John Foster, socialist historian & Communist at 80
John Foster the socialist historian and Communist was 80 during the week.
He was honoured in the Scottish Parliament which might tell you that things do go on a little differently north of the English border. I don’t think Boris Johnson has sent him a birthday card.
An appreciation of Foster’s life and work (which continues btw) is in the Morning Star
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/f/leading-by-example
His activity as a socialist historian first came to wider attention with the publication of Class Struggle and the Industrial Revolution. A ground breaking study which looked at the development of Chartism in Oldham and compared it with other locations.
He has been a member of the Communist Party, first the CPGB and now the CPB for over 50 years.
Suffice to say that I don’t agree with the conclusions he reaches in ‘Class Struggle’ and his wider perspectives on the development of the Victorian labour movement and the labour aristocracy. He has repeated them quite recently but I still don’t agree 45 years on.
Neither do I agree with his politics although we have much in common in respect of an understanding of the significance of Marxism, the importance of class analysis and the role of political organisation.
These are however matters for fraternal and sometimes sharp debate and in no way takes away from recognising the stature and importance of Foster’s work.
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