My Life

My Life - Oswald Mosleywaited up all night to hear the result; they were singing the Red Flag. They seized meand carried me around with an enthusiasm which deeply moved me. I decided toremain in Birmingham, and soon after the election turned down an invitation to standin a by-election for a safe Labour seat at Forest of Dean. A splendid team of youngmen joined me in Birmingham as candidates and we built our organisation with theaid of a new organiser from the Clyde, Allan Young. Four years later NevilleChamberlain had deserted Ladywood for the safety of a middle-class stronghold inoutlying Edgbaston, as the advance we had achieved in face of the wave ofConservative victory in the 1924 election made his position precarious. At theelection of 1929 we took half the city from the Conservatives, and the tradition ofsixty years was at an end. Labour had its chance.149 of 424