Social Democracy without Foundations? David Marquand and the Historiography of the ‘Keynesian Welfare State’

Abstract David Marquand was a historian. This article considers his historical writings of the 1970s to the 1990s and places them in dialogue with other historians who have written about similar themes. The article draws out connections and comparisons between Marquand's work and his peers/successors, but also assesses how far we might now want to modify Marquand's interpretation of twentieth century British political history. Particular attention is paid to his analysis of the Labour Party in Ramsay MacDonald and his critique of the practical and ethical frailties of British social democracy in The Unprincipled Society .