Our History

… A short history and some highlights from the past 60 years, compiled in 2013 by former CSM Director Dr Andrew Bradstock and in 2020 by volunteer Matthew Judson who interned for us back in 2016-2017.

The Christian Socialist Movement as we know it today dates from a meeting held in Kingsway Hall, London, in January 1960, though in broad terms ‘Christian socialism’ can be said to have originated in the middle of the nineteenth century. However, its true history goes into the past well beyond that time.

The principles that would go on to underpin ‘Christian socialism’ have their foundations in the Bible. The Old Testament contains laws such as the Year of Jubilee, and many writings from the prophets emphasising the importance of social justice as part of what it meant to be the people of God (see, for example, Isaiah 61 or Amos 5). In the New Testament, Jesus proclaimed good news to the poor (Luke 4:18), taught about the importance of loving our neighbours alongside loving God (Mark 12:30-31), and told his followers that feeding the hungry, caring for the sick and visiting the prisoner were acts of service to him (Matthew 25:34-40). The early church shared possessions as a community, and the letters of Paul and James tell believers to take special care of the vulnerable and the oppressed. Applying these principles and taking up this calling means we cannot avoid interacting with our society’s power structures and economic systems.

Moving forward through the centuries, we can trace long traditions in the UK both of Christian social action and of Christian-inspired political radicalism. The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was largely inspired by the preaching of John Ball, a radical priest who taught that all humans should be treated equally. In the 1640s, the Levellers took strong inspiration from the Bible in drawing up their manifesto of equality and popular sovereignty. The Tolpuddle Martyrs of 1833 were led by George Loveless, a Methodist lay preacher and early trade unionist. Throughout the centuries, churches and Christian organisations were among the most active in providing services such as education and healthcare to working people.

In 1848, the first Christian socialist movement began. The Chartist gathering on 10 April of that year brought together the three most influential figures. Frederick Denison Maurice, an Anglican priest, was the theological leader of the movement; Charles Kingsley, also an Anglican priest, was a firebrand preacher whose sermons and writings publicised the movement’s ideas; John Ludlow, a barrister, was arguably the driving force behind the movement’s political impact. None of these men were socialists in the sense of emphasising nationalisation of the economy, but they were passionate about promoting the principles of co-operation and solidarity, and actively committed to improving the lot of working people. Maurice believed that “Christianity is the only foundation of Socialism, and that a true Socialism is the necessary result of a sound Christianity”.

Although the first movement lasted only until 1854, it had a strong legacy. Intellectually, its publications Politics for the People and The Christian Socialist set the foundations for the Christian socialist tradition; politically, it was a driving force behind the legalisation of co-operatives through the Industrial and Provident Societies Partnership Act 1852; practically, its members started the Working Men’s College, still active in central London. Ultimately, the movement was always dominated by upper and upper middle-class intellectuals and, despite some successes, it failed to achieve mass engagement or involvement from the working people it aimed to assist.

The influence of Christian socialism waxed and waned in the subsequent decades. The various Christian socialist organisations included the Guild of St Matthew (1877-1914), led by Stewart Headlam; the Christian Social Union (1889-1919), led by Henry Scott Holland and Charles Gore; and the Church Socialist League (1906-1924), led by Conrad Noel. These were active in promoting links between Christianity and social reform, with varying degrees of emphasis on social action, intellectual development, and influence in the church and in politics.

By the end of the 1800s, the beginnings of the labour movement as a political force were taking root, and there were many Christian socialists involved. The most important individual was Keir Hardie, first elected to Parliament in 1892 and later the first leader of the Labour Party in Parliament. An adult convert to Christianity, and his faith inspired his political work of standing up for those without a voice: he himself wrote “the impetus which drove me first into the Labour movement, and the inspiration which has carried me on in it, has been derived more from the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth than from all other sources combined”.

The first decades of the 1900s were a time of growth for the Labour Party, eventually achieving electoral success in the 1920s. One of the more prominent Christian socialist voices in these decades was Richard Henry Tawney, an economic historian and social reformer, who wrote extensively against the selfish individualism of capitalism. Tawney’s ideas and work underpinned party policies at the exact time it was becoming a national political force, and his commitment to bringing social change through democratic methods helped cement democratic socialism as the dominant force on the British left. Tawney also revived Christian socialism as an organised movement, being the key figure behind the formation of the Socialist Christian League in 1931.

Labour spent the 1930s in opposition before joining the national government of the Second World War. Perhaps the most high-profile Christian socialist in the 1930s and 1940s was not a politician but a clergyman, William Temple, who was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1942 and served until his untimely death in 1944. A former Labour member who once wrote that “socialism is the economic realization of the Christian gospel”, he moderated his political views as he rose up the Anglican hierarchy, but his writings and activism helped lay the foundations for the welfare state and increase public support for a larger economic role for the state.

In 1945, Labour won a parliamentary majority for the first time, allowing democratic socialist ideas to become public policy. Although Clement Attlee was not religious himself, Christian socialism had a real influence on his government’s “New Jerusalem” programme. Attlee’s brother Tom was a Christian socialist, and Clement was familiar with the intellectual tradition his brother shared with him. William Beveridge, whose report formed the model of the welfare state Labour created, was Tawney’s brother-in-law and a close associate of Temple, drawing many of his ideas from the Christian socialist tradition.

The 1950s, although Labour was again out of power, saw a resurgence of organised Christian socialism. A group of Christian socialists met together regularly in the Lamb pub in Bloomsbury, and went on to publish the collection of essays “Papers From The Lamb” (dual meaning intended!), which became the foundation for a new Christian socialist movement. The most influential member of this group was the prominent preacher and former Methodist Conference President Rev Donald Soper. Others with a high profile included Labour MP Tom Driberg, Anglo-Catholic bishop Mervyn Stockwood and Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral John Collins.

The Christian Socialist Movement (CSM) came into being on 22 January 1960, with Tawney himself present at the Kingsway Hall meeting at which members of the Socialist Christian League and the Society of Socialist Clergy and Ministers agreed to merge. Soper became the first Chair and the first executive was drawn from leaders of the two supporting movements, among them Stanley Evans, John Groser, Mary Barber and Edward Charles. The new constitution committed CSM members to pray, give and work for Christian unity, international reconciliation, redistribution of wealth, a classless society, world peace with nuclear and general disarmament and “the common ownership and democratic control of the productive resources of the earth”. Affiliation to the Labour Party was discussed but rejected to allow CSM to operate independently and to push policy positions to the left of the Labour mainstream of the time.

In 1964, Labour’s general election victory installed CSM member Harold Wilson as prime minister, and one of his first moves was to hold a service for the new government in the Crypt Chapel in Parliament. In 1965, in spite of his long-standing opposition to an unelected second chamber, Donald Soper accepted the offer of a life peerage to sit in the House of Lords as Baron Soper of Kingsway. He remained CSM Chair for the next decade, during which time the movement continued to establish itself with membership stable at around 500.

In 1975, Lord Soper retired as Chair and took on the role of President. Rev Edward Charles was elected to replace him as Chair, and led CSM’s unsuccessful campaign against to British membership of the European Economic Community in that year’s referendum. In 1977, a working group led by John Collins set the goals of reaching 2,500 members and establishing more and stronger regional branches. With the Conservatives in government throughout the 1980s, CSM was distant from the levers of power, but an inward-looking period allowed progress toward the goals set to develop the movement. Membership increased and the annual Tawney lecture was revived and publicised.

In 1983, Greater London Council member Peter Dawe was elected Chair. Norwich councillor Harry Watson also took on a significant role. An important development came in 1988 when it became possible for socialist societies to affiliate to the Labour Party. With 17 Labour MPs as CSM members, links were already strong, and an overwhelming 86% of members voted in favour of formal affiliation. This gave CSM the opportunity to input into Party policy-making and an enhanced voice at the Labour Party Conference, with numerous high-profile MPs becoming members. These included shadow chancellor John Smith, whose election as leader in 1992 received enthusiastic support from CSM members.

In 1993, former priest Chris Bryant became Chair, and in 1994 the organisation was able to appoint David Cairns as its first full-time Co-ordinator/Director. The 1990s were a period of unprecedented growth for CSM’s profile and influence as the movement south to broaden its base and membership. A major publicity boost came in 1993, when John Smith gave the annual Tawney Lecture, drawing heavily on Tawney’s own ideas to set out a vision for Britain rooted in his own deeply-held Christian socialist convictions. Smith’s lecture became part of Reclaiming the Ground, a collection of essays from Christian socialist leaders in memory of Tawney. Among the contributors was shadow home secretary Tony Blair, whose piece argued for a Christian-based rethinking of Labour values as “a powerful compass for the direction of change in our country”. Blair himself became Labour leader after Smith’s untimely death in 1994, and set about changing the Party in his image. In 1995, CSM members voted to support Blair’s proposed changes to Clause 4 of the Labour Party Constitution, despite Lord Soper maintaining a passionate defence of common ownership. In 1997, Blair and Labour won a landslide election victory, giving CSM access to government.

At Blair’s request, that year’s Conference service included the Eucharist, and both Chris and David would go on to be selected as Labour candidates, with both winning seats in Parliament at the 2001 general election.

In 1999, Graham Dale became Director and Methodist minister David Haslam became Chair. Both men published in 2000: Graham’s book God’s Politicians was a seminal study of Christian influence in the Labour Party, while David’s pamphlet Christian Socialism for the New Millennium articulated a vision for the movement going forward. The following years saw CSM continue to contribute to the Labour Party, most notably through a major consultation with faith communities in advance of the 2001 general election. The report “Faith in Politics” was launched at a rally in Westminster Central Hall addressed by the prime minister. However, many CSM members did not support all aspects of the New Labour agenda. A veteran anti-apartheid campaigner, David led vigorous opposition to the Iraq War, although the majority of CSM MPs eventually voted with the government. Membership declined in this period, although the AGM voted to maintain CSM’s formal affiliation to the Labour Party.

In 2004, theologian Andrew Bradstock became Director and Baptist minister Bev Thomas became Chair. In 2005, following an evaluation project led by Vice Chair Stephen Beer, members voted to adopt a new values statement, the first since 1960, which re-affirmed the principles of Christian socialism while recasting CSM’s vision for the 21st century. CSM’s magazine was also renamed “The Common Good” and continued to be published, alongside pamphlets from a range of contributors such as David Lammy MP.

In 2007, members elected many new members to the executive committee on a platform of “change and renew”. This led to a set of changes to increase to membership, strengthen operations and develop a role in ‘values-based’ debates within the Labour Party. This was helped by the election of Alun Michael to the role of Chair, the first MP to hold to role. CSM strengthened its links with the Labour Party by accepting the offer of desk space within the Party offices.
In 2009, Dr Andy Flannagan took over as Director and in 2011, Stephen Timms MP became Chair. In these years, CSM broadened its profile and reach within the Christian community. The recession saw churches across the UK increase their involvement in social action projects, and CSM provided a platform for many to translate their activism into the political arena.

In 2013, the organisation became “Christians on the Left” after 67% of members supported adoption of the new name in an all-member vote. The name refreshed our identity in a way which reflects the diversity of the movement and made it clear that we are not an independent political party. CotL has continued to reach out, inform and campaign on a range of issues, and to have a major presence at the annual Labour Party Conference. Major campaigns included “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is” to promote ethical banking, “Our Sunday” to oppose Sunday trading liberalisation and “Patriots Pay Tax” against tax evasion and avoidance. To allow for expansion, CotL relocated its office space from Labour HQ to St John’s Church, Hoxton, at the end of 2015.

These years also saw the development of the Christians in Politics (CiPol) group in partnership with the Conservative Christian Fellowship and the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum. Coinciding with the 2015 general election, the #ShowUp campaign saw thousands of churches engage with CiPol material encouraging Christians to get involved in politics. In subsequent years, the cross-party platform has allowed CotL representatives to speak at a large and increasing range of churches and Christian events as part of CiPol’s outreach programme. Another significant initiative is CotL’s political mentoring programme. The programme exists to nurture and equip members interested in developing their political journey by providing teaching, training, and an opportunity to learn from a mentor already involved in politics, normally an MP.

In 2016, Jonathan Reynolds MP became Chair. In 2017, Louise Davies replaced Andy as Director. Key innovations in the last few years include the launch of a national day conference in 2019 and CotL’s all-member poll to determine its endorsement in the 2020 leadership election. During Covid-19 Lockdown in 2020, Christians on the Left ran a highly acclaimed series of Summer School events online, regular national prayer meetings on Zoom and a special Anniversary Thanksgiving Service in October, with a message from the Leader of the Opposition, The Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer MP.

Christians on the Left celebrated our 60th anniversary in 2020, we gave thanks for the long tradition of Christian socialism in the UK and the impact it has had over many years. We’re also excited for the future of our movement. The principles of community, peace, equality and sustainability are needed as much now as ever, as is our vital role as a bridge between the Labour Party and the church. We’d love you to get involved as we move forward!

By Matthew Judson. With material from Andrew Bradstock. Thanks to Andy Flannagan.

List of Chairs of CSM/CotL:
Donald Soper 1960-1975

Edward Charles 1975-1983

Peter Dawe 1983-1993

Chris Bryant 1993-1999

David Haslam 1999-2004

Bev Thomas 2004-2007

Alun Michael MP 2007-2012

Stephen Timms MP 2012-2016

Jonathan Reynolds MP 2016-

List of Co-ordinators/Directors of CSM/CotL:
David Cairns 1994-1999

Graham Dale 1999-2004

Andrew Bradstock 2004-2009

Andy Flannagan 2009-2017

Louise Davies 2017-2022

Hannah Rich 2022- Present