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Victor Grayson: In Search of Britains Lost Revolutionaryby Harry TaylorPluto Press 16.99

HARRY TAYLOR hasnt solved every riddle involving Victor Grayson, but his investigation of this complex and enigmatic figure is thorough and enthralling. Grayson, a charismatic and fiery socialist orator, was seduced into serving the establishment he hated before his mysterious disappearance in September 1920.

The book builds on earlier biographies by socialist journalist Reg Groves and Labour peer David Clark, but roundly refutes a bizarre conspiracy theory concocted by right-wing journalist Donald McCormick. The motives for further investigation are Taylors discovery of fresh information, and his conviction that Graysons story holds lessons for the British left in the wake of the defeat of Jeremy Corbyn. Theres a sense in which were haunted by Grayson.

We begin with a childhood of privation and challenge in working-class Liverpool. In a pivotal episode, the teenage Grayson stows away on a ship bound for Chile and is put ashore in Pembrokeshire. The 165-mile walk to his home city reveals it has no monopoly on destitution.

The book explores the tension between Graysons Christianity and socialism, the bisexuality that led to him being blackmailed, his attractiveness to older and wealthier female admirers, and his natural flair for oratory. Taylor rejects the established image of Grayson as a hot-headed troublemakerwith no grasp of ideology or policy. His calls for direct action were consonant with the beliefs of the Labour leadership at the time, and he had a working knowledge of Marxs writing.

The tragic sweep of Graysons life is punctuated with fascinating cameos. For example, I was surprised to discover he received support from writers Hilaire Belloc and GK Chesterton, whose suspicion of socialism was offset by disillusionment with the party-political system.

Graysons legend centres on an astonishing by-election victory at Colne Valley in 1907, achieved without official Labour Party support, but with a blend of Christian socialism, Marxist economics, and dazzling eloquence. In Parliament, his provocative attempts to secure an unemployment debate led to Labour MPs unanimously supporting Liberals and Tories in voting for his suspension. His behaviour was attributed to drunkenness, but Taylor finds evidence of a premeditated and principled stand.

Graysons drinking did eventually derail his career. Later, he mustered working-class support for the first world war on behalf of his old adversary Churchill, served at Passchendaele and condemned striking workers.

Taylors compelling scholarship assesses Graysons career in the context of his era, but we are challenged to draw conclusions relevant to our own. The author focuses on the need for a Labour Party responsive to the needs of working people and based on strong structures and organisation.

Another moral to be drawn about progress towards socialism is the need to focus on the song rather than its singer.

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Focus on the song rather than its singer - Morning Star Online