Keir HardiE: Bob Holman

Keir Hardie. By Bob Holman. Published by Lion Hudson Plc, 2010. RRP: £10.99.

 

Keir Hardie is one of those politicians whose impact ranks alongside people such as Wilberforce, Churchill and Blair. Despite this, Hardie is still regarded as something of an enigma by many historians and a cloud of obscurity and myth has masked his greatness.

 

Bob Holman’s most recent investigation is a valuable contribution to understanding one of Labour’s greatest heroes. Holman’s travels in Scotland and valuable research from the Baird Institute provide a real insight into the man as much as the politician.

 

Hardie’s personal poverty and position as a “working class hero” are well documented, but Holman’s account goes far beyond this. We find in Hardie a romantic who enjoyed dancing and singing, especially when he visited Scotland; the country of his birth. We also discover a man who possessed a great intellect, a love of learning and a dedication to study which lasted throughout his life.

 

One of Holman’s most valuable contributions is his effort to show the extent to which Christianity influenced Hardie’s politics. Both in the course of his life and post-humorously, Hardie has been shadowed by a false association with atheism. This biography successfully challenges the prevailing view and draws attention to Hardie’s personal faith, which he held from his conversion in1878 until his death in 1915.

 

In recognising the importance of God in Hardie’s life, this book also provides a just reflection on one of his greatest achievements; being able to reconcile the increasingly atheistic doctrine of socialism with the Christian tradition. This is an achievement for which the Christian Socialist Movement is particularly indebted.

 

Holman’s book may not have dispelled all the myths and obscurity surrounding Hardie and perhaps nobody ever will. Readers of this biography, however, will be able to get closer than ever before to a true understanding of a most remarkable politician.