Patrick Dollan (1885-1963) and the labour movement in Glasgow

Carrigan, Daniel (2014) Patrick Dollan (1885-1963) and the labour movement in Glasgow. MPhil(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis examines the life and politics of Patrick Dollan a prominent Independent Labour Party (ILP) member and leader in Glasgow. It questions the perception of Dollan as an intolerant, Irish-Catholic 'machine politician' who ruled the 'corrupt' City Labour movement with an 'iron fist', dampened working-class aspirations for socialism, sowed the seeds of disillusionment and stood in opposition to the charismatic left-wing MPs such as James Maxton who were striving to introduce policies that would eradicate unemployment and poverty. Research is also conducted into Dollan's connections with the Irish community and the Catholic church and his attitude towards Communism and communists to see if these issues explain his supposed ideological opposition to left-wing movements.
The thesis will test these perceptions by examining Dollan's role within Glasgow Corporation, the Glasgow and Scottish Federations of the ILP and the public and voluntary organisations that Dollan was involved in. Full use is made of contemporary and socialist newspapers, Glasgow Corporation Minutes, ILP conference reports and minute books, public records and archives. The objective is to look at the growth and development of the Labour movement in Glasgow and establish whether Dollan was indeed a fetter on the 'forward march of Labour' or deserves recognition as someone who made a positive contribution to the labour movement by enhancing the lives of the Scottish working class.

• Item Type: Thesis (MPhil(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Subjects: D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain; H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts > School of Humanities > History
• Supervisor's Name: Macdonald, Dr. C.M.M. and Phillips, Dr. Jim
• Date of Award: 2014
• Depositing User: Ms Dawn Pike
• Unique ID: glathesis:2014-5640
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 04 Nov 2014 13:45
• Last Modified: 04 Nov 2014 13:51
• URI: http://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/5640