Action by Don Watson

Britain in 1946 witnessed extraordinary episodes of direct action. Tens of thousands of families walked into empty army camps and took them over as places to live. A nationwide squatters' movement was born and it was the first challenge to the 1945 Labour government to come 'from below'. The book examines how these squatters built communities and campaigned for improvements; how local and national government reacted; the spread of squatting to empty mansions and hotels, and the roles of political activists. Further, it discusses what these events reveal about the attitude of the 1945 government to popular initiatives.This book describes how those most affected by inadequate housing conditions and shortages responded to them and how their actions helped to shape policies and events. It examines and records something summed up in the recollection of one of the organisers of the London hotel squats of 1946: ...The thing I'll never forget is that if I'd ever had doubts about the problems of working people taking on and managing their own affairs, I lost them forever during this squatting thing. Because without any hassle, fuss, argument, they found what they could do, and collectively decided that it should be done, and then went off and did it.

Squatting in Britain 1945-1955 Reviews

...The definitive account of these events and, very usefully, the aftermath. The judgements are carefully made and convincingly argued. (Emeritus Professor James Hinton, University of Warwick)

About Don Watson

Don Watson is a retired research and development officer in local government in the North- East. He has B.A. and PhD degrees from Hull University and an M.A. from UCE in Birmingham. He has contributed to books and articles on labour history for over twenty years (including Labour History Review; Media, Culture and Society; Socialist History, North East History and Scottish Labour History). He is the author of No Justice Without a Struggle: and co-author of An Inspiring Example: The North East of England & the Spanish Civil War.

Table of Contents

: Introduction; Housing for the Working Class: Politics and Resources; War, Peace and Requisitioning: Housing and Politics during the Second World War; 'Refugees from overcrowding': The Squatting Movement Begins; 'We were solid as a brick wall': Responses and Organisation; The 'Luxury Squatters': Occupying Empty Mansions; 'Such Desperate Need for Accommodation': Conditions, Costs and Priorities; Squatters and the Housing Lists: The Politics of Allocation; Conclusion.

Additional information

NPB9780850367287
9780850367287
085036728X
Squatting in Britain 1945-1955: Housing, Politics and Direct Action by Don Watson
New
Paperback
The Merlin Press Ltd
2016-12-01
264
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
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Customer Reviews - Squatting in Britain 1945-1955