Contemporary History
This collection of articles highlights the ongoing research of the Contemporary History section, drawing upon interviews from our Oral History Project to explore various events, themes and issues in British political history since the Second World War.
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‘We approached each other slowly like medieval knights with lances’: Hamilton versus Bell, Tatton, 1997
One of the highlights of the 1997 general election was the contest in Tatton. The Conservative Neil Hamilton, then under…
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Section 28: Memories from the Oral History Archive
Section 28 of the Local Government Act, 1988, was one of the most controversial pieces of legislation in Britain at…
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Special Episode live from the Houses of Parliament
Live Episode: Tales from the Green Benches: An Oral History of Parliament On 4 June 2025 the History of Parliament…
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The Political is Personal
Episode 6: Tales from the Green Benches: An Oral History of Parliament One point that all of our oral history…
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Historically Underrepresented MPs
Episode 5: Tales from the Green Benches: An Oral History of Parliament During much of the twentieth century, the stereotypical…
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The Role of Whips and Party Splits
Episode 4: Tales from the Green Benches: An Oral History of Parliament Westminster is a place built on relationships, both…
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Finding a Seat
Episode 3: Tales from the Green Benches: An Oral History of Parliament For many MPs the hardest part of a…
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Joining the Party
Episode 2: Tales from the Green Benches: An Oral History of Parliament Many of us have an interest in politics…
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‘You could drink to your heart’s content’: Drinking in Parliament, a hangover from the 1970s?
In a recent interview, the newly elected MP for Gorton and Denton, Hannah Spencer, has criticised fellow-MPs drinking whilst in…
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Welcome to the House
Episode 1: Tales from the Green Benches: An Oral History of Parliament What was it like to arrive in Parliament…
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Christchurch 1993: By-election Campaigning in the Glare of the Media
On Thursday the voters of Gorton and Denton will elect their new MP after weeks of media speculation. This by-election had…
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Crossing the Floor: Tales from the Oral History Project
Following some recent, high-profile, political defections, Alfie Steer and Dr Emma Peplow have delved into the History of Parliament’s Oral…